Self Managed Conference Calls

2017-04-25

With computers and the internet being what they are today, it is easier than ever to connect with colleagues, customers and suppliers from all over the world. Emails, file sharing programs and social media all make the world seem like a much smaller place.

Another major advancement for business owners today is online conference calling. Gone are the days of sitting in traffic on the way to meetings, having to print out documents to hand out to everyone in the room, and paying to hire a meeting space to accommodate all of the attendees. Now,with the help of the right conference call service, you can send out personalized invitations, share all the relevant files, share your screen and conduct the meeting without leaving the comfort of your office.

We’ve put together a few tips to help you run your conference call in the best way possible, while keeping your cool.

1. Don’t forget to breathe

Work life can be stressful. Jumping from one meeting to the next, whether in person or online, can really take its toll.

Meditation might be easy to dismiss as new-age nonsense, but it can actually be a really helpful tool in keeping the body healthy and the mind focused. Whether you just close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, oruse apps such as Calm and Headspace, make sure you allow yourself some time out from your busy day.

Another helpful relaxation tool is music. It can be as easy as sticking on your favourite tunes on Spotify or iTunes, sitting back and switching off for a bit. ‘But, what if I get so caught up in the music I forget all about my conference call?’, we hear you cry. That’s why online conference call services send out SMS meeting reminders to participants. Even if you miss that, you also have the option to set your conference call to dial out – meaning you and your participants will get a call when the meeting is due to start (rather than have to dial in).

Most meetings relate to a certain task or project.

Trello and Asana are both project management tools that allow you to list tasks, assign them to individual people, upload relevant documents to each task and mark them as complete when you’re done. Both also allow you to set private tasks for yourself, so that you know where you are with your own work, and can update your colleagues on the call.

Having these service providers open on your screen can also help you discuss future projects, while you’ve got all the relevant parties on the line.

We live in a fast-paced world, where our attentions are constantly being chased by companies and brands. Running an online conference call leaves us open to a variety of distractions.

App Focus Booster lets you block out the sites and apps of your choosing, so that you don’t get any embarrassing notifications sounds during the conference call (or tune your colleague out when your friend posts a video of a cute kitten on Facebook!).

Cold Turkey is another great blocking app. You can opt for the free version, which lets you block websites on your device according to a set timer, or two paid-for options (Pro and Bundle), which include additional features, like a scheduler, break intervals and the ability to block apps.

Paper consumption is on the rise, which poses a real threat to our forests and, as a result, our planet. However, as more business is done online, this can hopefully reduce the need to print within the office environment.

With file sharing programs such as Dropbox and OneDrive, it has never been easier to share files, even very large ones. Additionally, any conference call service worth its stripes gives users the ability to share files before the meeting, as well as during it.

Ultimately, life is too short to waste time, energy and money on doing things the old-fashioned way. Instead, join the online conference calling revolution – both your work-life balance and your bank balance will thank you for it!

Start conferencing today! Get 5 free conference calls (no credit card required)