{"id":4456,"date":"2016-09-12T16:15:46","date_gmt":"2016-09-12T22:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meetingone.eu\/eu-en\/?p=4456"},"modified":"2018-11-30T15:13:33","modified_gmt":"2018-11-30T22:13:33","slug":"wish-perfect-conference-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meetingone.com\/eu-en\/blog\/wish-perfect-conference-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Wish You Could Have a Perfect Conference Call?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you ever find yourself day-dreaming about what it would like to have a perfect conference call?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 Maybe I’m just a conferencing nerd, but,\u00a0imagine what it would be like…<\/strong><\/p>\n

You pick up your phone and dial-in to the conference.\u00a0 Everything seems normal as you wait for a minute or two.\u00a0 Then other attendees begin to arrive.\u00a0 Everyone flawlessly states their name as they join the call<\/strong>\u2014no awkward delays or stealth flyers.\u00a0 Your jaw drops.<\/em><\/p>\n

A few moments later you look down at your watch and notice\u2014that everyone has arrived on time<\/strong>!?!\u00a0 Can\u2019t be.\u00a0 You rub your eyes, slap your cheeks, maybe you pinch yourself to wake from this fantastic dream.\u00a0 But you don\u2019t wake.<\/em><\/p>\n

During this perfect conference call, you realize\u2014after about five minutes\u2014that no one has interrupted anyone else<\/strong>, and no two people have competed for talking time.\u00a0 Oh sweet, sweet harmony.<\/em><\/p>\n

As the first discussion on a new marketing campaign winds down, you grimace, expecting one person to shoot down the plan.\u00a0 But then, to your surprise, everyone in attendance agrees unanimously.\u00a0 Unanimously.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The rest of the call follows in perfect accord.\u00a0 The audio quality is impeccable throughout, and no one is dropped from the call.\u00a0 You notice as the conference winds down that no one leaves the call early.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Then, sadly, the host ends the call.\u00a0 A tear comes to your eye.\u00a0 (Or is that just me…?)<\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be realistic, though.\u00a0 Conference call perfection probably isn\u2019t attainable.\u00a0 And the scenario outlined above isn\u2019t going to happen anytime soon.<\/p>\n

But you know what?\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t mean a nearly<\/em> perfect conference call is impossible!\u00a0 You can have conference calls that are nearly perfect all the time if you have the right features in place.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

4 Essential Features for a Nearly<\/em> Perfect Conference Call<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. The Scheduling Plugin Feature<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"ConferenceWish your team would arrive on time for every conference call?\u00a0 Some of the issue lays with participants who forget to schedule the call on their calendar, don\u2019t receive a timely reminder, or simply don\u2019t receive the very dial-in number they need.\u00a0 Scheduling plugins can help overcome these issues.<\/p>\n

A scheduling plugin is a feature offered by certain conferencing providers that can be used to schedule conference calls from Microsoft Outlook or Google calendars.\u00a0<\/strong> With a few quick clicks, you can schedule a call and send out an email with the call time information. \u00a0The scheduled call will automatically fill out a time slot on your recipients\u2019 calendars.\u00a0 No more worrying about whether your team has appropriately scheduled the call.<\/p>\n

This also helps individuals remember a call.\u00a0 As with all calendar appointments or meetings, a nice little pop-up message will appear reminding them the call is coming up.\u00a0 No excuses for showing up late!<\/p>\n

*AudioOne Users: If you\u2019re using AudioOne, we already have a scheduling plugin waiting for you: ScheduleOne<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 See how it simplifies your life with the free trial<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\n2. Roll Call Features<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve all been on those calls where attendees join the call\u00a0but never introduce themselves.\u00a0 The rest of us, of course, are left wondering who\u2019s on the call and who\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n

You’ll never worry about attendees entering your conference calls in stealth mode again when you use a roll call feature.<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0Certain providers allow for roll calls to be set to require each and every attendee to state their name when they join a call.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s nice about many providers\u2019 roll call features is that they often provide an option to have the names played back after the call begins.\u00a0 That way there\u00a0are no\u00a0guessing games about who\u2019s in attendance.<\/p>\n

*AudioOne Users: If you haven\u2019t already setup roll calling, check out the Online Account Management (OAM) Support Page<\/a><\/strong> for instructions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Muting Features<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s face it.\u00a0 A good call depends on upon how well you manage the attendees. \u00a0\"PerfectYou want them to be able to participate, but you don\u2019t want your call to become a competition for talking time.\u00a0 Muting features can be that tool for striking a nice balance.<\/p>\n

Successful muting depends on a few things, though.\u00a0 First of all, it helps to have a visual interface (check out our previous blog<\/a><\/span><\/strong> to learn more about audio conferencing visual interfaces).\u00a0 As a basic recap, a visual interface gives you control over a call from your computer\u2014so you can select and mute individual participants with just your mouse.<\/p>\n

Being able to pick and choose who\u2019s muted helps avoid people talking over each other<\/strong>, while also giving individuals the privilege to hold the floor themselves.\u00a0 And only a host needs to be at a computer to manage the visual interface.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t select and mute individuals with a visual interface, most providers offer two valuable alternatives:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

1. Mute All<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

As the name suggests, a Mute All function allows a host to mute all participant lines.\u00a0 No more worrying about inappropriate side-chatter or unruly interruptions.<\/p>\n

2. Self-muting<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Although it can be risky to use, certain providers have programmed dial-pad prompts that allow hosts to pass along the responsibility of muting to attendees.\u00a0 Self-muting is a great option for a courteous, mindful bunch of attendees.\u00a0 If they are willing to mute themselves after they\u2019ve spoken, it\u2019s quite handy.\u00a0 If not\u2026well, things can get a little raucous.<\/p>\n

The fact is, though, the best way to maximize muting features is with a call control visual interface.\u00a0 Visual interfaces tend to have other beneficial features, such as Q&A Queues, that provide attendees options to speak without whisking away the host\u2019s control to mute people.<\/p>\n

*AudioOne Users: Get specific information on how to utilize Click&Meet (C&M) muting options from the support page<\/a><\/strong>!<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Voting Session Features<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

I batted around the \u201cdream\u201d of unanimous agreement during a call. \u00a0A bit far-fetched, I know.\u00a0 But achieving an agreement isn\u2019t just about having everyone wholly on the same page.\u00a0 An important aspect of reaching an agreeable position is to make\u00a0sure everyone can participate.\u00a0 Enter voting sessions.<\/p>\n

Voting session features allow you to get everyone engaged, but you don\u2019t have to forsake valuable time to get in everyone\u2019s opinions.\u00a0 Like muting features, voting strikes an important balance of participation during conference calls.<\/p>\n

Unlike like muting features, though, it\u2019s nearly impossible to hold a voting session without<\/em> a visual interface.<\/strong>\u00a0 The interface allows you to start a voting session with the click of a button, and it displays the vote tallies for the host (which can be later copied and pasted into a spreadsheet).\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit tough to know how people are voting if you can\u2019t see the totals.<\/p>\n

Here are some ideas for how you could hold a voting session during a conference call:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n