Getting participants to participate during a conference call can sometimes be a challenge. We want to engage them, get a little back-and-forth going so that we know better how to reach them, and they in turn feel like they’re a part of the process. So how can we do that?
In a blog post by Olivia Mitchell, I read about some dos and don’ts for
getting participation. Some of the things we shouldn’t do were trying to get participants involved before warming them up, not being clear on what we want them to do, and simply springing the spotlight on them.
So what should we do then? An important point is that we need to make sure the participation we’re going for has a purpose. We shouldn’t spend valuable conferencing time trying to get pointless information or interaction out of our participants. It’s a waste of everyone’s time, and the participant’s lack of enthusiasm will reflect this.
It’s important to prepare them. We could mention that, “in a minute,” we’ll be asking for a specific piece of information from them. Then when it’s time, we should go first and demonstrate. This allows them to know exactly what we want to happen, and it breaks the ice a bit.
Most people are a little nervous about speaking out in a conference. With some preparation, demonstration, and encouragement, we can help them forget their nervousness, contribute to the conference call, and take away more than they would have as a silent listener.
