In today's business world, the conference call is becoming commonplace. Companies no longer set aside big budgets for travel for the sole purpose of conducting a meeting face to face. Multiple departments, companies, and or customers can communicate via a conference call to discuss business matters. Business people no longer have to pack formal attire for the business meeting that is face to face. However, proper etiquette is just as important during a conference as proper attire in a face to face meeting. Here are a few guidelines to remember when participating in a conference call.

Most importantly, be on time. It is not impressive when someone enters a conference call late and the beep informing of their arrival sounds interrupting the speaker. In addition, introduce yourself when entering in to the call. A proper introduction should consist of your first and last name, the company you are representing, your position in the company and the location you are calling from.

Do not speak in a loud voice. It is tempting to speak louder when using a speaker phone or talking to a group of people over the phone. Speak in a normal tone. A loud voice sounds garbled and in some instances threatening. On the contrary, do not speak softly either. A soft voice is hard to hear. In addition, wait for short pauses between conversations to take your turn to talk. There is a tendency to rush to talk during a conference call because you can't see other participants. Be patient and introduce yourself each time you start a new conversation or ask a question. Do not make the moderator guess who is talking.

When using a speaker phone the mute button is very important. A speaker phone is a great way to involve more than one person in a conference call at the same location. For example a department head may want his or her staff to hear a presentation by attending a conference call. While the staff is gathered in one room listening to the call there may be comments made during the presentation and if the microphone mute button is not used those comments will be heard by all. When you are not talking on the call have your microphone muted.

Have cell phones on vibrate, silent, or turned off. It is disrespectful to have a cell phone ring during a conversation you are involved in. In most instances it is necessary to turn the cell phone completely off. There are certain cell phones that may electronically interfere with microphones or speakers when

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