The wonder of technology is this: taking once-onerous
requirements of conducting business, breaking them down into manageable tasks,
and in the process, making commerce zing along even faster.
For instance, in using conference calls -- or their uptown
cousin, video-conferencing -- to meet with co-workers or clients in distant
cities, many companies are saving themselves substantial time and money once
spent traveling. The increasing use of these tools by business is putting a
big smile on the faces of road-weary business travelers, who have grown too
used to airline food and overhead luggage compartments.
However, along with them also comes a whole new set of
potential gaffes to be made by the unwary. Nancy Friedman, the St. Louis-based
Telephone Doctor, helps companies foresee and avoid exactly those pitfalls.
Friedman, through her international training company, which
specializes in products and services to improve the performance of people on
the phone offered the following pointers for effective conferencing
Conference calls
While a true audio conference is coordinated by the phone
company, and can involve hundreds of callers at one time, the most common
arrangement is just a few people on a pair or trio of speaker phones.
Regardless of the number of callers, Friedman laid out several ground rules
for using a speaker phone to conduct an audio conference.
"The most important [rule] is never answer or make a first
call on the speaker phone," she said. "Our Telephone Doctor survey says it
makes the person you are calling feel as though they are not very important.
"Secondly, when you initiate the phone call and need to use
a speaker phone, always ask the person you are calling if they mind that you
put them on the speaker, and then acknowledge anyone in the room with you."
Friedman's third guideline for audio conferencing is that
there should be no more than five people on a speaker phone per location, and
that a person is identified each time he or she speaks.
Finally, said Friedman, each side needs a facilitator to
control and direct the conference at each location.
"The facilitator is very important when you're in a
situation with multiple numbers on each side. If you don't have a facilitator
or don't announce yourself each time, many negative things could happen, such
as two or three individuals talking at once."
Video conferencing is less commonly used than audio
conferencing, primarily because of the expense of the technology. A basic system
can cost $100,00, just for equipment at one location.
A more affordable option for many companies is to rent the
equipment at an off-site facility, like Kinko's. Rates there are $150 per hour
at each site to connect from one Kinko's location to another, said Gayle
Moynihan, who coordinates video conferencing services for Kinko's Brentwood
location.
"While video conferencing is less expensive than flying the
participants to one location, it still isn't cheap" said Friedman. "You do not
want to waste any time. Keep introductions short, and to the point. Plan your
agenda in advance. Plan for the unexpected. Assume that things can go wrong and
be prepared for that... Remember, you can never be too prepared for the video
conference."
Since a person in a video conference will be visible to
others, appearance is definitely an important consideration.
"Stay away from white, because it's too `hot' for the
camera," said Friedman. "Red is a bad color because it bleeds. Blues are good
for a man's shirt and women can stick to basics. Also, avoid having lots of
papers in front of you. Do not give the impression you are disorganized. All the
notes you need should be kept on a 3x5 card."
Finally, just like an audio conference, Friedman emphasizes
the importance of having a facilitator at each location. This person can make
the video conference go much more smoothly, and increasing the value of the
experience for all participants.
