Holding a successful and productive conference call, like many other things, is a matter of preparation, common sense and a little creativity thrown in for good measure.
 

1. Even if you’ve done it a hundred times before, be the first person to arrive for your conference. You’ll be better organized to start the meeting and you can personally welcome everyone.


2. Remind everyone put their phones on mute during the call, and to not put their phones on hold during the conference. On-hold music or beeping from their phone might be picked up by the conference.


3. Ask everyone on the call to preface any comment or question with their name so everyone know who’s talking.


4. For scheduled meetings, distribute the dial-in information ahead of time along with any background material necessary to the call.


5. Work from a quiet place. As much as I love them, my budgies get moved from my home office before a conference. Along the same lines, turn off radios, mute other phones and close your office door to eliminate background noise.


6. Recording your conference call is an excellent idea, even when someone is taking notes. When you are recording a call, let everyone know about it.