By: Kevin Stith
Because audio conferences have
been very useful in both the professional and education sectors, it is important for participants
of such conferences to observe proper etiquette at all times.
As in any other activity, good
preparation always pays off. One way of showing respect to all the participants is to plan well for
an audio conference. Organizers of an audio conference should ensure that its preparation checklist
includes testing the facility, testing the connection and informing the participants of the details
of the activity and contingency plan.
Organizers should test the
audio conference facility before the actual activity is held to ensure that the voice reception is
clear. This is very important because, in most cases, accompanying written materials are not
readily available to the participants. Thus, they have no fallback plan when they do not receive
the message from the speaker clearly.
Aside from testing the
facility, organizers should also ensure that the connection or call-in capability is well
established. Organizers should be wary of the maximum number of participants allowed to connect to
the audio conference. Sometimes, participants are not able to access the audio conference because
the network has already been flooded and can no longer accommodate any additional participants.
Organizers should then ensure that the total number of expected participants have access to the
audio conferencing facility.
Have a contingency plan.
Organizers should consider actions to be taken in case the audio facilities malfunction. An extra
connection line or audio facility should be available as a fallback, should the worst-case scenario
arise.
During the meeting,
participants are also expected to observe proper etiquette. Voice levels should be audible to all
involved. Words should be pronounced clearly and properly. Stray noise such as side comments and
ringing cell phones should be avoided. If participants in a certain location need to discuss
matters among themselves while in the middle of an audio conference, they should mute their
receivers so as not to disturb the rest of the participants.
Observing proper etiquette
during an audio conference is one way of increasing the chances of achieving the goals set by the
long-distance meeting. By observing the same rules of courtesy that come into play in any
traditional meeting, an audio conference can run smoothly and motivate the participants
involved.
Article source: http://www.e-audioconferences.com/
