Conference Calls

What is a Conference Call?

A conference call is a telephone call in which multiple people are participating. This is in opposition to standard phone calls, in which only two people are connected. When it comes to these calls, all people can speak at the same time, or some can be muted.

Such calls are frequently used by businesses for phone conversations involving multiple people and major or minor meetings. When used in tandem with a speaker phone, these calls can involve multiple people talking on one end and multiple others connected through their own lines. Such a technique can be a powerful tool for mass audio communication.

What Does the Feature Look Like?

The conference call feature can be accessed in the web phone. It consists of two buttons: a “Consultative Call” button and a “Conference” button. The former looks like a standard rotary phone receiver standing vertically, with a white plus (+) to the left of it, all of which is within a blue circle. The latter looks like a standard rotary phone receiver sitting horizontally with two lines combining and pointing downwards to the receiver. Access to both buttons can be found in the webphone.

How to Make a Conference Call in MightyCall

The process is incredibly easy, even for the most technologically challenged folks. To get started, simply follow these steps:

1. Start in the MightyCall web panel. MightyCall is VoIP, which means you can do conference calls online.
2. Open the webphone by clicking the phone icon in the top right of the screen.
3. Start the conference by dialing the first number you would want to start the call with. Then, start the call.
4. Then, click the Consultative icon, mentioned previously. Dial-in numbers you’d like to call, and then call. Once the call connects, hit the Conference button to begin the teleconference.

How Does Conference Call Work?

There are a few different types to be aware of. Some folks prefer one way, others prefer, well, others. See which are best for you!

• The host adds participants to the call: they dial-in numbers, add every meeting participant, the whole thing. This is the classic conference calling.
• Conference bridge: think of this as a virtual area which you can be invited to. With a code, ID, or conference bridge number, people are allowed to enter the room and join the chat.

Types of Conference Calls

It can be difficult to wrap your head around the different types of conference lines. No worries! Here’s a handy guide for the basics of it:

Web Conference Calls vs Phone Conference Calls

The difference between a web conference and a phone conference can be difficult to understand at times for those who are not technologically aware. Here are the minutiae of the differences between them:

Web conference calls

These are done over the internet, oftentimes with a VoIP system. These VoIP conference calls can be done the traditional way, with someone adding participants, or through newer means, like using a conference bridge.

The benefits of using a VoIP-based call provider is that you can combine your calls with other extremely useful web-only features, like call recording and auto attendant, and can sometimes be seamlessly launched instead of having to jump through hoops to get it started.

Phone conference calls

These conference meetings are the more traditional ways of running a call, as these meetings do not require any software and can be used with simple landlines or traditional phones (though smartphones can be used as well). The conference call organizer simply dials people in or has them dial in via traditional phone lines.

Conference Call Features (And More) in MightyCall

• Mute your microphone: This feature allows you to turn your microphone so that no one can hear what you are saying. You will still be able to hear the people with whom you are speaking.
• On hold: This option “pauses” the call for the person with whom you are speaking.
• Make a direct transfer: This feature “sends” the caller from your “telephone number” to another without first speaking with the person being transferred to.
• Make a consultative transfer: This option, on the other hand, has you first “consult” with the person to whom the caller is being sent. Then the calls merge and you hang up, with the other two callers continuing on.

Conference call on Android and iOS

To have every MightyCall feature in your pocket, wherever in the world business finds you, download our free Mobile App for iOS or Android today.

Why Use Conference Calls?

You may be someone who has a telephone number but has never used conference call services before – which means you might not know what you’re missing. Here are some reasons why you might want to consider using this feature:

You work in a team

This is the most straightforward and, dare we say, obvious reason as to why people use conferencing. If you work in a team but have a complex project, being able to actually talk it out in real time instead of relying on email chains can make things much easier for all involved and can solve problems faster.

You work with people who are not super motivated

And speaking of relying on emails: you cannot exactly make sure that they get read. When someone sends an email, it’s out of their hands; unless you have software which can tell you when your emails are opened, you are not going to have a way of knowing whether it got read.

Your team is spread out

Let’s say you work in a modern company which has offices or employees spread out around your city, state, or even the whole country. If everyone is in the same city you can probably get them all into an office, but the state? Country? Good luck.

Your team is working with a major client

If it’s a one on one effort, then standard calling may work for you. But if a bunch of team members will be speaking variously with the client, they should all be on calls so everyone is on the same page. You might forget something, and nothing will be worse than if one essential team member is kept out of the loop.

Use Case

For example, you are working in the financial department and you received a call from a customer who wants to sign up for a customized plan and find out the price immediately. Hence you would want to add a sales specialist to your call so you, the customer, and the sales specialist can discuss it altogether.

Best Conference Calls Practices

Use a good microphone

Nothing can be more frustrating than participating in a long call with a person whom you cannot understand – especially when it’s a call with a lot of people in it. Ahead of time, be sure to get a good microphone; good models are cheap and easy to acquire. If it’s a professional setting, poor microphone quality is no excuse. It will come across to clients as unprofessional and colleagues as grating.

Do it in a quiet place

If you can, make sure that the noise level is very low when talking during phone conference calls. It’s a group of people – if everyone has noise, literally nothing is going to be understood. Do not be the person in the web conference who everyone asks to be muted.

Use headphones

But if you absolutely cannot be in a quiet area, then use headphones during phone conference calls, whether you’re using an IP phone or a standard phone. Headphones will help reduce the noise level and will also help you understand more of what is being said; it can be annoying for people you are calling with to have to hear “Hey could you say that again?” over and over. At best it will slow down progress and at worst it will make people simply have to have the call again later.

Test ahead of time

Make sure your equipment works in the first place before hopping onto the conference line. Many conference services allow for pre-call testing, so there’s really no excuse to not make sure that everything is in proper working order.

Make sure callers have the proper login information (if necessary)

Some modern call services require either a link or a password to enter. If you are organizing a conference call, make sure that everyone is made aware of what they need – nothing will be more frustrating for the people you are supposed to be speaking with if they’ve carved out time for a call but you have not given them a way to join in!

Helpful Terms to Know About Conference Calls

VoIP – It stands for voice over internet protocol, and is a telephony system which allows users to make calls over the internet. It has become incredibly popular and is an extremely useful tool when making calls of various sizes and lengths.

ID/Access Code – These are usually randomly generated digits, though sometimes the creator of the call can make their own codes (usually short phrases or likewise random digits). You input this dial-in number to gain access to the teleconference, and are given it ahead of time by the organizer via text or email (or, if you work in an office, in person).

Boot – This is internet slang for kicking someone out. You may have heard “Give someone the boot,” and it’s the same thing here. Getting booted from a server or a call means you have been kicked out. This is different from simply being dropped; being booted means someone purposefully removed you from the call.

Lecture Mode – This is a setting found on some software. It allows the user to start the call in a special mode in which only they can talk (like a lecture), and where the attendees can raise their hands or otherwise notify the “lecturer” that they would like to speak. They need permission to do so.

Ready to Start Using Conference Calls Meetings?

Conference call meetings is a way of organizing your calls to maximize potential and inclusivity. Lots of VoIP companies offer this feature – but you shouldn’t only expect conferencing. You should look for world-class security, high uptime, reliability, a strong customer service department, and dozens of other key features. Put this altogether, and what does it mean? It means you’re looking for MightyCall, one of the leaders in VoIP telephony services.