A lot of planning can go into preparing for a conference call. The first three articles in this series addressed setting the right context for the phone conference. This article also focuses on how to get the most out of the call itself.

The person who is in charge of the conference has thought about what needs to be achieved, and contacted the participants whose skills, expertise and experience match the requirements of the conference call. A successful call builds on this foundation.

The following quotes from playwright William Shakespeare express a philosophy that underscores the need for forthright action. To find that perfect balance between boldness and restraint takes a special frame of mind. Let’s explore further….

1. Be Bold. “Nothing will come from nothing.”

Conference calls make use of some very useful technology which Shakespeare probably didn’t envision when he penned this aphorism. Teleconferences would have probably seemed fantastical to someone of that time period.

Yet this quote expresses a timeless virtue: the need for boldness. When you are on a conference bridge, someone needs to be willing to make the first move; to push the envelope, and make things happen.

Remember, “nothing will come from nothing”. You have to be willing to get creative, and generate ideas. Even though you may feel that you don’t have all the information you need, you have creativity and in many cases that will be sufficient to get the teleconference rolling.

2. Seize the moment. “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

Sometimes participants on a phone conference can get caught up in tangential issues, and lose sight of the bigger picture. Successful conference calls are only possible when the participants focus on a well defined topic, and outline clear goals and objectives pertaining to that subject.

Most crucially, a successful phone conference requires an understanding of the opportunity at hand. So think of a conference call as what it really is, an opportunity. Conferencing services provide the opportunity for you to build an effective ethos with the other participants in the call and in so doing build the momentum to move beyond talk and towards action.

3. Resist obsessive worry. “What’s done can’t be undone.”

Some people tend to become fearful when faced with the challenge of making presentations. The notion that what is done cannot be undone is may be true in some cases, but this is frequently an unhelpful way of thinking about the question.

Make sure that you are proactive about establishing a culture on the conference where individuals on the conference bridge feel free to take risks and make mistakes. A phone conference will usually only succeed to the extent that individual members resist the tendency to worry about how their ideas will be perceived.

4. Be true to yourself. “This above all; to thine own self be true.”

Conferencing services are simply tools to facilitate team communication. Never forget that your own integrity is the single most important asset at stake.

Everyone gets scared and doubtful at times. By being yourself you will invariably feel more confident in your own skills.

Conference calls where the participants agree to foster a culture of open communication to find solutions and insights, instead of competing to see who knows the most going into the call-helps to solve this problem. Discuss and conference freely; but above all, make sure that you set the right tone for all participants to be themselves.

Author Bio: Andre D. Vanier is a California native. He has written extensively about telecommunications technologies. Vanier is the co-founder of Rondee.com, a pioneering provider of conference bridge numbers. Professionals and consumers throughout North America look to Rondee for the best in free conference services and productivity tools.

Category: Business Management
Keywords: Rondee, free conference, conference bridge, phone conference, conferencing services