A Skype business meeting make every company get-together a breeze. No longer do you have to coordinate locations and potentially leave out employees who can’t make it. Your company meetings can be as flexible as you want them to be without losing their efficacy.
Setting up regular Skype company meetings may take a bit of effort at first, but it will make your future meetings more efficient. If you follow these seven simple steps, you will revolutionize your internal communications and make your meetings more efficient.
7 Steps to an Effective Skype Business Meeting
1. Define the purpose of your meeting.
You may want to set up a Skype business meeting to transition from in-person to live streamed meetings, or you may be creating a new meeting from scratch. Either way, create a definitive goal for your meeting.
Nobody wants their time to be wasted. Don’t create a Skype meeting for just any topic. Examples of meeting objectives may include:
- Delegate tasks for an upcoming project.
- Discuss and revise marketing tactics.
- Share insights on specific topics.
- Review business goals for the upcoming week.
- Introduce new tasks or objectives.
2. Create your guest list, and make sure they can Skype.
The type of meeting you hold will determine your guest list. If your meeting includes only your company employees, then make it a standard for every employee to have a Skype account.
To survive in the future, companies need to make the transition from traditional methods to new, digital tactics. Using Skype for business meetings is one of these changes.
Before making any further plans, create a list of your Skype business meeting attendees. Then, contact them about your proposed Skype meeting. Make sure every guest knows the protocol and remember to collect their Skype usernames to add to your contact list. Create a group on Skype with your guest list.
If an attendee has an issue with the new meeting format, offer some solutions. Offer to teach them about Skype and help them set up an account. Or, you could host a hybrid meeting where attendees can choose to show up at an established location or to attend via Skype.
3. Set dates and intervals.
Every Skype meeting needs a specified date and time. Company Skype meetings should be held at regular intervals. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly meetings can improve efficiency and communication in your team.
Inform your guest list of the date and time via Skype chat or another communication method. If your attendees are attending in different time zones, make sure to prevent confusion on the meeting time. Include the time zone abbreviation after the set time and remind attendees to plan accordingly.
4. Establish limits and expectations.
Make sure your attendees practice Skype business meeting etiquette, including punctuality. If a certain guest cannot make it to the meeting, make sure they inform you beforehand instead of simply not showing up.
If your guests do not contribute during the meeting, this is fixable. Send a group Skype message to your guest list asking each participant to come prepared with an answer to a certain question or with a summary of their recent work performances.
In addition to achieving your goal for the meeting, set other expectations and limits:
- If X number of people cannot attend, then reschedule or cancel the meeting.
- Meetings must not go longer X minutes long.
- Encourage sharing ideas and media through Skype chat in addition to video meetings.
5. Prepare for technical difficulties.
Unfortunately, when dealing with technology, we must always prepare for the worst. With online Skype meetings for business, your microphone or video could stop working unexpectedly. Plus, your meetings are entirely dependent on a reliable internet connection.
If any of these unexpected setbacks arise, prepare a Plan B and share it with your attendees. Double check that all your attendees have a backup WiFi location (e.g., a wireless hotspot). If the audio or video acts up during a meeting, switch to the chat box on Skype. Make sure you and your guests perform a Skype test well before the meeting.
Need suggestions on preventing tech from failing and how to recover when it does? Check out our article below on preparing for technology disaster:
6. Make revisions for next time.
A Skype for a business virtual meeting is a different, more fluid atmosphere for your employees to connect. Don’t expect the same style your team portrayed at in-person meetings.
If you find your Skype business meetings are not leading to cooperative and productive discussion, determine the source of the problem. Are your guests not contributing like they normally would? How can you fix this? Are you using all of your resources to produce an organized and constructive meeting?
7. Never neglect in-person interaction.
Unless you are hosting global meetings, continue to encourage in-person support and conversation. Skype is intended to make communication easier, but not necessarily to replace face-to-face discussion.
If a lengthy topic comes up during your Skype meetings, feel free to invite the participants to an in-person discussion. You may even build one-on-one communication with a particular attendee with a one-on-one Skype video chat.
Bonus Step: Skype Isn’t Your Only Option
If your goal is to create a friendly yet flexible atmosphere to communicate, Skype isn’t your only option. Check out the list below and determine which platform would best suit your needs for live streaming a business meeting. Ask your guest list for their preferences and suggestions on choosing an appropriate platform.
Skype for Business
Skype for Business is a paid version of Skype intended to enhance communication for professionals. If Skype just isn’t cutting it for your purposes but you like the platform, consider investing in Skype for Business.
Google Hangouts
Almost everyone has a Google account, which makes hosting a business meeting via Hangouts a breeze. The platform is similar to Skype but held online, not on an app.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook is a more personal, universal way to connect with your attendees. Through Facebook Messenger, you can host a group video chat with up to six participants.
GoToMeeting
Depending on the size of your guest list, GoToMeeting may be the most pricey option on the list. However, it provides HD video and audio and optimal meeting organization.
ezTalks Meetings
ezTalks is a free platform for video conferencing and web conferencing. It offers more interactive features than Skype, such as whiteboarding and meeting rooms.
Next Steps to Hosting a Skype Business Meeting
Hosting a Skype business meeting can benefit your marketing strategy and brand perception. Hopefully, these tips will make it easier for you to plan your next business live stream. Of course, any implementation of video in your marketing or communications requires a little extra help to be effective.
Need assistance with video marketing and video production? Valoso is happy to help. Our team can provide skilled professionals for all of your video needs. Simply fill out the contact form below or register on our website to find out more!
