10 Ways for Conducting Better Remote Business Conference Calls
13 Oct 2017
In today’s digital age, remote conference calls have become a daily ritual for most businesses. Companies have openly embraced virtual meetings as they offer a cost effective solution for achieving myriads of goals. From webinars to virtual training and conferences, remote meetings are an essential part of the business workflow and communication. Yet most of us don’t like conference calls because they are generally boring, energy sucking and a complete waste of an-otherwise-productive time.
No matter how much we try to run away from virtual meetings, the truth of the matter is that these remote meetings have become an indispensable part of business. In short, there is no getting away from them. But the mention of the word ‘conference call’ doesn’t have to necessarily be the reason behind the collective groans from coworkers. Here are 10 effective ways to remove the ‘meh’ feeling from virtual meetings and make them better.
1. Prep up for it in Advance
There is nothing more annoying than ‘umms’, ‘aahs’ and the consistent noise of shuffling paper. To make remote meetings meaningful, it’s better to prepare ahead of time instead of minutes before they start. Because most people in the remote conference call are joining in from various locations and times zones, it is imperative to consider common conference call etiquettes to ensure a successful remote conference call.
2. Consider the Time Zone
As most participants are joining the international remote conference call from multiple locations, the meeting host needs to consider the time zones and ensure that the remote meeting time works out for all attendees. Virtual meetings must be scheduled at a feasible time and it is only common courtesy to accommodate all participants according to their schedule.
3. Opt for a One-touch Calling App
The best virtual meetings are the ones that include three essentials: connection, collaboration and feedback. To maintain these essentials and to keep the participants engaged, it is necessary to use a productive one touch remote conference call dialing and smart meeting app like MeetingMogul which allows teams to conduct virtual meetings seamlessly by using just a Smartphone. Built for both iOS and Android, the app connects with a wide range of remote conference call providers including Skype for Business, Join.Me., GoToMeeting and WebEx.
4. Have a Focused Agenda
One of the main remote conference call dilemmas today is not considering the value of time. Virtual meetings take time and effort, which is why it’s better to have a focused agenda with specific items and then making sure that everyone sticks to the plan. Also, ensure that the remote conference call initiator shares the agenda and meeting goals ahead of time so that the participants can prepare.
5. Keep it Short and Simple
It is easy to wander off track when talking. To ensure an effective remote conference call, keep your statements short, ask direct questions and frequently ask for feedback from participants.
6. Avoid Long Presentations
Long presentations laden with text are boring. They are conversation killers and most participants are likely to lose focus, constantly checking the clock to estimate how long the torture will last. Avoid slides and if at all you really must show presentations, than keep them short and simple, focused only on essentials.
7. Use Video for the needed ‘Face-to-Face’
Video calls are known to keep people more focused because unlike audio calls, where participants are more likely to mute their phones and tune out, video meetings offer visual cues which keep the participants engaged.
8. Have Technical Tools on Hand
Smart collaborative tools like notes, call alerts, call recording and other such dynamic tools can make virtual meeting sessions more effective. Instead of using dozens of different tools, opt for a remote conference call app like MeetingMogul which allows all users to see meeting reminders, notify attendees for a scheduled remote conference call, offers recordings and even provides summary review of the online meetings on the go.
9. Keep it Engaging and Interesting
Boring virtual meetings are hard to sit through. To encourage collaboration and engagement during remote meetings, ask participants directly for input, allow them to speak up, share ideas and contribute to the conversation.
10. Find Solutions and Follow up
Remind the participants of the meeting goals once the call starts and to increase the effectiveness of the remote conference call. Also, use online collaboration tools for notes sharing or notes recording (a feature embedded in MeetingMogul app) for keeping up with action items and meeting goals you achieved at the end. When concluding the call, ensure that you wrap up by major meeting minutes and include a follow up agenda.
Conducting remote meetings is essential for the success of any business. In today’s fast-paced virtual world, where time and security is precious, it is necessary to take that extra time to dig for the right remote conference call app which will ensure seamless virtual meetings. One of the biggest challenges of remote meetings is to keep the participants engaged and interested but with the right remote conference call app and by keeping virtual meeting etiquettes in view, any team can successfully hold an effective remote conference call.
