Productivity is key in any corporate organization. This is why meetings should reflect that drive. However, not all meetings are streamlined and efficient. And one of the worst problems in holding meetings is how to get everyone in the same room together, for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

This is why, for very urgent matters that really cannot be dealt with without a meeting of some form, call for a form of restructure. Rework by 37 Signals, makers of Basecamp, swear that meetings are a complete waste of time. There is a way to make a meeting more convenient and more streamlined, however. Audio Conferencing Services ensure that a meeting can be held anytime all the participants are available, and in locations that are convenient for them: whether en route to an international convention, during an otherwise lazy downtime, or even during a commute. Audio Conferencing Services ensure that no participant or member of the team could have an excuse not to attend, because thanks to the platform, the meeting can be held wherever they are at the moment.

Conferencing has turned communication from an ordeal in communications, to something that can be done faster and more conveniently. From chasing people to get them to sit down for a face-to-face meeting, Audio Conferencing Services have changed the way people do business, especially in the area of holding face-to-face meetings.

The benefits of Phone Conferencing Services are manifold. These can enable a company to have meetings anytime. Unlike a face-to-face meeting that requires geographical proximity to each other, Audio Conferencing can allow a team to meet wherever they are in the world, defying even time zone differences.

Phone Conferencing Services allow for faster collaboration. More than being able to talk with each other in a context that is more convenient, audio conferencing also allows a team to cut through the time wastage that may come from files needing to be shuffled through different offices, or through different hands. With tools that allow for file transfer and other functions to enhance an audio-only meeting, not only are meetings made more efficient and more convenient, but ways to collaborate are brought to the table to facilitate a greater convenience.

Here are some ways to get the best out of an audio conferencing call:

Use multimedia

As much as possible, integrate videos or other visual tools in the call. People will tend to tune out if their sense of sight isn’t engaged. So if you could use a webcam service to add to your chosen service, it would make your participants more engaged.

Plan ahead

Even if an audio conferencing call will be done at your participants’ convenience, and probably in more relaxed settings, it doesn’t mean that you could slack off and drop meeting basics like an agenda or an outline. Neither does the convenience of an audio conference call give you an excuse not to get your data prepared. You should still definitely plan ahead for the audio conference call, just as you would a regular face-to-face meeting. This will ensure that the call will be streamlined, efficient, on point, not to mention accurate.

Set a time limit

The 37 Signals book “ReWork” states that meetings are a waste of company time. Company time is better spent on actually doing work, and not pointless discussions on whether another water cooler unit should be added or not. “ReWork” also states that meetings should be kept to a maximum of 30 minutes or less. If you could get the discussion done in 10 to 15 minutes, even better. Just as “ReWork” says that face to face meetings should be given a time limit, the same boundaries should also be applied to audio conference meetings. This way, you will avoid wasting company and employee time. When your meeting’s timer is up, adjourn the meeting, whether you’ve discussed everything or not. Should you need to discuss further, set a follow-up meeting at another time.

Have an agenda

As we stated above, it is always great to keep the meeting on track with a list of things to discuss. In order that you and your team will be able to press down your time and fit it within your time limit, an agenda comes handy in focusing the flow of the audio conference meeting.

Audio conferences are crucial for allowing a company to collaborate and discuss matters that are important to them. With Audio Conferencing Services available, your meetings will now be hosted on a more convenient, more efficient platform.