Have you ever attended a teleconference call where there was background noise which made it difficult to enjoy the call? Have you been on a call where participants are talking over each other or someone is speaking and you have no idea what their name is? Maybe you could never contribute because every time the facilitator asked a question, there were one or two people who always jumped in and didn't stop talking, and the facilitator didn't have control of the situation.

If you are planning a conference call, you need to make sure that everyone involved is aware of how it will work. As soon as someone confirms that they will be taking part in the call you need to send information on the call. Everyone will need to know the phone number to dial, their passcode to enter and the date and time of the conference call. Be sure that everyone knows the correct time zone as well. Ahead of time, be sure to tell everyone how to disable their call waiting so that it is not interrupting the conference call. Lastly, send everyone technical support information in case they experience a problem during the call. This will allow everyone to have a professional and pleasant experience.

While you should make all participants aware of the correct etiquette for conference calls prior to the event, it is also important to be able to deal with issues as they arise during the call. To preclude problems, make sure you outline the important points of etiquette at the beginning of the call. This is important even if you have already notified the participants of the correct procedure via email.

Here's an example: "There are a few teleconference etiquette tips which have to be followed to make our call pleasurable. A few of these conference call etiquette tips will help making our call enjoyable to everyone. The foremost thing is to be alone in the room, if possible. A quiet room is the best place to make a conference call. Dogs, children or adults can divert your attention. If you urgently need to speak with someone, you can do that by pressing the mute button on your telephone. Or you can mute yourself on the conference call by pressing *6.When you are finished with your other work, you can speak again by just pressing *6 another time. If you start speaking and we don't respond to you, then you'll know that you are still on mute and we can't hear you.

Please always say your first name before you speak. For example, Chris here, then begin speaking and be as clear and succinct as you can. This is an interactive call and I'll be asking you questions and for your ideas, so please be prepared to participate at any time. In order to make the most of what you get out of this call, I ask that you resist the urge to multitask during the teleconference."

In the end, please remember to give time to everyone in the teleconference to have their say. Some people often need more time to respond before saying anything. It's okay to have silent gaps on our call. Do you need any more clarification on conference call etiquettes or have some questions regarding the same?

An example of what the meeting facilitator might say then you need to graciously enforce those guidelines throughout the call. If you are hearing background noise, pause and say something like, "We are getting a lot of background noise. It sounds like someone is in the kitchen making dinner. Does anyone have any questions or need any clarification on anything to do with conference call etiquette?"

When you experience a dominant caller, those guidelines must be tactfully enforced. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. If you are unsure of how to handle those types of situations, the damage(s) will only affect you - especially in the virtual and invisible environment, where people have a choice to participate or not. With the use of proper etiquette, you can maintain the best teleconference experience possible. This will ensure repeat attendance and participation. Remember, it is your professional reputation at stake here, not that of the callers.