When we're leading a conference call, the only way to convey information to our participants is through our voice and tone of voice--and in a limited timeframe at that.  That's why I'd like to share some strong statements; powerful phrases that convey much more than most other two to ten word combinations.

I remember the first time a boss made a strong statement to me.  I was fifteen and working my first job in a retail store in the mall.  I had asked my seemingly omniscient boss what I thought was a very important question—ah, youth.  He thought for a moment, looked me right in the eyes, and said,

"I don't know."

I didn't think about it at the time, and I only remember the experience now because of a post on the Eloquent Woman blog about six strong statements.  It was a simple answer to a naïve question, yet those three words shocked me.  Because of what I read in the blog post, I understand now that my reaction was elevated to fit this person's elevated status, (elevated to me anyway).

"I don't know" is especially strong in a superior because it reveals their honesty and humility.  The other statement in the Eloquent Woman's list that scales with rank or importance is "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

The six statements are:

I don't know.
I disagree.
I agree.
I'm surprised.
I'm sorry.
I'd like to hear what you have to say.

Of the six, the strong statement that surprised me by its inclusion was—ironically—"I'm surprised."  I wouldn't have thought of that as being strong, and as phrases go, it really isn't.  What does make it strong is how surprises in general make people sit up and take notice.  As in:

• Something surprising is usually interesting
• Would I be surprised as well?
• Birthday surprise
• Meatloaf surprise

Surprises are different from the other life experiences; they're unique.  Well, I suppose they'd have to be.  Otherwise they wouldn't be surprises, right?

I agree with this list of strong statements, especially for conference calls when you have to convey a lot in a short amount of time.

Which one do you like best?

It can be difficult to put yourself front-and-center of a presentation or meeting. Who hasn't had a completely valid question in the middle of a meeting, but ended up asking it later to avoid some sort of strange social embarrassment? 

Breaking the ice can be hard. There's a chance you have never spoken to any of the people on the conference before, and you don't really know where to begin. I've heard the phrase "Open with a joke" before, but I never really considered it.

Humor can lighten the mood and diffuse tension in the room. Because laughter really does improve your health, you'll boost everyone's endorphins by cracking a well-placed joke. Anytime you're going to use humor you should follow a couple of simple rules.

Be sure that your joke is relevant to the topic.  Not only do you want it to get everyone to loosen up a little, but you also want it to be a good opener to the subject you are discussing. Don't forget that you're still in a business setting. This brings me to my next tip. Make sure that your joke is not offensive to anyone. Sticking to a nice generic joke (or even something you come up with on your own) is a safe bet. Run it by someone.

Do you use humor in your conferences? If you do, what made you come to the decision and how do you determine what's a good ice breaker?