Technology has forever changed the landscape of the way weconduct business. The same way that our personal interactions areshifting to an online, social-media environment, businesses haveshifted many of their management activities to virtualmeetings.

Running such a meeting is both similar and different fromrunning face-to-face meetings, and how well you understand thatconcept will determine whether your online meetings are successfulor a waste of time.

I've been running my own consulting business for seven years,and I find myself participating in online meetings on an almostweekly basis. I have clients, partners and colleagues across thecountry, and recently I've been using the services of contractorsworldwide. Managing that geography of key resources means I have toleverage the varied online tools that exist.

Although many of my interactions are with just one other person,sometimes that conversation is via a platform, such as Skype,JoinMe or GoToMeeting because I want to “see” the person or I havereal-time content I need to share. But the minute you add a thirdparty to your meeting, the unique challenges of virtual meetingscome into play, and the larger the attendance the more importantthese guidelines become.

Keys to success

No matter what type of meeting you're conducting, there arebasic guidelines that should always be followed:

• Have a set agenda with a coinciding time framefor the discussion items. This helps keep things on track, preventsside topics or conversations from overtaking the focus and, with adetermined meeting manager, can result in clearly defined nextsteps.

• Make sure everyone has an opportunity to share theirthoughts. This is critical for the group to feel invested,get behind the conclusions and support what's next on yourlong-term agenda.

• Follow up after the meeting. Recapping some ofthe discussion points and the agreed-upon next steps andassignments will reinforce the results and expectations, and giveyou another opportunity to thank everyone who participated.

These concepts seem basic, especially if you have experienceleading meetings, but when you add participants who are joiningfrom all over the world, these steps become much more complex.

Considerations for virtual meetings

Having a set agenda that is shared in advance with participantsis even more important for virtual meetings because it keepseveryone focused and engaged.

The most critical component is the technology you choose to use.There are numerous online services that each have their strengthsand limitations. The purpose for the meeting, the number ofparticipants you will have and the extent to which attendees willbe participating all factor into determining what online platformyou use.

For small, intimate meetings with up to 10 people, Skype is agreat platform because participants can all be connected via videoand can share screens or files of any size. Skype also is availableas a mobile app.

When I'm conducting an online training program, my go-toplatform is JoinMe.com. I have the Pro version ($149 per year),which allows customization of the welcome screen that attendeessee. I can share anything on my computer including the whole screenitself or specific open windows. Because of the integration of mycomputer's webcam, a video stream also is viewable along withstreams of my participants, if they choose to allow it.

Related: Putting together a podcast

GoToMeeting is another similar service that many businesses use.I'll cover these services in more detail in a future column.

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If you are the moderator of a virtual meeting, it is goodidea for you to be on the call 10 minutes before the meeting startsso you can handle any problems that might arise. (Photo:iStock)

Test and practice

Suffice it to say, practice makes perfect. Prior to your meetingrun a mock setup with real people because these platforms are greatwhen they work, but horrible when they don't. Make sure you'vetested everything.

It's also good protocol for you as the moderator to be the firston the call. You don't want your attendees to hear “The moderatorhas yet to join the meeting.” By dialing in or launching theplatform five or 10 minutes prior to the start time, you areavailable to address any attendee issues or troubleshoot problemswith your selected platform.

If the numbers allow for it, be sure to ask everyone “Who justjoined the call?” At minimum, include an introduction of each ofthe speakers. If you have the luxury of a staff person managing theplatform for you, identify that person in case there are viewing orhearing issues.

Housekeeping announcements

As a meeting moderator you have certain “housekeeping”announcements before beginning a virtual meeting. Remind them toturn off any “on-hold music.” If you are not doing a group mute, besure to tell everyone to mute their phones or computers unless theyhave a question. Many platforms have a virtual way to raise yourhand to join the conversation, which adds convenience and keeps thediscussion flowing.

Encouraging participation is always important with everymeeting, but effectively doing so online is difficult. Videostreaming, where you have the ability to read a person's expressionand body language, goes a long way in knowing when and how toencourage contribution.

If you're on your own be sure you're comfortable with thetechnology, and that you understand all the moving parts. Be awareof checking the chat box regularly or seeing whether a hand israised while you're running the meeting.

No matter how skilled you are at conducting meetings in person,online events take additional skill sets that, like everythingelse, need to be honed. But once you do, the added benefits to youragency will be well worth the effort.

Rick Gilman is president of South Orange,N.J.-based RGG Communications, a communications and publicrelations consulting business. Contact him at [email protected].

Related: How to make videos to engage with yourclients