Are your web meetings going as smoothly as possible?
At Momentum Conferencing, we understand that hosting a web conference can sometimes feel like a difficult task. Whether you have battled with uncooperative technology or unresponsive participants, web conferencing can feel more like a waste of time than a company asset. But before you toss your collaborative tools out the window, take a look at some new habits and methods that can help turn your ineffective meetings into productive and successful ones.
Pre-Meeting Best Practices
Before I can touch on the best practices for web meetings in general, I have to address the more important issue: Planning and Preparation. I’m sure you’ve all heard the famous Benjamin Franklin quote on this topic.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”
Step 1: Define the Purpose of Your Meeting.
- Why are you meeting?
- Who needs to be in attendance?
- What is the best day and time to host your meeting?
Step 2: Send Meeting Invitations
- Send guests the appropriate meeting access code or URL.
- Ask for guest to RSVP by a certain date
- Remind guests what time zone your meeting is using if people are connecting from overseas
Step 3: Prepare an Agenda
- Outline discussion points
- Assign a time limit for each topic (and stick to it)
- Assign specific people to talk about points if needed
Step 4: Upload All Relevant Media to Your Presentation Ahead of Time
- Upload powerpoint presentation
- Upload all pictures and videos
- Upload anything else that will help avoid delays during your presentation
Web Meeting Best Practices
Once you have completed all the steps above, you will be well on your way to hosting a successful web conference meeting. But your work isn’t done just yet. There are still some more steps you need to follow to ensure that your next meeting is as productive as it can be.
Step 1: Start Your Meeting on Time
- Consider opening the meeting room 15 minutes early so everyone can get settled in
- Follow your meeting agenda
- Respect everyone’s time
Step 2: Promote Participation
- Encourage questions
- Ask for feedback
- Use polls and surveys if appropriate
Step 3: Share your files
- Transfer documents
- Share the actual presentation
- Share anything else that can help participants leave the meeting with something concrete
Step 4: Record the meeting
- Use for training and educational purposes
- Send the meeting to those who couldn’t attend
- Have an exact recording of what was addressed in case there in any confusion afterwards
Try it For Yourself
If you’ve had difficulties in the past with web conferences, then it’s definitely time for a change. The whole goal of web conferencing is to save you time and money on travel expenses and increase productivity no matter where you are. If your online meetings aren’t doing that, then its time to try a new approach. Still need convincing? You don’t have to take my word for it, our old friend Albert Einstein said it best…
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”
So, don’t get caught up in a system that doesn’t work and try implementing these new practices for your next meeting. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the end results.
