Meetings don’t always have to be face-to-face. The meeting of the future is the conference call. But this also has its pitfalls: Since the tête-à-tête is no longer necessary, ambiguities and misunderstandings quickly arise. Who is talking right now? The consequence: not only does the atmosphere of the conversation suffer, but the results of the conference are also more difficult to understand.
But there is another way. A round of introductions at the start of the conference call doesn’t clear up every misunderstanding, but it does clear up some.
A first overview
- What are the advantages of a round of introductions during the conference call?
- Which conference calls are suitable for an introductory round?
- Tips for a successful round of introductions
- Introduce rounds of introductions – even if you are not the moderator of the conference call
What are the advantages of a round of introductions during the conference call?
The introduction round is a blessing for every conference call – in two ways. Firstly, it encourages the participants to speak. Secondly, the listeners can follow the course of the conversation better. After all, they have heard the voices before. This makes it easier to bring voice and speaker together.
Introductions – a gentle icebreaker for conference calls
The round of introductions is like an icebreaker. It gently reduces the distance between the participants. It is immediately easier for the individual to get actively involved in the discussion. After all, they have already made an initial contribution at the beginning – and without much effort. After all, introducing yourself is not rocket science. You know your own name and profession without much preparation. It’s not quite as easy with complicated technical questions, but thanks to the gentle ice-breaker at the start of the conversation, the next contribution will come a little more easily.
In addition to the icebreaker function, the small introductory round also checks the technical basis. Is everyone being heard and understood? After all, smooth communication cannot be taken for granted. It is not uncommon for technical faults to creep in – and these are particularly common:
- Muting by the subscriber
- Muting by the moderator in the web control or with the phone keypad
- Muting by the subscriber’s terminal device
- Unfavorable position of the microphone
During a round of introductions at the start of the conference call, any technical shortcomings can be quickly and easily identified and rectified. This immediately reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
Targeted speaker identification – knowing who is speaking and when
One or two different voices can still be easily distinguished. But what about five to ten different voices? It’s easy to lose track. And it is precisely this loss of control that the introduction round at the start of the conference aims to avoid. If you have heard a voice before, it is easier to recognize it.
An example: Various price proposals are made during a telephone conference. Now it is important to correctly assign the voice behind the proposal. This is because a salesperson’s price proposal is usually more binding than that of a customer.
However, speaker identification is not only useful for price proposals, but also for other information. For example: If I find out about a participant’s professional qualifications at the start of the discussion, I can better assess their level of knowledge and experience. How much professional expertise can I expect from them without overburdening them?
A round of introductions is also useful for technical terms and abbreviations. Essential terms can be explained and important abbreviations introduced right at the beginning. This can clear up many a misunderstanding.
Which conference calls are suitable for an introductory round?
If the individual participants are only slightly familiar with each other, a round of introductions is a good idea. If the participants already know each other, you can dispense with the introductions with a clear conscience. The ice has already been broken and the voices can be easily assigned to the speaker.
If there are many listeners and only a few speakers, the round of introductions is usually limited to the parties who are to speak. A so-called feedback island reveals how well the content is received by the audience. This gives participants the chance to give feedback to the speakers. What is going well, what could go better?
Tips for a successful round of introductions
How do I moderate a round of introductions?
Moderating a round of introductions is an organizational challenge. The form and content must be right. Only then can the objectives of the conference call be achieved quickly and easily. But that’s not all: social aspects such as respect, empathy and consideration also play an important role in moderation. This is how a good moderator skillfully juggles organizational and social factors.
The list of speakers – one after the other
If everyone speaks in confusion, there is a risk of chaos. The moderator must therefore ask each participant to speak individually. It is best to compile a list of names before the conference call and work through it step by step. This way, no one is left out.
If the moderator does not know the participants by name, he uses their telephone number as a guide. And this can be found in the web control.
A plus point: With landline numbers, the moderator always knows the location from which the number is calling. This allows them to address callers from the same region in a targeted manner. For example: ” I think I have two participants here from Munich. Servus! Which of you would like to speak first? “
The design of the content is also important
In terms of content, the moderator aligns the round of introductions with the conference topics and objectives. And this is what it could look like:
Company, location, department, position, project role: the participants immediately know what information is important in the conference call.
Technical and organizational issues:
- Time: Say the planned end of the conference call. Then ask the participants whether they are available until then.
- Room: Ask the participants whether they have a quiet room available for the conference. Your recommendation for participants who dial in while on the move: Use your telephone keypad to alternately mute and unmute yourself.
- Questions about the project: How did you get involved? What expectations do you have of the project? What is your motivation?
- the expectation question: “What results do we need to achieve today to make the conference call worthwhile for you?”
- the mood question: Use a so-called “flashlight” to check the mood of the discussion group. Open questions that remain uncommented are ideal. For example, “What excites you about the project?”, “What are you most looking forward to?”
Good to know: Sometimes it even makes sense to have two rounds of questions. In the first round, the participants introduce themselves; in the second, they answer technical or organizational questions.
Don’t forget the social aspects
It’s an open secret: quieter participants quickly get lost in conference calls. They find it difficult to speak up. Anja Schreiber, experienced specialist journalist and author on education, careers and studies, provides the proof. This makes the moderator all the more important. Respond to the quieter ones, ask questions, get their opinion. This way, even the quieter ones will feel valued and respected as discussion partners.
If you don’t respond to quieter participants, you often end up with a rude awakening – at the latest after the minutes have been sent out. Here it becomes clear that the quieter participants do not feel sufficiently involved in the voting and decision-making process.
Introduce rounds of introductions – even if you are not the moderator of the conference call
Good news: It is not only the moderator who can invite participants to introductions during conference calls. Other participants also have the right to do so. This way, you can make your concerns clear:
“My name is Claudia Musterfrau.
I would like to find out more about the other participants.
What do you think of a short round of introductions at the start of the interview?
Personally, it would help me a lot to get to know each other .”
One or two of the participants in the conversation will certainly feel the same way, so they will appreciate your suggestion. The first points of sympathy are guaranteed.
Communication skills in the conference call
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