[NABS-L] Important tips for conference call etiquette

[Nico Petrillo]

Hey all,
When I joined Nabs I was so excited to be a part of such an excellent organization! Naturally the first thing i did was jump on all those amazing conference calls. It can be scary, embarrassing, and awkward though if your not sure what to expect. Here are some helpful tips that will make you look like you’ve been on conference calls for years.

1. When calling in there will be a pleasant voice that tells you to announce yourself. Don’t do this on penalty of death. Just kidding about the death part, but seriously don't announce yourself right away. Listen for a few seconds to figure out if it’s a good time for you to announce yourself. Sometimes when you call in there is already someone talking, and it can be embarrassing to announce your name loud, and proud interrupting a speaker. When is a good time to announce yourself then? You can wait for a pause before a call officially starts to do so. Or my personal favorite just wait until someone asks “who just joined”. Both are acceptable. If your running a tad bit late don’t announce yourself. You can wait until the end of the call to let someone know you were there. Unless someone asks who just joined.

2. During a call there will be times when words just want to run straight out of your mouth. Don’t let them on pain of Death. Just kidding again, but again really just wait, and follow a two step process. First step say your name clearly. Second step wait for whoever is in charge to say you can speak. Simple right?  Not really lol. Please try your best though as otherwise it can create chaos very quickly, and it’s hard to understand anyone. Also try to wait until the current speaker is done before saying your name to speak because getting interrupted by a million other people just saying there name can be distracting to the moderator, and is rude to the person speaking.

That’s pretty much it. I hoped this helps a few of you who weren’t sure about what a call might be like or what the expectations were. I’d be happy to clarify anything I’ve written. Hope to hear each one of you on a conference call in the near future. If you don’t show up you already know what the penalty is. Just kidding :)


Nick Petrillo
Virginia Association of Blind Students| President
703-346-9981