Conference calls are only effective if they are managed correctly. For call hosts, this means making sure they know how to start a conference call, how to keep the conversation on track and how to effectively end the call the right way.

Now, we have written before about the best way to start conference calls and how to host better conference calls. But, now that more people than ever are using conferencing services and similar technology to keep in touch with bosses, coworkers and colleagues, it’s time for a reminder on how best to end your conference calls.

Why the end of a conference call matters

Conference calls serve many purposes. Many people join a call to deliver status updates on project work, brainstorm new ideas or solve problems that require a little teamwork to overcome.

However, no matter the purpose of the call, there are always steps that must occur following the call for the actual work to be accomplished. These are the actions that must happen once everyone hangs up.

And that is the information that is critical to reiterate at the end of the call.

Don’t risk people forgetting action steps

If you are like many people, you are more likely to remember information and data that you’ve consumed more recently in your day.

The same can be said about conference calls and other meetings. No matter what is said during those meetings, the most important information needs to be repeated again toward the end of the call. This will help participants remember the key takeaways. They will also have another opportunity to make sure they know what actions they are expected to complete now that the call has wrapped up.

Expectations should take front and center

These expectations shouldn’t only be communicated at the end of the call. They should be covered at the start, too. Ideally, the expectations would also be covered in the form of a meeting agenda.

By providing clear expectations, call hosts can help the participants – specifically those who may be responsible for providing information and updates during the call – prepare to better present information.

In addition, those clearly communicated expectations are often the missing key between meetings and achieving the desired results. That’s why hosts should always take the time again at the end of the call to go over all expectations.

Cover what happens next

Clear action steps are critical when it comes to hoping to see progress made from one conference call to the next. That’s why call managers and hosts should always take the lead on a conversation about what happens next at the end of a call.

Determining next steps can be done by asking and answering three questions:

1. What are the next steps?
2. Who is responsible for handling those next steps?
3. When is the deadline for results?

Have an exit plan ahead of time

Just as you must plan for the content of a conference call, you must also plan ahead for how you would like a conference call to end. A plan helps because the call may not always go as expected.

For example, there could be issues with time due to a certain topic that was either unforeseen but necessary to discuss or a topic that seemed minor but blossomed into a full-on, time-consuming debate. On the other hand, a call may not take nearly as long as you thought it would when organizing the topics to discuss and how much time to alot for each item.

Either way, you will want to plan ahead to have a quick and simple exit strategy for ending the call. One tried and true strategy is to always wrap up with final notes and any action steps that have come out of the meeting.

Give participants a two-minute warning

Before a call ends, give a two-minute warning to participants. This courtesy offers everyone on the phone one last chance to wrap up the conversation.

Without an alert that time is running out, conversations may go on too long and participants will become disinterested and disengaged. This can make wrapping up the call with next steps and actions more difficult.

End with thank yous and acknowledgments

Before anyone hangs up their phone, be sure to take enough time at the end of the conference call to say thank you to everyone who is on the line and acknowledgment everyone who has worked to help make the call a success.

This will serve several functions, including building trust between managers and their employees (and among coworkers, too) and boosting the morale of the entire team.

People enjoy – and deserve – to be recognized for their work, so be sure not to forget the thank yous and other acknowledgments. That’s not just good conference call etiquette, it’s good people management.

Hang up the phone

OK, you may think we are joking with this final tip, but we are not. Seriously, it can sometimes be difficult to hang up the phone at the end of a call. Too often, participants are stuck in a seemingly endless loop of saying goodbyes or continuing conditions that simply need to end.

It does not need to be hard – and can be much less awkward – if you give everyone a clear opportunity to say goodbye quickly and then hang up the phone, ending the call swiftly and painlessly.

If others want to stay on the call longer, then let them. You will look much more professional if you end with a quick goodbye. Of course, try not to be rude and make sure to address anyone who addresses you directly with their farewells.

Use a better free conference call service

It doesn’t matter how well you organize and manage a conference call if the service you are using isn’t reliable or easy to use.

You get both reliability and ease of use when you use Conference Town to host free audio conference calls. Sign up or start an instant conference call today.