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5 Tips to Host a Better Online Meeting
Part 1 of 2 (or 1-5 of 10, I guess)

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

*Sigh*  I wish everyone who used any web conferencing service (yes of course including Fuze Meeting) did it with such grace and adroit perfection that the world was immediately sold on the idea, thus successfully eliminating all unnecessary business travel. But…they don’t.  Here’s part 1 of 2 and eventually a million posts on how to conduct a better online meeting.

1. Plan Ahead. This isn’t just #1 on the list. It’s A, #1, most important, don’t-even-think-about-skipping-this-point on the list.  It is painfully obvious when a host didn’t think about the meeting until he/she had to enter a password.
2. Send an agenda with the meeting invite. Not only does this help your attendees know what to expect, it lets them know that you’re ON IT, that you’ve thought about what you’re going to talk about and that you don’t plan to waste their time. (i.e., that you completed #1 on the list)
3. Be the first to log in. Whatever time your meeting starts, it starts for you 5 minutes earlier. Would you ever dream of being late to a party you’re hosting at your house? Same deal.
4. Pre-plan what you’re going to say. Not even the most beautiful and concise PowerPoint presentation can mask a chorus of “um’s” when flipping through your notes. So, save some face when you don’t get to show it – write up talking points to follow and print them up to have on the desk while presenting your meeting.
5. Pay attention. You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but then…you’re sitting there…not talking…and that sweet little Outlook notifier pops up (you know the one), and you think one harmless little click wouldn’t be so bad…and before you know it, you’re sending off your 12 point plan to double sales before the end of the year. The thing is – if you’re not paying attention to your own meeting, you attendees will notice and they’ll follow your example. One little phrase “could you repeat that, I was writing another email” can be very destructive to your credibility.

Kapeesh? Sit tight! More tips coming in a couple days.  If you haven’t already subscribed to this blog, just click here to subscribe to the RSS feed and ensure that you don’t miss those next tips and much more.