How to Do a Teleconference
Conducting a teleconference is a great way to hold a meeting without the hassle of reserving meeting rooms and paying travel expenses. All you need in order to host a teleconference call is teleconferencing software or access to a teleconference website. Moreover, by following a few simple steps, your teleconference call will flow smoothly as you navigate your agenda.
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Instructions
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Start By Choosing The Right Provider
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Choose a teleconferencing provider. Some providers, such as freeconferenceservice.com and freeconference.com, will allow you to use their services for free. The free services often have limitations, such as the amount of participants allowed on the call and length of each call.
Teleconference services from companies, such as AT&T or Clear Channel, may require you to pay a fee; however, these companies often provide additional benefits, such as a toll-free number for you and members of your party to dial in to the call, as well as low rates per minute.
When choosing a provider, consider how many participants you expect to be on the call and the number of those that are calling long distance, length of the call, and the number of teleconference occurrences. Ask the provider if they offer other features, such as 24/7 technical support, customer service, and the ability to switch to Web or video conferencing.
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Schedule a time for your teleconference call as far in advance as possible. Some teleconference service providers require that you schedule your conference within an allotted window of time, with most asking for a reservation at least 24 hours in advance of the call. Alternatively, other providers may not require an advance reservation. This is a feature you should inquire about before deciding on a teleconference provider.
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Create an agenda. On the agenda, include bullet points of all items of business to discuss during the call. The agenda will help you to stay focused on the topics at hand and avoid wandering off onto irrelevant discussions. Then, if you happen to become sidetracked during the call, you can look at the agenda to get back on track.
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Email teleconference participants in advance. In this email, provide them with a telephone and pin number to access the call. Tell them the time of the call and attach the finalized agenda. By attaching the agenda, participants can prepare ahead of time for any questions or feedback.
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Dial into the teleconference line 15 minutes early. By doing so, you won't have to worry about being tardy. You will also know, in advance, of any technical difficulties that may arise. If you experience technical difficulties, you can easily contact customer service to get the issue resolved.
Note that some teleconference service providers will also offer a feature that will allow participants to "chime in" when they arrive on the call, even if they arrive late.
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Stick to the agenda. This is very important once the teleconference starts to ensure all items are discussed. It is equally important to allow time for questions and feedback at the end of the call. Be courteous and listen without interrupting or cutting anyone off. If you don't have the answer to the question or don't wish to address the feedback at the moment, list it as an item on the agenda for the next teleconference call.
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End the conference call. As the teleconference host, you should be the last person to leave the line.
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