Running A Teleconference （上）

USEFUL TIPS

·   One person should take the role of the facilitator. The facilitatorshould lay out the ground rules for the meeting at the start and control theparticipants. Only the facilitator should interrupt another speaker. Otherwise,it can get very confusing.

·   As with regular meetings, there should be a clear agenda, if possiblewith strict time limits for each item.

·  The facilitator should ask people by name to contribute to specific topics.Each speaker should give their name before speaking.

·   Clarity is essential in a teleconference, so native speakers should aimto speak clearly, for example minimizing the use of difficult idioms, andnon-native speakers should ask if anything is unclear.

·  The facilitator should do a summary of all points discussed at the endof the teleconference.

Conversation

Janette is facilitating atelephone conference from London with participants from around the world,Petra, Carlo, Sanjay, and Lee Ming.

Janette: ...so that's Petra, Carlo, Sanjay. We're justwaiting for Lee Ming and then System:Ping! Speaker five is entering the conference room.

Lee Ming: Hi, thisis Lee Ming here.

Janette: Great! So, it's Janette here. Thank you all forparticipating today. Before we start, let's just check some ground rules fortelephone conferences. Please alwaysgive your name first, so that we all know who's speaking. Also, don't interrupt other speakers, please. make sure that we keep the conversation on track and don't lose any time.Finally, please could you make sure thatyou speak clearly and just let me know if anything is unclear? OK?

Petra, Carlo, Sanjay, and Lee Ming:Yes. Fine. Good. OK.

Janette: Right, let's run through the agenda. First of allwe want to look at...

Petra: ...the hardware and the software is now being tested and will be ready—

Carlo: But Petra, that's not the problem at all! We need to know when!

Janette: Janette here. Sorry Carlo, can you let Petra finish? As I said at the beginningof the teleconference just one speaker at a time.

Carlo: Ah yes. Um, Carlo here. Sorry about that. Could you repeat that,Petra? About the software testing

Petra: Petra here. No problem. So it'll be ready...                                              

Sanjay: ...and we think that the advantages of outsourcing all activities to Mumbaiwill be much great if we are working closely with Singapore.

Lee Ming: Hmm. Lee Ming here. I'm not sure what you mean by 'closely'.

Sanjay: Sanjay here. Well, we have a lot of software programmers who couldquickly develop the products that your people in Singapore design.

Janette: Janette here. What do you think about that, Lee Ming?

Lee Ming: Lee Ming here. Um, well it depends on what thedesigners are looking for because...

Janette: ...Well, that was all very helpful, I think. So, let me recap our discussion. Thenext step is for all of us to begin work on speaking with all the key suppliersin Mumbai...

...and whenthat's finished, the project will be over. Isthat acceptable to you, Sanjay and Lee Ming?

Sanjay and Lee Ming: Yes. That'sfine.

Janette: And howabout you, Petra and Carlo? Any questions?

Petra and Carlo: No, I'm happy.Sounds good.

Janette: Excellent! Then, I think that's enough for today.We have another meeting scheduled for...

Understanding

A secretary took some notes forthe minutes. Complete her notes.

At the start Janette laidout ground rules. She asked speakers to:

…………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………. interrupted …………………………. when she wastalking about software testing.

……………………………... asked ………………………… to clarify what hemeant by working 'closely' together.

Everyone agreed on an action point to startdiscussions with………………………

Another teleconference is booked.

Saying itaccurately

Put these sentences from thebeginning of a teleconference in the correct order.

[    ] Before we start, let's just lay out someground rules for telephone conferences.

[    ] Finally, just let me know if anything isunclear.

[    ] Firstly, please always give your namefirst.

[ 1 ] So, it'sKaren here. Right, let's run through the agenda.

[    ] Secondly, don't interrupt other speakers,please.

[    ] Thank you all for participating today.

[    ] Thirdly, please could you make sure thatyou speak clearly?

Complete the sentences with wordsfrom the box.

finish    come   interrupt    sorry    speaker     finished      there    let

1.   Excuse me, may I …………. you there?

2.   Sorry Hans, let Zara …………. .

3.   Excuse me, I'm …………. to interrupt, but... 

4.   One …………. at a time, please.

5.   Sorry, can I …………. in here?

6.   Sorry Kim, can I stop you …………. ?

7.   Fabrice, I don't think Chris has …………. yet.

8.   Gill, please could you …………. Alex finish?