Good Tips for Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Meetings Continued

In our previous post we began to our list of good tips for great meetings. As we’ve said before, it’s easy to get lost in traditional introductions and complex PowerPoint slides and spreadsheets. But when that happens, you run the risk of losing the art of “hosting” to business formalities and miss out on the chance to meet your participants in an impactful way.

So, back to our list of event best-practices that will help to keep your participants engaged and eager to come back for more (including a quick recap of 1-4):

• Practice makes perfect
• Eliminate the guess work for your participants
• Cut out unnecessary downloads for participants
• Organization is essential for an effective and engaging conference
• Equal participation for all attendees – every group has a microphone hog, and for each hog there are an equal – if not greater – number of participants waiting for a chance to speak. Each participant’s time is valuable, and for that reason, part of your job as a host is to ensure each of your participants has the opportunity to contribute. If you feel someone in your group hasn’t had an opportunity to speak, try bringing them into the conversation directly, leading with a short statement about their strengths and/or expertise
• Engage your participants with pertinent information – in the event that you find yourself hosting a meeting on a topic you are, to put it politely, less than thrilled about, set aside time to find an interesting aspect of your topic and bring it to life with a photo, relevant media story or short video case study
• Leave on a high note – start collecting your thoughts about 15 minutes prior to the end of your audio, web or video conference and provide your participants with a brief recap. Cover the decisions that were made, brainstorm conclusions, edited documents, etc. and go over any follow-up tasks. Ending a meeting on time, or better yet early, can significantly affect the way your participants feel about the event and you as a host
• Don’t forget the “thank you” – your participants’ time is valuable, so be sure to thank them for taking time out of their day to take part in your conference. Send them a quick follow-up email that also offers a more detailed recap of what decisions were made, goals were reached, etc. during the conference as well as any follow-up tasks for participants

Audio, Web, Video Conferencing Meeting

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Good Tips for Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Meetings

When I was a kid, my dad would always stress the importance of forming “good habits,” because, as he would say, the bad ones only get harder to break as you get older. And while I didn’t put much thought into it at the time, now I see how right he was (and still is).

Today’s technology is ever-evolving. Often it seems as though once you’ve managed to master one product or service, it’s being replaced by something else. Audio, web, and video conferencing is no different. Sure, modern conferencing services are more user-friendly than ever before, but hosting a conference is no easy feat; it’s easy to get lost in traditional introductions and complex PowerPoint slides and spreadsheets. When that happens, you run the risk of losing the art of “hosting” to business formalities and miss out on the chance to meet your participants in an impactful way.

So, with the help of our friends at PGi, we have compiled a list of event best-practices that will help to keep your participants engaged and eager to come back for more:

• Practice – the saying “practice makes perfect” is still used today because it’s true. Nothing slows down a meeting faster than a host fumbling over the technology. Not only will it cause your participants to lose focus, but many will view it as a waste of their valuable time, making them less likely to attend your future conferences. Today’s audio conferencing and web conferencing solutions offer a robust, comprehensive list of features to improve communication and collaboration that, although user-friendly, require practice to navigate and execute properly.
• Eliminate the guess work for your participants – as the conference host you should leave little to the imagination when it comes to what your participants should expect from attending your conference. This includes everything from why they were invited to participate and how your participants will join the conference, to the agenda, meeting goals, dress code (for web and video conferences), etc.
• Cut out unnecessary downloads – opt for and video conferencing, audio or web conferencing service that does not require specific browsers or special downloads for participants to join. That way you can ensure all of your attendees will arrive on time and without any hassle
• Organization is key – even in a virtual conference, disorganization will lead to distraction, confusion, and ultimately a lack of participant engagement. Before the start of your meeting preload your PowerPoint slides and presentation materials into your conference so they are readily accessible as soon as you begin

Audio, Video or Web Conferencing Services

Image Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net