In this era of virtual meetings, more people than ever are expected to lead conference calls. I work with people and organizations who want to create meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues. Relationships are created and nurtured through positive communication skills. However, many conference calls are a waste of time and detrimental to professional relationships. When a conference call is not well executed, it’s common to hear dogs, babies, and the sounds of someone typing on their computer answering their e-mail. Here are the steps to take to assure that your next conference call will be a success and a positive use of the participants’ time.

Before the call:

1.  Send an invitation via your e-mail software 2 weeks before the call.

2.  Request a copy of the conference call company’s instructions, i.e. how to mute calls, how to record the call, etc.

3.  Send an agenda for feedback 1 week before the call.

4.  Send a final agenda with a reminder 1 day before the call.

5.  Call-in to the conference call 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and wait for others to join. This 10 minute window will give you some  time to work out any glitches that may arise for joining the conference call.

During the call:

6.  Adhere to the schedule. Start and end on time. Let people know at the beginning of the call that you value their time. Since you value their time, you will stick to the agenda and end the call at or before the scheduled time.

7.  Record the call. Many conference call companies have this capability. Let the participants know that you are recording the meeting to assist with recordkeeping.

8.  Ask participants to please take the call off of speakerphone.  Also, to place the call on mute if they have children, animals, or office noise in the background.

9.  When others get off topic, guide the discussion back to the agenda item. Mention how you value their time and that “we only have a limited amount of time today. I want to make sure your time is well spent on this call.”

After the call:

10.  Block off the hour following the call to tie up loose ends, review the conference call recording, and send follow-up e-mails about the call.

Following these steps demonstrates how much importance you place on the participants’ time and effort. By valuing others’ time and effort, you are creating and nurturing meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues.