As treasurer of the Association of Presbyterian Interim Ministry Specialists I am always looking for the most cost efficient way of doing business. We are a small, national organization and the Board cannot afford but one face-to-face meeting a year, thus we depend heavily on conference calls. I tried one of the 'national' providers and found the cost very expensive and the flexibility as to time and number of people on the call limited. I was thrilled to find your company, even more so after our first call - very easy to set up, clearly heard by everyone. Thanks. Count on us using this many more times.

Peace,
Dr. Donald R. Ewing Rev.,
Interim Ministry Specialist & Treasurer APIMS

Effective Conference Calls

What is the best way to conduct a conference call?

Plan Ahead

  • Alert your participants in advance on the date and time of the conference call.
  • Communicate any items that need to be prepared in advance of the call.
  • Set the goals for your conference call. Try and keep your goals to a minimum so that the call doesn't last longer than needed.
  • Set an agenda.

Immediately Prior to the Conference Call

  • Make sure that you are in a quiet place and will not be disturbed during the conference call.
  • Minimize interruptions such as call waiting, ringers on your telephone, cell phones or pagers.

Starting the Conference Call

  • Conduct a brief roll call to confirm who is on your conference call.
  • Announce your goals and state your agenda up front.
  • Set the ground rules for your conference call and reconfirm the anticipated time your call will last.
  • Remind your participants to state their name before they make a comment on the call.

During the Conference Call

  • Ask for feedback from specific participants vs. the entire group.
  • Table any discussions that are not relevant to your agenda for a later time and place.
  • Try and involve all of your participants in the discussion.
  • Make sure that any noise or distractions are dealt with promptly.
  • Summarize the issues that you discussed and recap any action items resulting from the conference call.
  • Establish the day and time for your next conference call.
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Resources

Effective Teleconferencing Calls Effective Conference Calls
How much will my conference call cost? How do I make a simple conference call?
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