The internet has made it easy for businesses to go global. In the past, only huge companies with deep pockets could afford the kind of advertising and marketing that reached out to a worldwide audience. E-commerce has effectively leveled the playing field, though, and made it economically viable for small to medium-sized companies to branch out, market their wares or services to a global market and achieve global brand success.
One of the most important things companies realize is how important online meetings can be. From contacting clients wildly dispersed all over the globe to managing a remote team everywhere in the country or from different continents, there’s no doubt that businesses won’t survive without the aid of online meetings.
That’s why it’s surprising that not all companies know how to turn those meetings into their advantage. Bad online meetings could put a damper on any professional relationship you want to build with a potential client or turn your customers off for good. If you want to make sure you get those meetings right from the get-go, here are mistakes you should do your very best to avoid:
Not getting the right tool
The right tool invests you with its power. For instance, If you don’t get the new business huddle videoconferencing system from BlueJeans proves to be convenient, cost-effective and super easy to use. You get all those benefits with the right tools. So tools or systems that are too complex or have too many bells and whistles but don’t get the job done is a waste of the team’s time and resources. That’s why you have to pick the right tool for your video conferencing system — it’s going to set the stage for your online business meetings.
Not knowing how to use it
Owning the best in online meeting technology isn’t going to do your team a darn bit of good if they don’t know how to properly use the system. Don’t be one of those companies that simply install these tools at work and expect everyone to learn the system on their own time. Provide them with the training they need to master those tools.
Getting there late
Forbes cites this as one of the worst things you could do in an online business meeting. If you’re meeting with potential investors or clients, this could compromise the results of your business dealings. It’s unprofessional and puts your company in a bad light. If they think they can’t even trust you to arrive on time, how will they trust you to get the hard work done? So give yourself plenty of extra prep time to make sure you log in early for the meeting.
You haven’t got an agenda
Every year, America loses billions of dollars in useless meetings alone. Before you pull people out from their offices and set up that online meeting, make sure you’ve got an agenda, says the Business News Daily. Ask yourself: will an email suffice? Some things are much easier to get across through email. Also, be considerate of other people’s workload and schedule. So don’t automatically go for online meetings. Consider if it’s the right medium for your message first and if it’s necessary before you pull everyone together for that meeting.
Not keeping it professional
It’s important to remember to keep your personal and professional lives separate when you’re on social media. That piece of advice works brilliantly for online meetings as well. Remember to keep things professional. While some clients or colleagues won’t mind seeing your pets or kids on the monitor during a meeting, it’s not the kind of environment that’s conducive to a business meeting. Same thing for taking those meetings in bed or lounging in your PJs on a business call. These could distract your business associates from the matter at hand and seriously disrupt any ongoing discussion. That’s not only a waste of everyone’s time and the company resources, it also reflects badly on you. You might find professional doors closing on you simply because they think you can’t separate business affairs from personal ones.
Going over the allotted time
Business meetings, whether online or offline, have a cardinal rule: don’t ever go beyond the allotted time. This is especially true if it’s already EOD. People have somewhere to go. They want to drive to the grocery, pick up their kids, have dinner with their friends or just simply avoid the vicious rush-hour traffic to get home on time. So stay on track during the meeting and do your best to cover all the necessary points. Be mindful of other people’s time. That way, they won’t dread clicking yes to any of the video meeting invitations you send out.
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