Not being seen by other members of the teleconference leads one to a false sense of casualness. This creates inattentive behavior and fosters poor communication. Due to the time and distance factor of a teleconference, the inattentive caller is completely unaware that they are being disruptive. These types of callers disrupt the flow of the meeting and are easily identified by other participants of the teleconference. Understanding acceptable professional etiquette will avoid this type of disruption.
It is important to pay attention and be informed about the social norms of teleconferences. Remember the basics, and apply them to teleconferences. Think about how you would act and speak during a meeting with other people. Then, think about how you would behave during a teleconference.
Is the way you conduct yourself in teleconference calls identical to the way you behave when meeting someone in person? If not, you need to remember a few little hints to keep it professional. Being punctual is the first and most important rule.
It might be tempting to teleconference while sipping coffee and eating your lunch, but don't do it! Treat this meeting just as seriously as you would a face-to-face meeting in your office. Sit at your desk and be professional. Others on the call will be able to hear you moving around, eating, or getting settled and it will reflect negatively on you and your professionalism.
Second, organize all the materials you will need to refer to during the call. Do this ahead of time on your desk in a way that will be easy for you to find and access. You will have a few minutes to check over your organization while you are waiting on the line for everyone else to join the call.
Third, be aware that you will listen to the rules of communication, the format of the conference call, as they are usually laid out by the host of the call. A critical one to remember is to not speak over someone else and to allow them ample time to finish speaking. This one is sometimes a bit more challenging, since the visual clues are not there. But, with a bit of practice, this teleconferencing skill develops just fine.
After you become familiar with teleconferences, such as knowing when it is your turn to talk, and being able to express your opinion without cutting others off, remember your goal is to be heard. You want to be known as the one who gave the most in the meeting by answering the questions and expressing your ideas.
Because when we look at our behavior objectively, whether on the phone or in person, isn't our ultimate goal to appear a valuable and quality employee with a lot to contribute? Of course, we all want to look that way in business, and teleconferencing is no exception. Don't think of it as a simple phone call - never forget that you are at a meeting where all the standard rule of etiquette and professionalism apply. You want to keep all these norms in mind while still making your voice heard and being an asset to the outcome of the meeting.
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Daiv Russell is a management and marketing consultant with Envision Consulting in Tampa, Florida. To learn more about teleconference etiquette, check out audio-conference-calling.info. While organizing your team check out our Team Building activities.
