Web Conference Etiquette

Web conferencing services are powerful tools enabling you to maximize your effectiveness when presenting information to an audience of hundreds or holding a collaborative meeting with your work team. Please read our tips below to ensure your next call is a successful one.

Simple tips to hosting a successful, productive web conference call:

• After scheduling your meeting on line, forward an audience invitation email to meeting participants.  Most web conferencing programs will allow you to forward email copies of the invitation once it is created. Or, create a calendar invitation invite and post the meeting information there.

• Dial in to your conference at least 5 to 10 minutes before the start time to be ready for your meeting. For large event calls, plan a pre-conference of 15 to 30 minutes to review event details with the technician and any co-presenters.

• Distribute any documents ahead of time, via email, for sharing documents and applications with your audience.

• High quality equipment can make a significant difference in the experience for everyone. ESO provides high quality speakerphones or integrated systems in all of our conference spaces.

• It is a good idea for participants and presenters who are not actively speaking to mute their phones and computers in order to eliminate background noise. Then, don't forget to un-mute when speaking!

• Be sure to follow these instructions if you are in the meeting room. From the host computer, select phone and follow the instructions on the next pop up window. It will provide the phone number, meeting number and participant number. At this point, please dial into the call using the room’s phone and follow these instructions.

• Other participants in the meeting room that wish to join on their computers to see content may do so, but select "do not connect to audio," or do not make an audio selection from the pop up menu, as they are joining. Just close the window, otherwise, severe echo may result.

• On collaborative conference calls, start with a roll call to confirm attendance and inform all participants of who is on the conference.

• Phone participants should identify themselves when speaking. When asking questions, address individuals by name to avoid confusion.

• Try to avoid extraneous noise (side discussions, paper shuffling) that may interfere with another participant's ability to hear during the conference call.

• It is suggested to use a wired phone or computer to avoid connectivity dropouts and external interference from cell phone static and interference.