These days, we’ve seen a rise in people working from home or on the move—and why not?
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Home is where the heart is. For many, home is the best work environment because it’s where they’re most comfortable and can perform best. Home is also where some people need to be due to obligations such as childcare, personal circumstances such as disability, or a whole host of other reasons that mean they can’t make it to the office.
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Cafés offer a comfortable, convenient environment for remote work. You can even get a great cup of coffee while you’re at it.
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For those of us who are always on the move, an airport lobby, a train, or a long-haul flight provide a great opportunity to catch up with your deadlines.
Why Try Teleconferencing? A Few Benefits to Virtual Meetings
Life is so online now that instead of face to face meetings, plenty of companies are turning to virtual meetings using audio or video teleconferencing.
Consider the benefits:
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By cutting out the commute, employers provide a better work-life balance, which makes for happier, more productive workers.
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No commute also means a more timely team, as they can’t get stuck in traffic jams or run into transit delays. Take the stress out of getting to work!
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Remote workers likely won’t be late to virtual meetings, whereas there are many reasons why they might not make it to the boardroom on time, from commute delays to simply forgetting they had a meeting that day.
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Employers who offer remote work help create a more accessible job market and extend opportunities to people who might feel excluded otherwise, be it by financial, physical, or other limitations.
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Teams that hold a conference call when they need to but have their own space to work in might just along better—absence makes the heart grow fonder at times!
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Teleconferencing means your staff have easier access to their coworkers. Instead of tracking them down in the office, team members can get in touch right away with direct messages or virtual meetings.
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Group chats encourage more frequent collaboration and communication, meaning your team has closer contact sometimes than if they were in the same building.
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Timekeeping is a breeze with virtual platforms and conversations aren’t as easily forgotten. Most teleconferencing platforms keep a record of all messages sent and timestamp virtual meetings. Staff can also make a conference recording with ease, which they can refer back to as needed.
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Remote workers mean you don’t necessarily mean an office space, aside from perhaps as a hub. This cuts down on the resources and bills required to keep your company running.
Meeting Virtually: The Key to Managing Virtual Teams
So, with plenty of employees preferring remote work, how can employers ensure they’re still able to communicate and collaborate with the rest of the team?
The answer is a good teleconferencing system. For example, the SimplyCast platform provides versatile audio conference software that’s great for connecting with others, even while they’re on the move. All attendees need is a computer with an internet connection, a landline, or some kind of mobile device!
Simply dial out or invite them in.
Best Practices for Virtual Meetings: 8 Steps to Success!
We’ve compiled eight great tips to maximize your productivity. Whether it's your first meeting or your 100th, these tips will help you give better virtual meetings that achieve their goals.
1. Have a conference agenda
Just like with an in-person meeting, being prepared is a must for any conference call.
Try putting your meeting to paper in a simple outline like this:
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Who will speak?
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On what topic?
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In what order?
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For how long?
Creating a conference agenda like will save time, avoid confusion, and help the call flow smoothly. For more information on how to schedule great audio and video conferences, check out this entry in our blog!
Your outline is also a great resource for your attendees, as it lets them know the size of their time slot and gives them an idea of how much they should prepare to discuss.
A tightly organized conference keeps everybody on topic without making them feel rushed, and makes your attendees feel like their time is being well used and respected.
2. Provide instructions, a meeting call in number, and an access code
Many teleconference systems need attendees to dial-in and provide an access code or a password. To prevent any frustration or delays, make sure participants have everything in advance, preferably with easy-to-follow instructions in case anyone is unfamiliar with the platform.
SimplyCast’s audio conference software really shines in this regard, as hosts can dial out to participants in real time, no matter where they are. This is why we utilize an audio format rather than video calls; broader compatibility means every participant can always join the call, regardless of their device.
3. Start on time and make a conference recording
If your meeting is delayed, then speakers will feel rushed, and people may not be able to stay for as long as originally planned in your conference agenda.
If someone is late to join the call, chances are they are trying to join but there may be an issue on their end. This is common with web conferencing or video meetings, where internet connections, software, or even hardware (such as faulty cameras or video drivers) can cause problems.
Start the meeting on time and once it's over, make sure someone takes notes, and provide these to anyone who couldn’t attend. Better yet, the SimplyCast platform lets you create a conference recording for later review, which makes it easy for attendees to catch up or refresh their memories at their leisure.
4. Introduce yourself
At the start of the conference call, everyone should introduce themselves by name and role. Even if your group is video conferencing and their names are onscreen, it’s a great icebreaker and a good way to get everyone familiar with each other’s voices, especially if there are a lot of people present. Make sure any late attendees introduce themselves as well.
Depending on the size of your group, it might be helpful to repeat your name before you start speaking so everyone knows who is talking and when. This keeps your call easy to follow and ensures your records accurate if you’ve assigned a minute taker to keep notes.
5. Make use of your conference tools, including the mute button
Conferencing software comes with a variety of useful tools such as:
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File sharing
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Screen sharing
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Direct messaging
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Mute people
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Turn off their cameras
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Remove them from the call
You should make full use of the conference tools at your disposal. After all, they're there to help you! Just don’t be afraid of using those last three—it’s not out of line to preserve the call for others if someone is being disruptive.
In general, it’s good practice to mute yourself and others when they aren’t speaking. This keeps the call quiet and stops that loud dog from barking in the background. Background noise can be distracting or even overstimulating for some participants, so be considerate of their experience. Make sure you provide a call environment that is welcome and beneficial for everyone.
6. Keep comments concise
Only one person should talk at a time. This can be a hard rule to uphold when many people gather with exciting ideas and passion for their work, but it’s incredibly important when a group is trying to communicate and collaborate.
The best way to make sure everyone gets a turn is to keep your comments on topic. This will also keep your meeting on schedule. After all, a long-winded anecdote about your cat can easily make the next person forget what they wanted to say, or cause attendees to leave if they lose interest. Say what you need to with purpose.
7. Wait your turn
For a productive discussion, meeting attendees should each wait their turn before speaking. Nobody likes being interrupted or talked over when they have something to say. This will affect their morale as well, and they may feel hesitant to contribute again. They may even leave the call entirely.
As with face-to-face conversations, accidents will happen, especially when you’re getting used to the rhythm of a new group. You and someone else might have an idea and start talking at the same time, but don’t worry! This is easily resolved if one person apologizes and lets the other speak.
Check if your teleconferencing system provides a hand-raise function. This is a great way to indicate you have something to say without drawing attention from someone else. If the group knows you have a comment, they will likely give you room to speak once the other person is finished. This way, everyone feels respected.
8. Ask for feedback
Many people are likely to stay quiet unless they are asked to speak. Encourage their input by asking for questions and feedback. By doing this, you dismiss any awkward silences and keep things productive. This is also a great way to make sure attendees are paying attention, and provides a natural wrap-up to topic sections, as well as the meeting itself.
Did you find those tips useful? Check out more of our content for plenty of great marketing advice, like this blog on setting up a conference call.
Thinking of hosting your own audio conference?
Our Instant Teleconference app supports dial-in and dial-out connections! Try pairing it with our Contact Relationship Manager to get your call started even faster.
Sound interesting? Our experts would love to show you how it works. Click on the button below to request a demo and get in contact with a SimplyCast team member today.