Tips For a Successful VoIP Conference Call

Your operation can benefit greatly from the many features found in modern business phone systems. One of the most popular — and most effective — of these features is video conferencing. Video conferencing technology allows you to host “face-to-face” meetings no matter where your colleagues are located.

Have one employee who works from home, one who works halfway across the state, and a key client who lives in another country? With video conferencing, you can all get together and collaborate without much of a hassle. But, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Here are 5 tips on making your VoIP conference calls successful.

1. Check Your Connection Before You Start
VoIP call quality depends on the stability of your connection and your available bandwidth. In addition, video calls transmit more data than regular phone calls. For a one-on-one HD video call, you’ll need at least 2Mbps of bandwidth available. For every additional participant add 1Mbps.

2. Check Your Equipment
Make sure your networking equipment is up to date. Ensure that your webcams are functioning properly. And most importantly, test your microphone. If your microphone volume is set too high, it may cause feedback for the other participants. A high-pitched, ear-piercing noise that doesn’t exactly set your meeting off to a good start.

On the other hand, a microphone that is set too low will make it difficult for other participants to hear you. If they’re too polite to mention it they may end up missing important information, so it’s better to ensure that it’s set at the proper volume in the first place.

3. Watch Out for Latency
Latency in this context is how much time it takes the voice of the person on the other end of the call to reach you and vice versa. The video and voice quality of the call can be crystal clear, but if the people you’re speaking with are several seconds behind it’s going to be hard to conduct a smooth meeting.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to troubleshoot latency issues by yourself. Often there is some underlying network or hardware issue that isn’t a simple fix. This is why you should partner with someone specializing in VoIP solutions if you’re planning on making regular use of this technology. They’ll be able to direct you towards the best hardware and software for your purposes.

4. Treat It Like A Real Meeting
Remember, everyone is going to be able to see and hear you just as they would during a regular meeting. In fact, some things may be amplified for participants on the other end. Doing things like eating, crumpling paper, or talking to other people in the room are a no go. It can be easy to forget this basic etiquette, especially if you’re conferencing from the comfort of your home.

5. Make Use Of All The Features Available To You
Most video conferencing systems have features like virtual “hand raising” that notifies you when a participant would like to interject or screen sharing that allows participants to share exactly what they’re seeing on their screen with members of the call. These features can help your virtual meetings feel more like a true face-to-face meeting.

Want more information on the many productivity-enhancing features available to you with a modern business phone system? Contact us at Atlantic Communications Team today.