Effective Meetings by Phone - Part 1, How to Plan a Teleconference
by: Steve Kaye
Teleconferences can be a boon or a bust. On the positive side, they allow people at different locations to attend meetings without having to travel. On the negative side, they can degenerate into frustrating struggles with uncontrolled babble. This occurs because people lack visual contact, which hinders effective communication and provides opportunities to misbehave.
Here's how to set up an effective meeting by phone.
1) Plan a simple meeting. Ideally, the meeting should last less than 30 to 45 minutes. People are unable to concentrate on long phone calls. They become tired. Their attention drifts. They need to take a break. Design your meeting so that it is short and to the point. That way everyone can focus on the issues and participate effectively.
2) Write out your goal for the meeting. Then make sure that this statement truly represents the result that you want to have at the end of the meeting. Lack of a clear, well-stated goal is the second biggest cause of bad meetings. Next check if a teleconference is the best way to obtain that goal. Cancel the meeting if you can achieve the goal with any other approach, such as by sending a memo, making a single phone call, or thinking through a solution by yourself.
3) Prepare an agenda. A teleconference without an agenda is like a journey without a map -- in the dark. Without an agenda, you will lose control and waste time. Your agenda should include the goal for the meeting and detailed instructions for each part of the meeting. It should be so complete and specific that someone else could use it to run your meeting.
4) Distribute the agenda at least a day before the meeting. This allows everyone to think about your issues and prepare for their participation. If appropriate (e.g., for controversial or complex issues) call key participants to confirm that they received the agenda and to check if they have comments on how the meeting could be made more effective. Use this as an opportunity to listen their ideas, instead of to work on the issues or argue with them.
5) Distribute any materials related to the issues before the meeting. This includes outlines, blueprints, schematics, product brochures, and data. Then, the participants can use these tools to participate more effectively. For example, they can follow an outline, look at diagrams, or read data during the meeting. This helps compensate for the lack of visual contact in a teleconference.
6) Invite only those who can directly contribute to the meeting. Ideally, this should be fewer than eight people. If you invite more people, it becomes very difficult to hold an effective meeting. With a larger group, some of the attendees will become lost as silent listeners, which is a waste of their time. You can always send a copy of the minutes to the people who need to know about the work accomplished during the meeting.
A teleconference is more than a phone call. It is a meeting. And a meeting is a business activity that should be driven by a well thought out goal supported by a detailed plan. With proper planning, your teleconferences will distinguish you as an effective leader.
About The Author
IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye helps groups of people hold effective meetings. His innovative workshops have informed and inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will support. And his books show how to hold effective meetings. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com. Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas.
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Giving your Kids a Cellular Child Phone
Giving your Kids a Cellular Child Phone
by: Jay Moncliff
In today?s hectic world, more and more parents are concerned about their children?s safety, and rightly so.
Children today are involved in more and more activities and spend more time at home alone than any other generation.
Many parents are turning to cell phones as a way to keep in constant touch with their children.
As cellphone technology becomes more and more advanced and prices of phones drop further and further, many families are utilizing shared calling plans and prepaid phones to furnish their children with cell phones.
Most parents feel that children can be taught to be responsible with the devices, and the peace of mind that being able to contact your child at any time brings is more than worth the cost of the monthly billing.
Of course, a certain level of responsibility is necessary before a child should be given a cell phone.
Most...
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Hold That Hold...Please!
Hold That Hold...Please!
by: Kingston Amadan
It never fails. Whether ordering a pizza or making a doctor's appointment, I hear it almost every time. "Can I put you on hold?", they ask. Before I have a chance to even answer...I am on hold! What just happened? Was it a rhetorical question? Why even give me the option? Why not just say, "Welcome to XYZ, where we promptly put you on hold!".
Some people hate automated phone systems, but not me. I like to be informed of where I stand in any given situation. I would rather have an honest computerized voice telling me I will have to wait (and also likely telling me for approximately how long), than to encounter a real life human being who will tease me with a choice and then make the decision on my behalf in a split second. Imagine if everyone you encountered operated this way. You might be standing in line at a fast food restaurant and be asked if you'd like to try a new item on the menu they are...
Hold That Hold...Please!
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How To Program An Avaya Partner Phone
by: Al Martinovic
It is very easy to program an Avaya Partner phone, but only if you know how. First lets get to the basics. In order to program the phone you have to be at extension 10 or 11. That is where all of the programming must be done. A programming overlay is also placed over the phone to guide you through the programming functions.
A display phone is also needed for programming. Also take note that if you have a 34 button phone in your Avaya Partner phone system then you must use a 34 button phone for programming as an 18 button phone cannot be used to program a 34 button phone.
There are two types of programming in the Avaya Partner phone system: there is System Programming and Centralized Telephone Programming.
When using System Programming all of the phones in the system will be programmed for the feature that is being programmed. When using Centralized Telephone Programming an individual...
How To Program An Avaya Partner Phone
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Cell Phone Fashion: Personalizing Mass Production
by: Emily Sims
?Individuality: advanced features, precision engineering and couture style in a choice of elegant colors -- as individual as you are?. This is the blurb for the new Motorola Razr, one of the new breeds of mobile phone flying off the shelves. Where mobile were once marketed as an high-tech device, a tool packed with ingenious features, the new trend is for fashion phones. The major handset manufacturers are now offering seasonal collections, joint-venturing with well known fashion designers, and emphasizing aesthetic features when marketing their products. Indeed, some companies are scaling back the technical, yet utilitarian features, offering simpler but sleeker phones; form over function. Somewhere along the evolutionary path of the cell phone, the device has reached the point where it is no longer considered a gadget, available only to the privileged few with the money and/or technical...
Cell Phone Fashion: Personalizing Mass Production
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The Future of Wireless
by: James P Mosieur
In 1985, at the beginning of the cell phone era, cell phone users in the world totaled only about 200,000. Today, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, there are nearly 200 million in the US alone!
In the past some waxed futuristic, saying that someday there will be a cell phone in every car. No one, not even its creator, could imagine that the cell phone would become the most significant consumer electronic device in history; bigger than its wired cousin; bigger than TV?s; even bigger than PC?s. But that's exactly what?s happening.
A report by the Gartner Group projected that by 2009, manufacturers will be selling 1 billion cell phones each year. By then, 2.6 billion people worldwide will be using cell phones, Gartner says.
The cell phone's impact is so huge because it?s so widespread. A business associate of mine visiting a developing country in Latin America noticed a man riding...
The Future of Wireless
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Building Relationships By Phone
by: Rob Brown
The telephone has arguably done more to help sales professionals than any other invention in history. And still it is the most under-utilised tool in your toolbox. Note I don't say under-used, because if you're like most professionals, you are probably on the phone more than two hours a day. The question is, how effective are you at using the phone to move your prospects closer to the sale and going deeper with your clients/customers to generate more sales and cross-selling opportunities?
It's a fact that some people are naturally good on the phone. Others need to work at it. Here are some key skills and qualities you need to be good on the phone. You only need to be weak in one or two of these areas to undermine your performance and stop you getting excited about using the phone.
A clear voice. Talking slower and in a lower pitch has also been found to yield better results than fast, high...
Building Relationships By Phone
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Four Common Sense Tips for the Telephone Interview
by: Heather Eagar
Here?s a phone interview tip worth considering:
smile.
A smile is a magic thing, and in addition to being seen in person it can be felt from a distance.
When doing a phone interview, don?t think that because the person on the other end of the phone can?t see you that smiling and other positive body gestures are not important.
The best interview tip that anyone was ever given was to smile and make positive gestures.
In fact, many people talk with their hands.
If you do, consider a telephone head set to free your hands up.
Another tip that will be worth its weight in gold is to have a good quality telephone.
It may seem silly to even mention it, but the better quality phone you use, the better your voice will sound.
Years ago everyone rented his or her telephones from the local utility phone company.
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Functions
Motorola has done a wonderful job, like most other cell phone manufacturers, at providing users with the same interface. Motorola seems to only add minor improvments and adjustments to thier design, but for the most part nothing signifigant has changed. As such previous Motorola phone users will find it easy to navigate through the RAZR's LCD screen menu and at the same time there for new users...
So Your Thinking About Getting The Motorola RAZR V3?
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Ten years ago, you would be laughed at if you were to tell someone that people would buy cars without first inspecting them in person. Well, today thousands of people are buying cars on the internet through sites like eBay, without ever physically coming in contact with their cars before the purchase!
Let?s face it: The internet is a hassle free place to shop for cars. There are many advantages...
What To Look For When Buying Cars Online
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by: John Mussi
Finding a cheap home improvement loan can be a challenge at times, but the extra work involved can pay off by saving you money in the long run.
Taking the time to get extra quotes, do a bit more research, and finding the best people to work on your home improvements is always a good idea? and if it results in a cheap home improvement loan, all the better!
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Securing a Cheap Home Improvement Loan
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