by Murray Lunn

Created on: October 24, 2010   Last Updated: October 26, 2010

Meetings have reached the 21st century; we can now have a meeting from around the world at the comfort of sitting in front of our computers. Software and services such as GoToMeeting and WebEx enable businesses to hold online meetings at a push of a button but even though this convenience has helped more people come together it has brought up a few traditional troubles: effectiveness.

Just like many meetings, the effectiveness of the gather will depend entirely on the focus, people and the ability to use the meeting as a platform to accomplish goals.

The following are a few tips that you can make online meetings more effective:

♦ Have an overall goal in mind

Businesses should not hold a meeting that doesn’t have a purpose or goal in mind. Always have a set goal in mind before putting together a meeting so people can come prepared and know where to stay focused during and after the meeting.

♦ Set a definitive time and stick to it

Every participant in a meeting means the business is missing out on potential sales and will be paying for their time to sit in with the group. With that being said, you should always set a start and end time so your meeting doesn’t drag on with little conversations and lack of focus.

♦ Don’t talk theory, push for actual actions

Skip the introductions and random chatter; get right to the point and tell people the purpose of the meeting and give everyone actionable steps they can use to get the job done.

♦ Only bring the A-players on board

A meeting is only as effective as the players on board; you should only bring the best of your business else you will have people that not only distract the focus of the meeting but don’t really need to be there in the first place.

♦ Find a time that won’t distract participants

Every participant at the meeting has something going on in their work so don’t distract them by having a meeting right at the height of their productivity; find the best time that fits everyone.

♦ Have all of your material planned for the meeting

Don’t rush into a meeting without having your material ready and primed to share with the participants; gather everything beforehand before meeting starts and pass out the information afterward.

♦ Alert people well before the meeting to be ready

With so many things going on in a business, people can forget about particular meeting times so be sure to send an email or give them a phone call to make sure they know when the meeting will start.

♦ Use a moderator to make sure the meeting stays on track

The more people you have in your meeting the more likely it will become distracted and lose focus due to chatter. Use a moderator which can keep your meeting on track and alert people when they’re going off topic.

Conclusion

Although your meeting may be online and allows people to be a bit more relaxed you still must treat it with high value and make sure that people are on point and ready to take action as soon as the meeting ends.

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