How to run a meeting online: A beginner’s guide
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Businesses are embracing online meetings. Knowing how to run a meeting with web conferencing software is a crucial skill — one that can give you a leg up on your competition.
Why learn to run online meetings? Web conferences, done right, will save you money and emprove communications with remote offices. Follow these 8 guidelines and you’ll be ahead of the game.
1. Send an agenda in advance. Yes, I know this is a standard recommendation. It’s still an important part of a successful meeting. More so online, where we have to add more visual and verbal cues to keep things on track.
2. Learn how to use your internet conferencing software. Invest a half hour in yourself and learn the application. If you’re worried about the cost, most of the vendors offer free trials - sign up for one and practice.
3. Make sure everyone’s prepared. Participants seem less likely to do their prep work (homework, if you will) for online meetings. I recommend a quick “how are you doing” phone call to anyone needing a nudge.
4. Remember to smile while you speak. Call center staff the world round know that your facial expressions translate into your voice tone. Even if there’s no one to see you, smiling (with authority) works wonders.
5. Keep background noises to a minimum. Start with a request that cell phone ringers be turned off. Don’t type near the phone’s receiver. If you’re at home, put the dogs in a different room.
6. Assign someone else to take notes. Unless the purpose of the meeting is to fine-tune a document, I can promise your attendees don’t want to watch you type on the screen.
7. Check for understanding. After each key topic, make a point of pausing and asking a question or two to gauge their understanding. It can be as simple as “Does this approach to the budget make sense?” Use this feedback as a replacement for seeing their facial expressions.
8. Know who’s on the call. Always start the meeting by asking participants to identify themselves. There’s often a “surprise” attendee you didn’t expect — invited at the last minute by one of the official attendees. Your participants have a right to know who else they’re talking with.
These tips will take you a long way in your desire to run a successful online meeting. Still feeling uncomfortable? Sign up for a free trial with a internet conference vendor (see resource box for helpful links) and practice a bit with a friend. You’ll both emerge knowing exactly how to run a meeting online.
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