{"id":6723,"date":"2020-06-11T23:01:17","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T19:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=6723"},"modified":"2025-01-28T18:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T14:13:16","slug":"how-to-set-up-conference-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/how-to-set-up-conference-call\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up a Conference Call"},"content":{"rendered":"

Due to the shift to remote working in the wake of Coronavirus, conference calls have become more important than ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A conference call is an important opportunity to connect with your team, even if you are spread out around the world. It allows you to share ideas verbally, collaborate and communicate in a way that is often not possible via email.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of preparation goes into a good conference call. It\u2019s essential to think ahead about the timing, software and plan for the meeting. There are a lot of things you\u2019ll need to plan so your conference call is as productive as it can be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at some of the important aspects to setting up the ideal conference call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Select The Right Software<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the first steps to setting up your conference call is to choose the right software. There are a lot of options out there – each with their own different features. Take the time to try a few of them, so you can determine which is the best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few of the most popular options:<\/span><\/p>\n

Microsoft Teams<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is a unified communication and collaboration tool that combines workplace chat, file storage and collaboration, video meetings and application integration. It integrates into Office 365 and other Microsoft Office apps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The advantage is that it is highly customizable and offers a lot of features. However, it is only convenient to use in a Microsoft-centric environment and its complexity means it can take a while to learn to use it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zoom\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Zoom can be a bit complicated to use at first, but once you get the hang of it – it\u2019s a very functional app. (We have created a <\/span>guide to help you here<\/span><\/a>.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It costs $15-$20 per month per host and it has a lot of great features that are very useful during conference calls. You can talk with up to 100 people and even use screen sharing and other features to get your message across.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Skype<\/span><\/h3>\n

Available for both <\/span>Mac<\/span><\/a> and Windows, Skype has been on the scene for quite a while. It has been the go-to app for conducting one on one conferences and meetings for many years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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With the Skype app, you can call local and international phone numbers. You can also use screen-sharing, call recording and file-sharing features. However, while Skype works well for one on one conferences, the quality degrades significantly when more participants are added to the call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Google Meet<\/span><\/h3>\n

Since this is a Google product, you know right away that it will be a reliable service. It is free, easy to use and will automatically import all of your friends and contacts from your Gmail account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It also integrates with Google Calendar, making it easy to schedule meetings with the rest of your team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose The Right Time Zone<\/span><\/h2>\n

If your team is spread across different locations, it can be challenging to choose a time for a conference call that works for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the most helpful apps for this is the free website <\/span>Time Zone Convertor<\/span><\/a>. It is a time difference calculator that is designed to help you find the ideal time for a conference call that will work for everyone involved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can enter the time zones, then click on \u201cMeeting Planner\u201d to get a chart that will show you where the time zones match up and suggest possible meeting times. If a time is too early or late in either time zone, it will appear yellow or red. Times that fall within normal working hours for both time zones will appear green.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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You can add as many different time zones as necessary, making it easy to see at a glance which times are best for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Make Sure Everyone Gets the Invite<\/span><\/h2>\n

The next step in planning your conference call is to make sure that everyone gets the invite. You don\u2019t want participants to miss the meeting because they didn\u2019t get the invite!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are several great apps that have this feature built in. For example, apps like Google Calendar will send out email invites to meeting participants so they are aware of the conference call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Calendly is also a great scheduling app that syncs with Google Calendar and will create meeting reminders. It is designed to automatically adjust meeting times to the participants home time zone, which saves a lot of confusion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s also a good idea to ask meeting participants to RSVP, so you can make sure they got the invite. (If you are using Google calendar, this can be done easily with the click of a button!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Send Out an Agenda For The Meeting<\/span><\/h2>\n

Plan out what will be discussed in advance, so the conference call will be focused and efficient. If you have a well thought out agenda before the meeting, you will waste less time. You\u2019ll focus more, make decisions and finish the meeting with clear directives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your agenda should include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n