Call Participant Etiquette for Toll Free Conferencing Sessions

If you have been invited to participate in a toll free conferencing session, it's important that you know and practice basic etiquette. On the other hand, if you're hosting a conference call meeting, it's important to let invited participants be aware of these essential tips as well. Proper call etiquette ensures everybody gets the courtesy they deserve and allows for a clear and productive exchange of ideas.

Don't be late. As a participant, the first and most important thing you have to make sure of is that you log on to the conference call on time. Precious time that could have been used to discuss important things and share ideas is lost when you arrive late for a meeting. Making others wait for you is very inconsiderate and disrespectful as well.

Introduce yourself. See to it that you give a short introduction about yourself at the start of the toll free conferencing session, and state your name every time you speak up. Doing this can eliminate a great deal of confusion. Remember, you and the other call participants will not see each other face-to-face, and not everybody can identify you by the sound of your voice.

Speak clearly. Before the meeting, make sure that all your equipment, especially the microphone or headset is working well. See to it that you have a list of keypad shortcuts for asking questions or self-mute, and use these commands wisely. Also, don't use the speakerphone option when engaging in a conference call, as this can often cause feedback or static.

Lastly, it's best that you stay in a quiet room and keep electronic appliances like the radio and TV turned off throughout the duration of the session. Background noise from these devices can disrupt the meeting and make it harder for other participants to hear each other clearly.

Use the self-mute button. When you're not speaking and are just listening to the call host or another call participant speak during the toll free conferencing session, press the self-mute button. This allows other participants to hear the speaker more clearly and prevents them from hearing background noise from your end. If you're the one hosting the conference call, use the Mute function to mute all members and avoid interruption from other participants.

Be polite. It's best to devote your full attention to your conference call, but if you really need to answer a call from another line or your mobile phone, alert the call host discreetly or disconnect from the conference call. Some conference call companies offer conference attendee dial-out or conference call continuation functions to allow a participant or the host to leave the toll free conferencing session and still continue it for other members.