• Skip to navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

AAEPA, Inc

Find a Member Member's Login
Call Today (800) 846-1555
  • Membership
    • Membership Membership
    • submenu
      • Why Join?
      • Member Requirements
      • Become A Member
      • Meet the Team
  • Estate planning software
  • Education
  • Practice management
    • Practice management Practice Management
    • submenu
      • 11 Essential Systems
      • Coaching
      • Law Firm Marketing
  • Resources
    • Resources Resources
    • submenu
      • Live Training
      • Blog
  • Contact Us

7 House Rules for Participating in Conference Calls

Home » Estate Planning » 7 House Rules for Participating in Conference Calls

Here at the Academy we live on conference calls. When there are three people involved there is never an issue. More than three people and things start getting interesting.

1) No speakerphones. Even on regular calls it is a bad idea to be on speakerphone. Background noise, echo and the feeling that the call isn’t confidential are potential problems. Another important reason to avoid speakerphone is that some are monoplex and others are duplex. This means if you’re speaking on a monoplex speakerphone, you can’t hear anyone else until you stop speaking. (Duplex speakerphones allow you to hear others while you’re speaking, but it still doesn’t communicate the importance of the call).

2) Breathe and pause once in a while. A common issue on conference calls is that the speaker continues speaking when others are trying to respond. If they’re on a monoplex speakerphone, it’s impossible to jump in. Don’t dominate the call. Don’t interrupt and don’t cause others to need to interrupt if they want to participate.

3) Be on time. This is such a pet peeve of mine. Everyone’s time is extremely valuable, so if four out of five people are on time, that 5th person has just wasted all five participants’ time whether it’s 2 minutes or 8. My rule for being on time is to be one or two minutes early. Then you know you’ll be on time.

4) Have an agenda, share it, and stick to it. Every call should have a designated moderator who will ensure there is an agenda and everyone is aware of the points on the agenda. That person is also responsible for reeling in the conversation if it gets derailed or too heated. Small talk is fine but only for about 15 seconds (a tad more if you’re a yacker, but certainly only as a greeting). It doesn’t hurt to also have ground rules for your calls. “Save questions, take notes, we’ll go from one person to another for comments.” This up front agreement will eliminate a lot of issues that can often arise.

5) Stop talking if others start. If you’re interrupted by someone who wants to add or discuss a point you’ve raised, be polite and stop talking to give that person an opportunity to voice their concern or addition to your point. Talking over each other is unproductive. Someone must yield the floor and there’s no crime in you being that person.

6) If you’re not talking, mute yourself. It reduces the commotion and possible background noise which can interrupt the quality of the call for everyone else.

7) Make sure your headset is charged if you use one. If it’s not, often it’s garbled or causes you to sound faint. Quality of the line can also tie to how you’re perceived. If you’re faint and hard to hear — it makes the speaker sound unprepared or uncertain about their points to cover. You don’t need to be loud but it’s good to sound strong and confident when speaking in small groups whether on the phone or in person.

Jennifer Price
Chief Operating Officer
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Jennifer Price
Jennifer Price
Jennifer Price, Chief Operating Officer, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
Jennifer Price
Latest posts by Jennifer Price (see all)
  • Do You Thank Those Behind the Scene? - April 28, 2022
  • Give a Wow Experience - April 7, 2022
  • February Sessions for Non-Member Attorneys - February 24, 2022
SHARE

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our blog

Recent Posts

  • Aging Parents and Estate Planning
  • How Do I Title Thee…Part I
  • Turning Stalled Out Goals into Actions
  • What Makes a Will or Trust Invalid
  • Ultimate Social Media Cheat Sheet: Character Limits & Best Days/Times to Post

Categories

  • Academy Girl Friday (33)
  • Client Services (238)
  • Coaching (33)
  • Consumer Advantage (3)
  • Counseling (21)
  • Elder Law (5)
  • Estate Planning (920)
  • Estate Planning Documents (5)
  • Estate Planning Education (199)
  • Financial Analysis (3)
  • Financial Services (1)
  • General (19)
  • Law Firm Marketing (281)
  • Law Firm Net Revenue (7)
  • Law Firm Staffing (99)
  • Law Firm Technology (45)
  • Law Firm Web Tips (185)
  • Leadership (191)
  • Legal Education (645)
  • Marketing Tools (2)
  • Medicaid (1)
  • Member Services (1)
  • Owners Compensation (1)
  • Peak Performer Focus (1)
  • Practice Building Calls (1)
  • Practice Management (496)
  • SEO/Social Media Support (3)
  • Software (6)
  • Strategic Planning (9)
  • Uncategorized (15)

Footer

logo of American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

About Us

  • Meet the Team
  • Site Map
  • Legal Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Explore Our Services

  • Coaching
  • Estate planning software
  • Events
  • Legal education
  • Marketing
  • Web and SEO

Keep in Touch

Mon-Fri

9444 Balboa Ave. Suite 300

San Diego

(800) 846-1555

info@aaepa.com

Take Back Control of Your Business and Your Life

+

footer section | American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

© 2022 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc All rights reserved.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Don't sell my personal information.
Cookie Settings Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept