Most organisations the world over have now completely transferred all their internal meetings like team meetings, annual general meetings, one-on-one conversations etc, to the online platform. The fact that most participants in such meetings are already familiar with each other makes the teething issues in relation to making such a transition easier to overcome.
In the case of external meetings, organisations find the transition process to the online medium a bit more of a challenge due to the fact that the participants are not acquainted with each other. However this challenge along with other related challenges can definitely be overcome, so let us take a look at a few guidelines that will help organisations like yours overcome these challenges and thereby ensure the success of online external meetings.
Setting a clear agenda
Having a clear cut agenda which puts forth all the key topics to be discussed during the course of the upcoming external meeting not only looks professional but also ensures that the meeting achieves the purpose for which it was convened. Sharing the agenda with the external stakeholders/clients and also with all members of your team who will be a part of the meeting is also recommended.
Setting Etiquette Protocols
Video conferencing with clients and external stakeholders is a new unexplored area, so your team may not be aware of all the do’s and don’ts of interaction via the virtual medium. So here are a few recommended ground rules you can set out for the team in relation to video conferencing etiquette:
- Everyone should dress professionally
- They should choose a location which is secluded to ensure there is no interruption by family members
- Participants should use the mute button when not contributing to the conversation (to avoid background noises like traffic sounds, phones ringing etc)
- To ensure strict adherence to punctuality for external meetings it will be a good idea to set a policy where all the members of your team log in ten minutes ahead (of the actual meeting) in order to sort out any technical issues that may arise.
Setting Scheduled Time Slots
In the event of a presentation by the team, a dry run is recommended a day or so in advance in order to ensure that each presenting team member sticks to their scheduled time slot. A provision may also be made within the meeting time slot for questions or a general discussion. In this way you can prevent the meeting from overrunning and inconveniencing the external stakeholders or clients.
Ice Breaker Session
Having a short introductory icebreaker session before a meeting starts will be extremely helpful in enabling the external stakeholders/clients to get to meet the team. A 5-10 minute informal chat will help put all the participants at ease, thereby greatly increasing the chance of achieving the desired outcome from the meeting.
Following Up
Following up post an online external meeting is as important as in the case of face-to-face meetings, as it helps to strengthen the personal connect with external stakeholders/existing clients or create a connect in the case of potential clients. So sending an email detailing the key points discussed during the recently concluded meeting along with decisions made, commitments given/received or even concerns raised will definitely be helpful in achieving this connect in addition to establishing your dedication and professionalism.
The above guidelines will definitely help pave the way for conducting successful online external meetings.
