Guide for first time users
Attending a conference call for the first time:
There are two ways to attend a conference call; either you dial a telephone number from your telephone, or, the conference call service calls your phone. Either way you’ll need a telephone, which can make and/or receive calls. See our tips on using telephones, speakerphones, headsets here.
If the conference call service is calling you, then you won’t incur any charges on your phone bill, the call leader will pay all of the charges. If you are calling a telephone number, then, unless you’ve been given a Freephone number, you’ll need to think about call charges which will be applied to your phone bill. See more about call charges.
Try to call in one or two minutes early so you can check that the other participants can hear you clearly, and that you can hear them. If you experience any issues, alert the operator straight away by pressing *0 on your telephone keypad.
Leading a conference call:
You’ll need to decide how you would like your participants to join your call, and how you would like them to be greeted by the service provider.
How much management do you need? for small day to day conferences, you may not need any. For important, sensitive conferences with VIP guests, you may want much more.
For advice on the best type of conference for you, call us on 0800 279 4595.
Once you’ve decided which type of conference call you need, here are some pointers:
Have an agenda, be somewhere quiet, and seriously consider recording your conference.
See our advice on the type and use of speakerphones and headsets.
During the conference call:
Once in your call, operator assistance is available when you need it by pressing *0 on your telephone keypad.
A number of additional facilities are available to help you get the most out of your conference:
- Record your conference for those who can’t be there, with many options for playback.
- Dial out to additional people.
- Split into discussion groups.
- Mute out background noise.
