Ask Victoria: What Is A Successful Conference Call?

April 19, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

Successful conference calls truly are great because they produce wondrous results. Participants not only learn important information but also get motivated to do something positive for their businesses afterward.

Here are my tips to have a successful conference call:

Identify the goals you wish to achieve during or after the call.
Prepare and distribute an agenda before the start time for the call.
Start on time even if only one guest is on the line.
Have the facilitator announce herself or himself and state one’s title and purpose for the call.
Have only one facilitator who can maintain control, but allows others to express ideas.
Begin by reviewing conference call etiquette. Explain conference call tools (for example, how to mute and unmute). Ask for everyone to take care of distractions (cell phones, kids, other employees, etc.)
Ask for attendees who speak to announce themselves so everyone is aware of who is talking.
Speak about the topic and then ask a specific person to speak about the topic to get the ball rolling.
Allow others to speak or call on them to speak about their experience.
Make sure before each person speaks, that person identifies herself each time she speaks.
Allow a specific amount of time for each topic to be addressed.
Stay on topic.
If you have a caller who interrupts frequently, talks over others, or usurps the conversation, address this issue with them after the call is over.
The facilitator should be consistent, precise, structured, and organized.
At the end of the call, announce what the next call is going to be about and then ask for additional ideas for topics for future calls.
End the call on time.

For answers to your questions about conference calls, call Victoria at 503.244.8787.

Jay Leisner, the President of Sylvina Consulting, is a top compensation plan and direct selling expert, a trusted adviser to new and established network marketing and party plan companies. For more than 30 years, Jay has enjoyed assessing and improving network marketing, party plan and referral marketing companies across the globe.

Jay Leisner and Victoria Dohr authored the top-rated book for new and young network marketing, referral marketing, and party plan companies, "Start Here: The Guide to Building and Growing Your Direct Selling Company".

Available in English and Spanish. This startup guide contains 250 pages of wisdom that will guide you through the right steps to start and continue on your journey to build a successful direct selling company.

You will save thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of your time using the information you will read in our book.

In 1986, Jay began his career in direct selling by working for a major direct selling software provider. First as a software developer and later as a project leader and a business analyst, Jay worked closely with new and established network marketing and party direct selling companies to provide them with software solutions to meet their unique requirements.

Jay contributed in many ways to the success of large implementation projects for many companies. Jay also worked with dozens of smaller companies to assist each of them in various capacities to provide them with the systems they needed to help their businesses to grow faster.

Along the way while working with them, he learned the secrets of successful direct selling companies and the challenges faced by them. In true entrepreneurial spirit, Jay’s decision in 1999 to start Sylvina Consulting as a direct selling consulting company was driven by what he saw was a need for answers, advice, and solutions.

In 2004, 2006, 2009, 2014, and 2018, Jay gave presentations on compensation plans, recognition, and field leadership development at conferences held by the US Direct Selling Association.

He traveled to South Africa in 2015, 2016, and 2017 to conduct workshops on compensation plan design and recognition programs for member companies of the South African Direct Selling Association.

In 2017, Jay spoke at the Canadian Direct Sellers Association Meeting on the importance of recognition.

More than just a compensation plan expert, Jay is exceptionally skilled at advising new and established companies on business strategies. Before offering advice or solutions, he asks important questions to understand each client’s specific concerns and goals.

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