Nobody enjoys needless meetings that could have been emails. But did you know that the same can be said of conference calls?

That’s correct. Though conference calls are an effective means of gathering any number of people on a shared phone line to discuss business objectives, goals and ideas, nobody – not even a provider of a free conference call service – will claim they are always necessary. Sometimes, for example, an email or a one-on-one phone call will suffice. Today, there are also many team messaging apps that are also viable options.

The most effective and successful businesses are built with teams that know how and when to best communicate. Audio conferencing certainly has a place, but as previously mentioned, it’s just one tool of many.

Here is how to know when it is best to schedule a conference call or simply send an email.

Too many meetings and phone calls lower morale and harm productivity

Let’s start by addressing why too many meetings or calls could be harmful for your business or organization.

For one, unnecessary meetings and calls are harmful to a team’s morale and its overall productivity. In fact, one survey of more than 1,400 professionals found that 24% of participants cited too many meetings or conference calls as their biggest hurdles to overcome when trying to be productive.

In that survey, half of all the workers indicated that they attended between two and five meetings in some format (in person, conference call, etc.) throughout a normal week. About 36% of the participants said that they attended six or more meetings in various formats in a given week.

That’s when worker happiness starts to drop. According to the survey, 40% of those workers who attended reported becoming unhappy with the “work management process.”

The lesson here is that there is clear evidence that too many meetings or calls will eventually start to wear on employee and colleague morale.

Track your team’s conference calls

Take stock of how many conference calls you both lead and participate in during the average work week. Add that number to any other meeting formats.

If the total number of meetings reaches or exceeds six, then maybe it’s time to consider decreasing the frequency of calls for your teams. If you have found yourself not knowing which meetings can be cancelled or perhaps combined, then read on for some helpful tips.

Ask whether the meeting’s message could be shared via email

That same study that looked at how the number of meetings an employee attends each week directly relates to whether they view work management negatively or positively found that nearly half of all those meetings were held for the purposes of status updates.

Now, status updates are certainly an important part of making sure projects are kept on track and deadlines are met. But if there are too many updates, then that could mean employees are struggling to find time to actually work.

Some aspects of status updates can be just that – updates. They can easily be compiled into an email. If that email brings up questions or responses, then that’s a perfectly sound format where those can easily take place.

Save the conference calls and other meetings for updates that affect a large number of people and need input from multiple people to progress forward.

Conference calls are best for dialogues

Another way to determine whether a meeting or call needs to happen rather than an email or other quick update is to identify whether any complicated issues are going to be discussed that need input from multiple people or would benefit from group dialogue.

This required conversation can also lead to meetings that drag on too long, though. Ensure that you are ready to lead a conference call that stays on track by starting and ending on time, keeping dialogue relevant and knowing when it is time to move the conversation along to the next topic or end altogether.

Don’t forget: Fast and efficient conference calls are better for your team’s overall morale.

Collaboration requires conversation

Conference calls and other meeting formats are great for work that requires collaboration.

Brainstorming sessions, for example, are perfect for a call. The types of conversation that can be had when actively speaking with others are far more suitable in real time than in an email message thread.

Some work also requires everyone putting together their heads for stretches of time so that problems can be solved. These types of work sessions are also great for regular conference calls and not so much for instant messaging or an email.

Does the meeting need an agenda?

If you believe the meeting requires an agenda – and every conference call worth the time to join or lead should have an agenda – then it’s probably best not to try to boil it down into an email conversation.

Agendas are also effective tools for making sure conference calls are better experiences for everyone who is on the line.

Know when to schedule conference calls

Not all meeting or conference call times are equally suited for efficiency or convenience.

Before you go about optimizing your call schedules, you should make sure you know how to best schedule conference calls, including what day and time typically are best. You’ll also want to make sure you find a time that works for everyone’s schedule.

Trust us, your colleagues and/or employees will appreciate the effort.

Enjoy a better free conference call

Conference calls are great for efficient communication that helps teams move forward, accomplish goals and meet important deadlines. They are often more efficient than other popular forms of conferencing, including video conferencing, thanks to their simplicity.

However, if you have chosen the best conference calls service, then simple does not mean featureless. Plus, you should not have to pay for a good conference call experience.

With Conference Town, you get many of the features others charge for at absolutely no cost. Conference Town truly is the best free conference call service.

Sign up for a free account today or start an instant conference call right away.