There is a gold standard that everyone strives for when it comes to conference calls. The best calls are ones that are both efficient and productive.

These are the calls that do not go over their estimated timeframe. They may even run short. But no matter the length of the conference call, everyone who participated leaves with the feeling that their time was well spent and they know exactly how to move forward as they work on business projects and goals.

However, this gold standard of a conference call is not something that is easy to achieve, In fact, many conference calls unfortunately do not meet this standard, which is why many people are not fans of calls in the first place.

You can change that for your team, though, with these tips for how to have a more efficient and productive conference call among members of your work team.

Why you need to focus on efficient, productive conference calls

Efficiency and productivity must be top of mind during conference calls. Already, too much time is wasted on the average calls, which generally lasts about 38 minutes. Thirteen of those minutes or more are typically wasted during the average call due to distractions and interruptions.

This means calls are lasting longer than they should and the time of the people who are participating in the call is not being used as best as it could be used. These types of calls are the reason some people don’t enjoy conference calls.

But, again, you can impress the participants on calls that you host if you remain laser focused on managing the most efficient and productive conference possible.

Here’s how.

Schedule calls in advance

Instant or on-the-spot conference calls are sometimes needed, but they are not conducive to aiming toward an efficient and productive discussion. To do this, you need to schedule a time that works for everyone who has been invited to the call.

Now, the best time depends on the makeup of your team, but typically, it is a time during which the majority are available and not yet too busy with other work. A good time slot to aim for is likely between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on a day that’s earlier in the week.

Of course, with remote or widely distributed teams across different time zones, securing a good time that works for everyone to talk can be a bit more difficult. Just be sure to stay in communication with all members of your team and check to see whether a time works best for them.

Draft and send out an agenda

Like any other type of meeting, the best conference calls start with a solid agenda. No call should be scheduled before an agenda is drafted and sent out in advance to all participants.

A good agenda will at least include the following:

• The purpose of the call or goal that should be accomplished.
• Either a list or general description of who will be participating.
• The start and end time.
• Instructions, including any technical information needed, for how to participate or call in.
• Line items for each discussion topic with a topic description and an identified discussion leader

Focus on simple, quick discussions

Most conference calls are best suited for discussions that will last somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Longer calls are acceptable here and there, but when efficiency is key, it’s best to focus on simple and quick discussions that can be wrapped up succinctly.

A simple conference call is one where expectations about discussion topics are made clear. Those expectations might include who will be joining and what ideas or goals those who join the call will be expected to bring to the conversation.

In addition, make sure not to dwell too much on any given topic unless it’s absolutely necessary to resolve. It’s OK to table items that are threatening to make the rest of the call go longer than the allotted time.

Minimize distractions and interruptions

Nothing creates wasted time on conference calls more than interruptions and distractions outside of the call itself.

Before a call starts, everyone who calls in should be instructed to find a quiet place with low foot traffic, a low noise level and few other distractions that could pull their attention away from the conversation happening on the phone.

In addition, make sure everyone is familiar with the technology before the call begins. You can either send out helpful how-to guides from the provider or even schedule a test run for those who would like to walk through the process of calling in and participating in the call.

End the call the right way

Always be sure to end the conference call correctly. Sticking the landing, so to speak, is key whenever efficiency and productivity are emphasized.

Toward the end of the discussion, summarize for everyone what was talked about and reiterate any of the followup or action items that will still need to be addressed. Then, it’s time to talk about next steps. Expectations about who should take care of those next steps and any leftover items should be clearly communicated.

Finally, be sure to thank everyone for their time and input during the call. Make sure they know that you appreciate their feedback and that the fact that they would dedicate an amount of time in their busy schedules to discussing important issues. This can help keep morale high and foster a more team-like atmosphere for fellow employees.

Use the best free conference call service

For the best conference call experience, be sure to use only the best conferencing service.

When you use Conference Town, you will get high-quality HD audio, free call recording, unlimited conferences and many more other features that other conference call services either don’t have or want your credit card information before you can use them.

Not with Conference Town. Sign up today or start an instant call right away to see why you can expect the best and still get it for free.