Seven secrets to meeting success

Meetings are an important part of work — an opportunity to touch base with colleagues, share information and create plans. But these’re only effective if everyone is engaged. So, how can you ensure that people are fully responsive and not just gazing out of the window? Here’s how you can keep your audience engaged and make the meetings more productive and fruitful: 

Ensure the technology is working

It doesn’t matter how great your presentation is if the meeting tech doesn’t work. With 41 per cent of people saying that tech issues affect their engagement, you’ll soon lose your audience if the screen-sharing fails. So, get there early and make sure everything works perfectly to avoid any embarrassing problems. Opting for cutting-edge wireless meeting room solutions like Barco ClickShare can also help you in overcoming the challenges and restrictions presented by traditional presentation set-ups. 

Create a perfect set-up

For a majority of people the place where they sit matters a lot when it comes to the engagemet levels.  And with 61 per cent saying that the presenter’s position plays a major role, you don’t want to stand too far away — or right in their faces. So, set the room out comfortably. Make sure everyone has enough space and that they can all see you and the main screen. And if the room is big enough, why not try walking around to interact with people at the back?

Jazz things up 

Almost 72 per cent of people say they feel more engaged during a presentation that features multimedia. So, forget those black and white printouts and create a dynamic, engaging presentation. But don’t bamboozle people with stats — keep your slides minimal. With the right screen-sharing solution, you can also increase engagement by making your meeting interactive.

Start on time, at right time

Plan your meetings carefully. 78 per cent of people have two or more meetings a day. And 59 per cent say their engagement is affected by the number of meetings they have. So, make sure you’re getting people at their best — not inviting them to their fifth meeting that afternoon.

It’s best to hold meetings early in the day before people are too tired. And make sure you start on time and keep things moving. 

Minimum interruptions

Interruptions have an adverse effect on engagement. So, cut these out. Ask people to mute their mobile phones — or don’t bring them to the meeting at all. Ensure everyone knows when the meeting starts and they get there promptly.

Be careful with food

Offering food can help you ensure a good turnout and keep people happy.  

It’s about you too

• You might have the slickest slides, the best room arrangement, punctual participants and the perfect start time. But if you’re not engaging, your guests won’t be engaged. So, make sure you know what you’re going to say. Practice to get it right. And inject plenty of personality into what your presenting. That’s the surest way to keep people interested.
• The key to successful meetings is making sure you get your point across to everyone in the room. Follow these simple steps and people will leave your meetings informed, enthused and armed to drive your business forward.

— ANI