Wondering how to make the most of your time on a conference call at the office or at home?

Are you looking for some ways to keep things running in an orderly, and timely fashion?

In this pos, you’ll find five tips to help you wisely spend your time on a conference call.

Create and follow an agenda.

You’re not meeting in person, so you don’t need a meeting agenda, right? Wrong.

You should create an agenda for any and all types of meetings, be they in-person, phone, or video conference.

An agenda not only gives the meeting structure, but allows meeting participants to easily follow the path of the meeting.

Login at least five minutes before the start of the meeting.

This ensures you’ll have enough time to actually join the meeting.

You’ll have enough time to dial in, test your headset/handset levels, update conference software, and get settled.

Should you have any difficulties logging in, you’ll have enough wiggle room to contact the meeting organizers or others to let them know of your technical trouble or delay.

Announce your arrival.

As soon as you join a call, let others know you are on the line.

Clearly state your full name, and title and company, if necessary.

You should also let others know who is on the line as soon as they join the call.

That way, you won’t waste time guessing who is, or who isn’t on the call.

Use the mute button.

The mute button is a wonderful invention.

For starters it can help cut down on all that background noise you may hear on calls.

It can also make it easier for people to clearly hear what is being said by others.

That being said, you should learn how to use the mute button properly.

Don’t abuse the button. It’s important to pay attention to the conversations that are taking place.

Likewise, avoid saying anything inappropriate or obscene while the button is on.

It’s always better to be safe, than sorry!

Focus your attention on the call.

Just because you’re not in the same physical room as others, doesn’t mean you can multitask or perform other work during the meeting.

Make the most of meeting by giving your full, undivided attention.

If you are on a conference call, completely log out of your email, as well as other computer applications, so you can actually focus on what’s being said.

Using videoconferencing software?

Close out email and computer applications, and clear off your desk or workspace in front of you.

You may find it helpful to keep a pen or work notebook handy so you can take notes.

Learn how to manage your time at work

Time management is an important skill that everyone should learn and practice if they want to be successful at work.

My time management guide can help you learn how to prioritize tasks, manage time in meetings, and arrive on time to appointments.

If you want me to help you manage your time at work and at home so you get things done and feel in control, then check out my time management coaching services. Book a strategy session with me today!

How about you? How do you make the most of your time on conference or video calls? Do you follow a certain procedure or technique? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!