I've compiled these tips based on some of the best calls I've observed, the ones where I hang up the phone and think "Wow, we got a lot done!" or "I can't wait to get working on this project!"
Here are 5 tips for facilitators, and 3 for attendees. I'd also love to hear your tips.
If you're leading the call...
1. Send a detailed meeting invitation. In the meeting description, let your invitees know what the meeting is about, why you invited them, and what action you expect from them both before and during the meeting. Include your conference call number, link to the Sametime meeting (if applicable), and attachments or links to any documents you'd like your participants to review. If you need to add details later, open the invite on your calendar and save the updates directly into the meeting invitation. Nobody enjoys starting a meeting by scrambling through a cluttered Inbox trying to find all the details.
2. Get to know your conference line. I recently learned that, on my company's conferencing system, you can press *5 to mute all lines except your own. This is perfect if you're experiencing background noise, or if one of your attendees is eating a crunchy sandwich or puts you on hold. Just be sure to tell your participants to press *6 to un-mute if they'd like to ask a question or make a comment.
Our system has a default setting in which a robotic voice instructs callers: "Please state your name, then press the pound key." One day, I called into my own conference line and didn't press 1 to begin my meeting. I stayed on the phone with the friendly robot to listen to what other options she had for me. It turned out, this feature could be turned off. I like to think that anyone who dials into one of my conference calls is getting precious seconds of his or her life back.
3. Boost interactivity with online meetings. I recently attended a meeting where the presenter used the Sametime Whiteboard to brainstorm ideas with 30 people. It was great: Everyone got a chance to be heard, nobody talked over one another, and lots of great ideas were captured. Other fun tools include screen sharing, live polls, and group chat. Group chat and hand-raising are handy ways for large audiences to ask questions without interrupting the speaker.
4. Mind the time. If your meeting's agenda is packed with multiple topics or speakers, allocate a time for each, and clearly communicate it to all presenters well in advance. Build in some buffer time and schedule Q&A at the end of your call, so that none of your speakers feel rushed.
Do you or your presenters tend to ramble? (I do!) Have a designated timekeeper on your call watch the clock and send speakers an instant message with 5-minute and 2-minute warnings when it's time to wrap up. If there's just NO way you can fairly cover a topic in 15 minutes, give it the time it deserves and set up a dedicated call.
Ending on time is a basic courtesy, but to rock your call, end 5 minutes early, The best gift that you can give to a coworker who's been on back-to-back conference calls all day is a sweet little 5-minute respite to stretch, get something to drink, or use the restroom before the next meeting.
5. Don't read your slides. Think of your PowerPoint deck as a complement to your presentation, not as the presentation itself. If you're using your slides to anchor key points of your presentation, be brief (7-10 words per key point, up to 3 key points per slide). If you're including the slides as reference material, you can be more verbose, but resist the urge to read the slides aloud to your audience. Your spoken commentary should include examples, stories, and context for the points in your presentation.
If you're a participant...
6. Do your pre-work. Set aside some time at the beginning of the week and at the beginning of each day to look through your upcoming meetings. Is there any pre-work or reading required? Do you have a good understanding of what's expected of you and what each meeting will be about?
7. Know the difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak. I'm one of those extraverted people who's very excited to share my own ideas, so I've had to make a conscious effort to listen more closely. I take copious notes. Taking notes on others' comments helps me listen and absorb their ideas more effectively. Jotting down my own ideas helps me remember them and clear them out of my mind so I can give others my full attention.
8. Resist the multi-tasking urge. I can't tell you to stop multi-tasking altogether, but know that you can't rock a conference call unless you're truly present. Switch your instant message status so it automatically shows that you're in a meeting. If that doesn't work, change to "Do Not Disturb" or sign out altogether. I have found that signing out of email, while scary at first, is a good way to minimize distraction.
If I'm feeling incredibly restless, sometimes I'll pick up a physical task such as cleaning. My hands are occupied, but my ears and brain are on the conference call. I've been known to remove and clean under every key on my keyboard, just so I could keep my attention focused on a really important call (and because, frankly, it was kind of gross under there).
You're not going to rock every call. There will always be calls that are just plain old status updates, short and utilitarian run-downs of straightforward facts. But when it really counts, when you're making decisions or charting new courses or looking to WOW an audience, try some of these tricks and perhaps your call will be the one everyone remembers.
