Nov
05
Conference Call Courtesy
Posted by Mom at 8:08am in Work At Home
Due to a new project starting this week, I will spend some heavy duty time on conference calls. Since I work at home, and the people I “meet” with are in an office, I take extra care to ensure that my meetings go smoothly.
Here are several tips to “mind your manners” while on a call from your home office.
- Pick a quiet place. Make sure that your meeting participants can’t hear your dog barking or children crying.
- Avoid using speaker or cell phones. Speaker phones introduce background noises, and cell phones can introduce static or drop the call.
- Disable call waiting. If you receive another call during your conference, others may hear a tone or interruption when you’re speaking. Check with your phone provider to learn how to disable this feature.
- Turn off cell phone, PDA, and mute your IM. You may think your new ring tone or IM notification is cool, but no one wants to hear it during the call.
- Keep noises to a minimum. Noises like…shuffling papers, tapping your pen, typing on the keyboard, smacking your lips while eating or drinking, are distracting. You may think no one else can hear these noises, trust me they can…and it drives people crazy!
- Be on time. In business, it’s not fashionable to be late. Time is a precious commodity. It is rude to waste other’s time by making them wait for you.
Don’t assume others automatically recognize your voice. Make sure to introduce yourself at the beginning of the call and again when you address someone. - Use Mute wisely. It’s ok to use the mute button if you need to, just remember to take your phone off mute before you speak!
- Listen well. Resist the temptation to read or type e-mails, work on documents, or do anything else that can distract you. Imagine the embarrassment if someone asks for your input and you have no idea what they said!
By using common sense and being considerate towards others, you will project professionalism even if you’re working at home in your slippers!
