How to Make a Conference Call

Use Your Smart Phone

Call one of the participants in the conference call. You can find them in your contact list, or simply use the keypad to dial the number. When that call is established, tap Add Call. The first caller is placed on hold.

Call the next participant. Again, you can use your contact list, or just dial the number.

Tap Merge Call. This will add the second participant to the call. You can conference with up to five people, depending on your carrier. This method works with both Apple iPhones and the Android HTC Hero.

Find a Conference Call Provider

Find the right service provider. Companies such as GoToMeeting or Skype let you set up audio/video conferences for a number of people. There are various price points available, from free to hundreds of dollars a year, depending on your needs and level of service required. You can pay per conference call (and get charged according to how many people call in, how long the call lasts, etc.) or purchase a flat rate service, in which you have unlimited access to a conference bridge at a fixed monthly cost. Generally, only the host pays for the service. Some services will require you to buy hardware and/or add/switch long distance service, but there are prepaid services that will allow you to use your landline telephone, mobile phone, or computer. Consider if you want a toll-free number, or if you want participants to pay long distance charges when they call in. Conference calls can also be used in conjunction with web conferences, so participants can view documents or presentations simultaneously while on the call. Some providers offer this as a package, but you can do this separately (e.g. have all participants go to the same URL or open the same e-mail attachment while on the call).

Get all the information that the participants will need to call in. Usually this is a phone number and some kind of password. Test the bridge in advance if you are unfamiliar with the tool you’ll be using.

Schedule your conference call and invite other people to attend. See more tips about organizing a conference call in How to Chair a Conference Call.

Set the right environment. Make sure you can make the call from a quiet location with minimal background noise. Create the agenda. Outline who will speak, what they will talk about, and in what order. Share the agenda and meeting details with everyone through email. Follow the agenda. It will help you to know when to wrap up the session.

Start the call. Be on time, or log on to the conference call ten minutes early if possible. Some tools won’t let you log on until the time scheduled and others won’t let anyone communicate until a leader with a special password logs in.

Wait for everyone to join and then start talking! Before dismissing everyone, summarize what was decided and outline any next steps. Thank them for attending.