The digital age bears witness to the use of audio conferencing to connect people from across the country in one real time discussion. If you are attending your first conference call you may have a false idea of the real process. It is just a virtual meeting. It is not an informal call that deserves less respect than any other meeting.
A personal conference call from the comfort of your home may grant you some leeway in your appearance and dress, but that is all.
The key to having a successful conference call is having a clear understanding. You have to understand the differences and similarities that it has with a normal conference or meeting.
Preparation for your conference call will be very similar to preparation for any conference or discussion. You need to have reviewed all of the related materials and have an established understanding of the issues before you go into the meeting. One of the best ways to ruin a teleconference is to have an uninformed audience barely comprehending the speakers. There are a few extra steps of preparation that should be remembered though.
You should have your dial-in code in an accessible location to avoid the last...