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A virtual meeting may not be the same as an in-person one, but there are some ways to make it more interactive. These tips can help you keep your remote team engaged, focused, and productive.

When hosting a virtual meeting, it’s important to set a clear agenda. It’s also a good idea to allot times for each topic and speaker.

1. Create a clear agenda

A clear agenda is crucial for making online meetings more productive. Whether it’s a status update meeting or a business partnership meeting, creating a clear agenda can help keep your team on track and ensure they stay focused on the goals of the meeting.

A well-written agenda also helps attendees prepare for the discussion by clearly indicating what they need to know.

A good agenda also includes time slots for each topic. This prevents endless talkers who can often veer the discussion off course.

2. Ask open-ended questions

Asking open-ended questions will help your online meetings be more interactive and bring out the best in participants. They encourage a longer, more thoughtful response and can be especially useful when asking sales questions to prospects.

Recent research suggests that people have conversations for two major reasons: information exchange (learning) and impression management (liking). Asking open-ended questions can improve both.

3. Allow participants to ask questions

Whether you’re leading or participating in an online meeting, it’s important to give everyone opportunities to ask questions. This can help attendees understand the content and make sure they’re on the same page.

If you’re using a video chat platform like Zoom, you can easily allow participants to submit questions and receive answers. They can then upvote their favorite questions and add comments to them as well.

While most people will find this a great opportunity to ask a personal question or share their opinion, you can also use the chat window to poll and survey attendees on topics related to the meeting. This can help you understand their feedback and what you can do to improve the event in the future.

4. Have a call-in feature

One of the most engaging aspects of online meetings is the opportunity to interact with your peers on a more personal level. Having a dedicated line for your attendees is an important step in the online communications process. In addition to providing a conduit for your most valued customers and employees, it can also provide a sense of community that is otherwise impossible in a virtual setting. A well-designed call-in feature can go a long way toward fostering the type of collaborative online experience that will keep your customers and employees coming back for more. Taking the time to do a little research into your call-in process will pay dividends in the long run.

5. Have a Q&A session

Q&A sessions in meetings can be an effective way to engage your audience and ensure that everyone has a chance to ask their questions. However, they can also be challenging if you don’t have a clear plan on how to run them.

Having a good moderator is crucial for running successful and engaging Q&A sessions. They can help make sure that the questions are asked in the right order and keep the discussion focused.

Having a Q&A session in your online meeting is a great way to engage your audience and ensure that everyone gets a chance to ask their questions. Follow these tips and you’ll have an impactful event that your audience will love!

6. Have a poll

Polling during meetings can be a great way to engage your audience and get real-time feedback. It’s also an excellent way to keep your virtual team engaged and avoid lulls in discussion.

You can ask single-choice and multiple-choice poll questions during your online meetings. Participants can also download a poll report after the meeting to view the results.

Whether you’re using Microsoft Teams or Zoom, it’s easy to create a poll and launch it during your meetings. Guests can vote through the poll notification pop-up on the meeting screen or via the chat window during the live session.