Checklist for online meetings
In the past, there was some sense on comfort when before every meeting we could sit for a minute in the room, go through our documents, the presentation and the dossiers we are going to share with the attendees. It gave us some peace of mind that will bust our confidence and energy to jump in the meeting strongly.
But the work scene has changed. Due to the globalization of business, a big part of the work meetings are held virtually, which can be a challenge sometimes.
During an online meeting we can’t afford to have forgotten to have a document ready, or sending before the meeting all the information necessary to all the members joining the meeting to make sure they can follow up.
When we are performing on an online meeting we want to make sure that our ideas are being communicated clearly and strongly and in a short amount of time.
To help you make sure you are ready to success during all of your upcoming online meetings, we bring you a very useful checklist to go through before your next conference call.
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Come to an agreement on what support you are going to use to hold the meeting
Some companies have their own specific conference call tools, that also doesn’t mean that you t use it too if you are not part of the company, the most important thing is that is going to be stable platform and won’t give problems during the meeting. And even if you agree to use it, always have a plan B with any standard available software like Skype or Google Hangout.
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What are you going to present during the meeting and how
Make sure that the idea o proposal you are going to prepare is clear and that you are ready to answer any questions, and make sure to decide ahead what is the best digital tool to use to present it, something that will be universal and easy to access and see for all the members. If you use a Keynote presentation, it might be a good idea to share it with them before hand. Just make sure everyone understands every part of your proposal.
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Set up a meeting invite
Even if everyone is aware of the meeting, make sure to share an invite that clarifies the agenda, the attendees and main goals for the meeting, as well as the contact information of all of the people that will be joining the meeting.
Also, be clear with the time and date when it will take place, and make sure you clarify the time in any possible time zones from where each person will be joining.
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Make sure you join the meeting first
Especially if you are the one celebrating the meeting and essentially hosting it, you want to make sure you are the first one there. If any doubt or technical problem comes up, you should be there to find a solution as soon as possible to avoid starting the meeting with a feeling of frustration.
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Make sure you are ready to share your screen at any time
There is a big chance that you might want to share some data or information that could rise up during the meeting. To do so you will most likely have to share your screen, which is faster than sending everyone an email with the information right at that second.
Therefore, make sure that your desktop is clean, doesn’t show any private information or folders, the background fits with a professional environment and any compromising material will not be opened by mistake.
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If there is a problem keep going, don’t panic
Just like with any other professional performance, don’t let a bad moment ruin your whole proposal. So if something goes wrong, don’t panic, everyone is human. Find a solution if possible, and keep going.