Great virtual meetings don’t happen by chance. They require planning and preparation just to be good. Web meetings, teleconferences, and video conferences can be a complete failure and a waste of valuable time and resources without proper preparation. To avoid this, as a virtual meeting planner, consider the six items for preparing your meeting and attendees suggested below.

1. Determine the technology to use. Use only what is necessary for an effective meeting. Many meeting tools offer many options, but using too many can cause confusion, create problems, and lengthen the meeting. If you use chat, IM, tweet, or text features, it’s a good idea to arrange for someone to monitor that flow of information so that the facilitator can focus on the meeting process. Be sure to leave space in the calendar to respond to questions and comments from those using the communication features. If web cameras are used for the meeting, there are a few additional things to consider:

  • The main room should be well lit so that the speakers are not in the shadows or appear washed out.
  • Those who speak must know how to look at the camera when they speak as if they were conversing with a person. Check microphones or headphones to make sure everyone can be heard.
  • Everyone should check their appearance and clothing before going on the air. For example, white, red, and stripes often don’t look good on camera.
  • Use slides to emphasize presentation points that have little text in large fonts or images such as images and charts. Avoid lots of numbers or detailed text.

2. Schedule meeting times that are convenient for the majority of attendees. If attendees are spread out across time zones, consider holding rolling team meetings at different times so everyone has a chance to meet during your standard business hours. It’s better to schedule less than two hours for virtual meetings and plan to hold more meetings than to try to squeeze too much into one day while people get distracted after a short time. One hour meetings are even better!

3. Invite only the people who need to participate in the meeting. Having too many people involved can throw things off track. When sending the invitation, include the purpose of the meeting so people can opt out if they don’t think their participation is required. If a document needs to be reviewed or downloaded before the meeting time, include it as a link in the invitation or as an attachment. Make sure the invitation includes how to enter the meeting and information on how to install any necessary software before the start of the event. Also, consider including URL links to any online help for the tool being used. This information can prevent last-minute calls from frustrated attendees trying to get into the meeting. If you plan to invite people from outside your organization, consider your company’s document and information security requirements before doing so.

4. Create an agenda in advance. Try to limit the topics to be discussed to two key items per hour. When making the agenda, use the 3Ts: Time the article will begin, ATM is who is going to speak, and Issue is the topic being presented or discussed. Send the agenda to meeting participants with your meeting reminder at least two days before the meeting. This helps attendees prepare for presentations and discussions.

5. Plan to take notes. Have someone record the outcome of the meeting or select a tool that allows recording within presentation documents. Having someone other than the facilitator record the meetings ensures that the facilitator can focus on keeping the agenda moving and minutes come out quickly after the virtual event is over. The alternative of having the facilitator or presenter record comments, changes, and decisions directly into the presentation lets attendees know they were heard and understood.

6. Send a reminder a day or two before the meeting. The reminder email must include URLs or phone numbers and any login information needed to attend the meeting first. Followed by the agenda and a reminder information of any documentation to be reviewed before the meeting. If presentation slides are accessible before the meeting, include how to obtain them. Suggest that meeting participants log in 5-10 minutes before the meeting starts so they have time to troubleshoot any issues that may occur and are ready to participate when the meeting starts.

Using these tips as a virtual meeting organizer should prevent wasted meeting time and frustration caused by not being properly prepared. Consider which of these ideas will take virtual meetings from bad to good, or just good to great. Excel at preparing for virtual meetings and find out just how effective and efficient these types of meetings can really be.