How to collaborate across time zones with an international conference call
Conference calls tend to get harder to plan and manage the farther people are away from each other. At Callbridge, we have a few methods of getting around this challenge. We know that in today’s increasingly globalized world, being able to smoothly hold an international conference call is more important than ever.
When planning your own international conference calls, it pays to be thorough, especially if it’s your first one. Using this blog as a guide, you should be able to fill in any potential gaps in your planning, and soon be well underway to hosting a stellar international conference call that all of your guests can benefit from.
Decide whether your guests will call in via phone or by web
You’ll find that all of your guests will not join your call in the same way. Connecting via the web is usually the safer and more stable option, and also includes some features that aren’t available for callers, such as video calling. The problem with connecting by web is that it makes your guests highly dependant on a strong Wi-Fi signal, which may be difficult depending on where they are in the world.
Calling in by phone, on the other hand, gives callers access to fewer features, but safely allows for a higher number of simultaneous guests to join your meeting. It is also the perfect solution for international guests who may not have access to a strong WiFi or data signal, but have either cell service or a landline phone.
Callbridge has determined that these two options give you the maximum range in terms of availability for your guests. You should leverage both of these solutions for your international conference call.
Use the time zone scheduler to find the ideal time for your conference call
The time zone scheduler is an essential tool for planning your international conference call, so it is worth taking a few moments to get acquainted with it.
Clicking Timezones from the scheduling page will bring up the scheduler. Adding the timezones of your guests on this page will allow you to quickly and visually discern whether or not the start time for your meeting is an appropriate one.
Obviously, there will be times when there is no ideal meeting time for all of your guests. In such cases, Callbridge allows you to go ahead and schedule an international conference call any time during the day or night. The timezone scheduler just functions as a guide.
Have a few backup numbers on-hand before your international conference call
Although Callbridge takes every precaution to ensure you have the most efficient and productive meeting possible, it is never a bad idea to have a contingency plan while you are trying to problem solve with Callbridge Support.
We suggest that you include a few backup dial-in numbers in your meeting summary, in case there are guests who can’t get a stable connection on their existing mode of connection.
With all of that in mind, you should be well on your way to be holding the perfect international conference call across any timezone.
