Unit 12: Running A Teleconference

USEFUL TIPS

One person should take the role of the facilitator. The facilitator should lay out the ground rules for the meeting at the start and control the participants. Only the facilitator should interrupt another speaker. Otherwise, it can get very confusing.
As with regular meetings, there should be a clear agenda, if possible with 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 aim to speak clearly, for example minimizing the use of difficult idioms, and non-native speakers should ask if anything is unclear.
The facilitator should do a summary of all points discussed at the end of the teleconference.

Conversation

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

Janette: ...so that's Petra, Carlo, Sanjay. We're just waiting for Lee Ming and then System: Ping! Speaker five is entering the conference room.
Lee Ming: Hi, this is Lee Ming here.
Janette: Great! So, it's Janette here. Thank you all for participating today. Before we start, let's just check some ground rules for telephone conferences. Please always give 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 that you 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 all we 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 beginning of 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 Mumbai will 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 could quickly 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 the designers are looking for because...
Janette: ...Well, that was all very helpful, I think. So, let me recap our discussion. The next step is for all of us to begin work on speaking with all the key suppliers in Mumbai...
...and when that's finished, the project will be over. Is that acceptable to you, Sanjay and Lee Ming?
Sanjayand Lee Ming: Yes. That's fine.
Janette: And how about you, Petra and Carlo? Any questions?
Petraand 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 for the minutes. Complete her notes.

At the start Janette laid out ground rules. She asked speakers to:
…………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………. interrupted …………………………. when she was talking about software testing.
……………………………... asked ………………………… to clarify what he meant by working 'closely' together.
Everyone agreed on an action point to start discussions with………………………
Another teleconference is booked.

Saying it accurately
Put these sentences from the beginning of a teleconference in the correct order.

Before we start, let's just lay out some ground rules for telephone conferences.
Finally, just let me know if anything is unclear.
Firstly, please always give your name first.
So, it's Karen 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 that you speak clearly?

Complete the sentences with words from 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?