The host of a conference call may be the presenter and leader of the discussion, or the host might be simply administrative. Regardless, if you are the host, it is important to remember the little details that can make the difference between a beneficial conference call and a purposeless one.
First of all, it is important to decide what kind of features you will want for your conference call. Conference call vendors offer a wide variety of features to suit your needs—everything from broadcasting (a format which allows many listeners but only specific speakers) to sub conferencing within a single call to touch-tone participation features such as polling or question indicators. In addition, some vendors provide translation, call recording, call transcription, and other services. Think of the purpose of the conference call, and determine whether you would like any or all of these features and services.
Next, before the conference call, make sure that everyone receives any documentation that will be needed during the call. You may need to email or fax charts or notes that the leader of the call will discuss during the call.
A few minutes prior to the beginning of the conference call, dial in just to make sure there are no problems. Dialing in early also ensures that you are the first one and will be able to greet all the participants.
Finally, make sure that the meeting runs smoothly. It is usually a good idea to perform a role call at the beginning of a conference call so that participants know who else is in on the conversation. Start the conference call on time and dismiss everyone when the call is over. In other words, run a conference call like a meeting—after all, that’s what it is.