Web meetings are good for your business. They can save time and money on travel, increase rapport with workers and clients, and are a great sales and training tool. With these greater rewards come risks: a misstep can cost your company an opportunity, a deal, a client. A misstep can cost you a sale, a commission, a promotion. Are you prepared? Use these tips for great web meetings:
1) Respect the gift of attention. A web meeting is a time commitment for everybody. Be prepared. Be succinct.
Change up your content, ask questions, and solicit feedback to keep things moving.
How much time should you consume? A good ballpark number is 30 minutes. Any less and your participants start to wonder "what was the point of all this?". Any more and you'll lose them to Facebook or to that bird slingshot. If you need more than 30 minutes, schedule a break.
2) Share a great story. Entertain them. Shock them. Web meetings are VISUAL -- use charts, web sites, video, and pictures to tell your story. Keep them engaged. Limit side conversations. Keep text to a minimum.
If you're just reading text from a PowerPoint on the screen, it's as if you're talking, and your slide is also talking, and your participants are wondering, "Should I listen or should I read?"
Their answer: Facebook or that bird slingshot.
3) Have a great entrance, and a great exit. Open your meeting 10-15 minutes early. The starting slide should confirm the meeting details (meeting name, start time, conference call information, etc.).
Introduce yourself. Take a minute, get their attention, state the purpose of the web conference and let them know exactly what is on the agenda. For smaller meetings, ask others to introduce themselves as well.
At the end, thank them for their gift. Follow up and clarify any open items. Call them to action. Take their order.
