Here are some thoughts on how to participate in a conference-call meeting:

• Make sure you are someplace quiet, where you won’t be disturbed. If you are home, make sure that the rest of the household knows that you are talking project/programme purpose and cannot leave the phone.  Make sure that others in the office or the household – or wherever you happen to be – do not interrupt you while you are on the conference call.
• If you have call interrupt, or call waiting, turn it off. If you don’t know how to do so, call the operator and ask for help. When someone new enters into a conference call there is often a beep or tone which can sound like the beep or tone that is produced with call waiting or call interrupt. It can be confusing. If for some reason you cannot turn it off, and another call comes in, you’ll have to decide if you can ignore it, or if you have to “leave the meeting” temporarily to deal with it.
• It is better to use a handset that is hard-wired into the phone line than either a portable or cell phone. Cordless and cell phones are more prone to create or pick up static on conference calls.
• Test the equipment before you use it by making a less-important conference call.

• Be extra careful if you are using a speakerphone.
1. They tend to pick up background noise and sometimes cause “clipping,” cutting off what someone is saying when someone else starts to talk. If you have to use a speakerphone, look for one with “full digital duplex.” This will let more than one person to speak at a time without “clipping.”
2. If no one in your room is talking, press the “Mute” button on the speakerphone to prevent background noise from your end going out on the line. When someone needs to talk, release the “Mute” button.

• If you are calling in, call in a few minutes early. If you are waiting to be called, be ready a few minutes early. It always takes a few minutes for everyone to be introduced and to settle in.
• Introduce yourself when you start speaking. It can be as simple as “Sandra, here.” Other people might not recognize your voice, especially if several people on the call have similar voices, or if the phone connections have a lot of static.
• Do not use the “Hold” button, even if you have to leave for a minute or two. Even if your own “hold music” doesn’t come on the line, using that phone feature could still cause interference.
• Stick to the agenda.
• Make sure you and everyone else knows when the meeting is officially over.
• Make sure you know what to do—and what number to call—if you get cut off.