You’re talking, messaging, and meeting with your customers online, but are you getting the most out of your virtual meetings? Facilitating an effective online meeting is a skill that is easily fine-tuned and can help you deepen customer relationships—and make the sale.
Ask yourself: is a meeting the best way to get this done? If so, how long does the meeting need to be? Schedule a meeting only if it’s the best way to accomplish your clearly defined goal.
Invite only the people who are directly concerned. Online conferencing lets you easily add more of your team spontaneously if they’re needed.
Be prepared. Consult your notes about the customer. What do you know about this person? Do they prefer to meet in person, via email, or on the phone? What time of day do they like to meet?
You can use customer relationship management software to keep customer information organized and close at hand.
Create a strong visual impression. You can use Office 365 to create professional sales materials, proposals, brochures, and presentations.
Reconfirm the meeting and send an agenda in advance so attendees know what to expect.
Watch the clock. Sign on early to be sure your materials are prepared and you are ready to start the meeting on time. End on time. Even when you’re on the go, you can run the whole meeting using your mobile device.
Mute your audio except when you’re speaking. Your microphone is more sensitive than you think!
Listen and focus. An online meeting is just as important as an in-person meeting. Resist the urge to split your attention with multi-tasking when you’re not presenting or talking.
Make the meeting a conversation, not just a presentation. Offer positive contributions to the discussion. If you don’t agree with what’s being said, try saying “Yes, and…” instead of “but.”
Follow up by sending a thank you and a summary of the meeting, including any action items