How to Conduct a Teleconference

Teleconferences provide an efficient way to save time and money and are an integral part of business communications these days. The participants of a teleconference can work within the ease and comfort of their own offices by simply picking up the phone and dialing in. This also saves hours of tiresome journey to the meeting place and economizes transportation cost. The logistics involved are minimal and there are lesser distractions as compared to normal face to face meetings.

Steps for Conducting a Teleconference
The following steps should be followed in order to carry out a meaningful and efficient teleconference:

• The very first step is to send prior information of the meeting. The information packet should include the date and time of the meeting, dialing instructions, the meeting agenda and a contact number for any further assistance. The message should be conveyed well before the meeting date, in order to avoid any last-minute hassle.
• A last-minute reminder in the form of a short email should be sent to all the participating members, about an hour before the conference call begins. These reminders are extremely effective and efficient and are useful for participants who are extremely busy throughout the week.
• The main equipment required for a teleconference are a personal computer, large TV monitor and a remote-controlled video camera. Turn on the computer, monitor and camera and when prompted by the computer, provide the ISDN number of the site you want to call. Press the 'Call Up' button using the remote control and wait for the person to answer from the other end. To make a multiple site conference, a Multi-point unit (MCU) controller is used.
• In order to troubleshoot any technical issues, it is important to log into the system over the phone or the virtual meeting space online, at least half an hour before the meeting begins. This also leaves a good impression on other participants of the teleconference. Once everyone logs in, take a formal attendance in order to keep track of all the participants. Then ask them to state relevant information about themselves, like, name, department, job title and location before the meeting starts. This will let everyone know who is speaking at any given time.
• It is important to follow the business ethics and start the meeting right on time. For the elimination of background noises while a person is speaking for a lengthy period, ask the participants to use the mute button on their phones.
• Frivolous discussions have no place in a teleconference and it is necessary to stick to the meeting agenda. If any participant starts to discuss irrelevant topics, redirect him politely. In order to avoid any problems, let them know that they will be provided time for open discussion after the meeting gets over.
• Before ending the virtual meeting or teleconference, it is good to ask everyone if they have anything to add. After that thank all the participants for taking time out of their day to attend the meeting.
• Last but not least, send meeting notes to the teleconference or virtual meeting participants within 24 hours of the meeting. This allows them to review the material, while the meeting is still fresh in their minds. If at all any decisions were made during the meeting, they should also be clearly stated in the notes.

There are quality teleconferencing equipment available in the market, which enhance the performance of such virtual meetings. Teleconferencing is a great tool for simultaneous meetings while the participants sit comfortably at different locations.