7 ways to facilitate better online business meetings

Why are online meetings important?

As technology has developed, the way we work and communicate with others has changed. We have more tools than ever to help us get things done and meet our goals, but not all of them are created equal. One type of tool that can be a great asset to your business is online meetings. They allow you to connect with clients, colleagues and employees in real time from anywhere at any time while also saving time and money compared to face-to-face interaction. But not all online meetings are created equally; there's always room for improvement! Here are 7 tips for making your next meeting better than the last:

Plan and prepare your meeting

You've heard this before, but it's worth repeating: planning and preparing your online meeting are key to its success. A little time spent upfront will save you time later on.

First, plan your meeting in advance by organizing an agenda and materials for all participants. You can do so using an online tool like Trello or Google Calendar--or even just a spreadsheet saved on your computer! Then share these details with other meeting participants so they know what to expect when they arrive at the virtual table.

Second, make sure everyone knows how long their session will last (and any other relevant information) so they can plan accordingly--for example, if there's something else happening afterward that requires their attention or presence elsewhere during part of the scheduled time slot(s).

Third, consider the technology tools you want to use during your online meeting. If possible, test them out beforehand so you can troubleshoot any issues with participants before they occur. (And never forget to test the equipment for video conferencing sessions in advance--you don't want anyone showing up to their computer only to find that it doesn't have a camera or microphone.)

Fourth, make sure everyone has access to the same version of any shared documents or files so that no one is left out.

Have a clear agenda and action items

Before you start the meeting, make sure that all attendees know what's expected of them. The purpose of your online meeting should be clearly defined and communicated to participants in advance.

You can do this by sharing an agenda with them, which includes any relevant background information about the topic being discussed as well as specific goals for the session. For example:

"We'll be discussing our new product launch strategy today." Or: "Our goal today is to discuss our marketing plan for next year."

In addition to defining your objectives for each session, create action items that will help you achieve those goals--and then take steps during or after each meeting to ensure those action items are completed on time!

Clarify roles and responsibilities

It's important to make sure that everyone understands their role in the meeting and how it relates to the rest of the group. This can be accomplished by asking questions like: "What are your goals for this meeting?" or "What do you think would be helpful for us all to know before we begin?" Once you've clarified everyone's role, move on to clarifying each person's responsibilities within his or her own area of expertise.

For example, if you're leading a marketing team meeting where there are three other marketers present, ask each person what he/she needs from each other in order for all parties' understanding to run smoothly throughout the duration of this one-hour meeting. Finally, make sure everyone understands how each section within an organization fits into its overall purpose before starting any project work together!

Do a short check-in before you start

Before you officially start your meeting make sure to do a short check-in or an icebreaker. For example you can ask everyone in the room to share one thing they're excited about, one thing that's not going well and how they plan to handle it, and one thing they'd like to get out of the meeting today. This is a great way to get people talking right away and will also help you begin to see issues in their responses—for example, if someone says he/she isn't sure what his/her role is within this meeting at all!

Include time for interaction

In addition to providing clear instructions, you should also include time for participants to interact with each other. For example, you can ask them questions about what they learned or how they felt during the meeting. This will help keep everyone engaged and interested in what's going on. If possible, set aside some time at the end of each meeting where people can share ideas with each other in a chat room or forum online so that everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions and suggestions before moving onto another topic or discussion point.

Consider using an online white board

When it comes to online meetings, an online white board can be a great way to keep everyone involved. It's easy for people who might not be familiar with technology or the meeting software you're using to use and to contribute ideas and comments by writing them down on the board.

A whiteboard also helps keep things organized and focused; if someone has an idea that needs further discussion, they can write it down on the board so everyone can see it clearly. You can also use this tool as an illustration or example of something you're discussing during your meeting--it'll help keep everyone focused on one thing at a time rather than jumping around between topics too much (which sometimes happens when people get excited).

Know when to end the meeting

Once you've selected the right tools and know how to use them, it's time to learn how to end a meeting.

When ending an online meeting, there are some best practices that will help everyone feel more comfortable with the process. First and foremost, make sure everyone has had their say--and if someone hasn't spoken yet, give them time before moving on. You may even want to repeat this process several times throughout your session so no one feels left out or pressured into speaking up before they're ready (or don't think they have anything important enough).

Second, make sure that everyone knows what's coming next: whether it's another meeting or another step in an ongoing project (e.g., "We'll send out notes from today by email"). This should be easy because you've already planned out these details beforehand!

Finally make sure that everyone understands and agrees with the decisions made during your meeting. This should be easy if you took notes at each step, but even if you didn't, make sure that everyone has had their say and no one feels ignored or rushed into making a decision before they're ready (or don't think they have enough information to do so).

Boosting your online meeting facilitation skills

Online meetings are a great way to increase collaboration and productivity. They can also help you save time and money by enabling people who are dispersed around the world to connect with each other in real time. But if you're not careful, these virtual get-togethers can easily turn into time sinks that drain everyone's energy while accomplishing nothing at all! So we hope these tips will help you make sure your next online meeting goes smoothly--and doesn't take up too much of anyone's day or night. And check out our professional business templates for online workshops: