What You Should Not Say on a Conference Call

Many people will inform you what you should do when it comes to etiquette for conference calls but are you aware of what you should not do? The following are things you should not say on a conference call: Ask Who Is on the Call

Generally, people do not enjoy repeating themselves over and over again, which means it is better not to ask who is on the conference call. Conference call services ask you to state your name when you join a call which is the right time to introduce yourself to the attendees already on the call.

Asking the Point of the Call

There is always the right and the wrong way to say certain things. There are many times when people join a call but do not fully understand what the aim of the call is and do not want to upset the host by asking. If you receive an invitation to join a call but are not fully aware of its agenda it is best to first do your due diligence.

On most occasions when an invite for a call is sent it will include the purpose of the call or an agenda. If this is not received it is best to check with the host before the call to confirm its purpose. By doing this you are taking the initiative to clarify the purpose of the meeting thus avoiding making the host look bad.

Apologize For Being Late on the Call

If you are late onto a call there’s no need to worry about introducing yourself because interrupting the speaker to apologize will only make things worse if they are in the middle of delivering some important information. If the attendees do not stop the conversation to greet you, which would be an opportunity for you to explain your reason for being late, it would be best to join the call quietly and if necessary explain your reasons at the end of the call.

Can You Please Explain What that Means?

It is always a good idea to select your words wisely especially when it comes to business dealings. Asking the host or a participant to explain what they mean can give a negative impression. This can give the impression that you were not listening or that the speaker was not clear which would not make them look very good.

One way to avoid giving a negative impression in situations like this is to ask a question in the appropriate context. Being much more specific when asking a question will help to clarify exactly what you want to know rather than asking a broad question which is not clear or concise.

Can I Interrupt You?

Questions to clarify specific points are not a problem and can be beneficial but not when they take over or hijack a meeting. One method to take control of the call and encourage the attendees to follow your lead is to begin the meeting by saying you will be going through your agenda and will take questions at the end.

There is Too Much Background Noise so I Cannot Hear You

You will be surprised that the number of people that actually say this. Background noise is never helpful when it comes to conference calls and how you say things are important as you do not want to appear passive aggressive. One suggestion for eliminating background noise is to ask the attendees that are not speaking to put themselves on mute.See how our conference call features can help benefit your conferencing needs.