Etiquette Tips for Teleseminars

For many of us in the business world, teleseminars and webinars have become  an integral part of communicating with peers, bosses, clients, customers and employees.  They can be tricky especially if there are more than 3 people on the call.

Because they are another outlet for you to be in front of people, how you come across on them impacts your professional image. Jan Dwyer Bang, president of Boundless Results, a Seattle-based training and consulting firm, offer these etiquette suggestions, for the times when you are a participant in a group teleseminar.

1. Turn off the “call waiting” feature of your phone during the call.  For most phones, simply dialing *70 will allow you to disconnect this feature momentarily.
2. Use the mute feature on your phone or be aware of muting your phone per the moderator’s instructions to ensure a non-distracted class.
3. When participating in the discussion, identify yourself by first name prior to your comment or question.  Phrase your questions or comments clearly and concisely.
4. Wait for others to finish speaking before you speak.  Within a virtual call/class, it is difficult to “see the raising of the hands” that would normally happen in a face-to-face class, and you need to be aware of speaking over another person.
5. Respect all participants on the call.  Take into consideration the participants’ needs, questions, and comments.