Hosting Teleconferences

Telephone conferences (“teleconferences”) and web conferences allow teams to hold meetings without needing everyone to be physically together. A teleconference allows team members to join in by phone. A web conference uses the telephone too but it also allows the host to share presentations, share applications, use a virtual “whiteboard,” chat and manage questions and answers.

Community of Christ has technology that allows you to host a telephone or web conference with your team. If you would like an account on our conference bridge or have questions on its use, please contact the Technology Support Help Desk.

Teleconferences and web conferences are different from face-to-face meetings but they share characteristics. Please read “Holding Effective Meetings” on TeamCentral. The ideas presented in this article still hold true for teleconferences and web conferences.

Teleconference Considerations

General

• Make sure that a teleconference is the best communication tool. An hour teleconference does not accomplish as much as a one-hour face-to-face meeting. Have a shorter agenda or schedule more time.
• Make sure that you lead your conference from a quiet room.
• Discourage people from using a speakerphone or a cell phone. These phones have poor sound quality and can disrupt your meeting. If you or someone else has to use this type of phone, ask that they mute their phone.
• Be sure that everyone has the dial-in phone number and access code (if any).
• If your meeting is going to be several hours, consider breaking up the call into smaller conferences. It is hard to be on the phone for long periods of times.

Technology

• The meeting facilitator should use a handset or a headset. Do not use a speakerphone because the sound quality is poor.
• If most of those attending will be in the same room then make sure you have a quality conference speakerphone. Typically the speakerphone of a standard handset is not suitable.

Scheduling

• Scheduling becomes more difficult with teleconferences. Do not forget about different time zones and holidays.
• Sharing information needs more coordination. It is rude if the meeting participants on one end of the call are looking at documents not available to remote participants. Consider asking for handouts early enough so you can e-mail or fax them a few days before the meeting.
• Have a list of attendees and their phone numbers in case you have to originate a call to them.
• Put places in the agenda for breaks and stretches. Your remote audience may need a break!

During a Call

• If you are the facilitator, call in early (five to fifteen minutes).
• Greet everyone that arrives.
• Ask everyone to announce their name before speaking.
• Avoid paper rustling.
• Vary your voice tone and pace or you will encourage snoring!
• Verbally describe what is happening in the room (“Mary is showing us a figurine from her last trip”).
• Involve people in the conversation.
• Allow more time for questions and answers than you allot for face-to-face meetings.

Web Conference Considerations

• Make sure that a web conference is right for your next meeting. The technical challenges go up exponentially because your participants have to download and setup software before the conference.
• Everyone involved with a web conference should have high-speed internet access. Dial-up is not a choice.
• If you are using the web conference for the first time, consider having a brief meeting where everyone tries it out a few days before so everyone can learn all the controls.
• Keep the slides simple. Do not use heavy graphics or animation.
• Sharing your computer over a web conference to give live demonstrations consumes a lot of Internet bandwidth. It takes less bandwidth to show screens snapshots.

References

This article was written with help from the following resources.

• Coyner, Dale. “Webconferencing 101: A Dozen Ideas to Improve Your Next Online Event,” Small Business Advisor, http://www.isquare.com/webconf.cfm.
  
  
• “Teleconferencing Tips for effective meetings,” USA WorldTel, http://www.usaconferencing.com/tips.htm.
  
  
• White, Nancy. “Telephone Conference Call Tips,” Full Circle Associates, http://www.fullcirc.com/community/telephonefacilitation.htm, 2004.
  
  

See Also

• Holding Effective Meetings