Like all types of official meetings, client meetings have also made the transition to the online platform. While there may be some initial hurdles like establishing a personal connect, sorting out the technical aspects etc when making the transition, it will all be ironed out if you have guidelines and procedures set in place. Let us take a look at 4 such guidelines that will help you successfully conduct any type of online client meeting be it a weekly update call or the first meeting with a prospective client.
- Set a clear agenda
One of the most important aspects of arranging a face-to-face client meeting is setting the agenda, which is done to ensure the meeting doesn’t veer off course from its original purpose. This is the very reason that makes it equally important to set an agenda for online client meetings also.
Having a clear cut agenda which puts forth all the key topics to be discussed during the course of the upcoming meeting not only looks professional but also ensures that the meeting achieves the purpose for which it was convened. Share the agenda with the client and also with all members of your team who will be a part of the meeting.
- Sort out Technicalities
Sorting out technical issues is especially important for client meetings as you don’t want a sales pitch presentation or any important project related presentation held up due to a technical snag. In such cases it will be a good idea to do a dry run of the presentation with the team (a day or two before the client meeting) to ensure all technical snags are sorted out.
It will also be a good idea to have a confirmed list of attendees both from the client’s side and from your team. This is to ensure that every attendee receives the necessary information to be able to log into the call well in advance thus avoiding any last minute confusion and unnecessary delay of the meeting.
- Setting a Time Limit
While doing the dry run of the presentation it is also important to ensure that each member of the team doing a presentation or explaining any aspect stick to the scheduled time slot. Provision should also be made within the meeting time slot for client questions or a general discussion. In this way you can prevent the meeting from overrunning and inconveniencing the clients.
- Follow up is Important
The practice of following up post face-to-face client meetings via emails is another aspect that should be adopted for online client meetings also. Sending an email detailing the key points discussed during the recently concluded meeting along with decisions made or concerns raised helps establish a personal connect with potential clients or ensure client retention in case of existing clients.
Following these guidelines will ensure you are able to make a seamless transition from face-to-face client meetings to online client meetings.
