Tips to be Ready to Host an Online Call
Being prepared for your Conference call is just as important as any meeting or networking experence.
Here are some useful tips to help you get ready for hosting a call.
Time
Choose a time that is suitable for the attendees. Think about contributing factors such as if they are working from home will they have children around? Would it be better to have the meeting in the afternoon to avoid any morning rush? Or perhaps in the evening once the home is quieter.
Perhaps ask the question prior to scheduling the call to ensure what time would be most suitable to them.
Software
There are a lot of FREE software that you can use to host your call on such as Zoom and WebEx just to name a couple. Register with your chosen provider and then create your event on the site.
Invite
Then issue a calendar invite, email, message with the link contained in it to the participants. And if using calendar invites you will be able to set an automatic reminder to them.
Trouble shoot
Follow up with your invites to ensure that they have received the link okay and advise them to check they can access the link prior to the call. If they haven’t used it before they may need to download software.
Sometimes the message can land in their junk/spam box as well so its worth checking their too.
Documents
If you have handouts that you need the participants to have its worth emailing it on prior to the call. This way it will give them time to print them out if needed.
On some software you will be able to share your screen as well with the participants.
Agenda
Its important to have an agenda when hosting a call. Otherwise you may end up speaking and not cover the purpose of the call in the first place. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it needs to be relevant to the purpose of the call.
Test your equipment
Prior to the call test your camera and microphone with the software to ensure that they are working properly. There is nothing worse than a call where the sound doesn’t work.
Be on time
Its important that when you are hosting the call that you are on time, join five minutes earlier that way you can be there to greet everyone as they come into the call.
Mute background noise
There is nothing more distracting when you are on a call than someone typing away in the background or hearing papers rustling. As the call host you should be able to mute all participants to the call. And then they can unmute when they are ready to speak.
Go over the agenda
When the call starts just reconfirm to the attendees how the call will be structured, and good practices such as muting microphones when not in use.
Engage and be clear
Speak and show that you are listening to the attendees. Ensure everyone understands what you are saying.
Wrap it up
Before finishing the call summarise everything that has been discussed with the participants. Summarize the key points covered in the call and what needs to be actioned. And reconfirm when the next call will be held.
Follow up
After the call follow up with a message / email with any notes or documents they may require. As well as a thank you for attending.