Here's how you can effectively navigate virtual meetings as an account manager.

We are a product engineering service company. My life has been around products, technologies, business, market fitment and of course stakeholder management. I see the world through product and its tech which helps end clients to be efficient. So to do that, one has to inside out. Right from architecture to the functions of products one should have some understanding to drive any meeting. Fit gap analysis with market, product / market fit, customers feedback, deep tech practices are pillar to drive a meeting. One of the key points how speed of release connects to customer's need - this comes from collaborative effort with multiple stakeholders across the value stream.

As an account manager, you can effectively navigate virtual meetings effectively by thorough preparation. Being the account manager grants you access to their history, which in turn helps you understand their needs.  During your preparation, create a clear agenda and utilize tech tools like SessionLab and Zoom, etc.    Remember to maintain professionalism, engage participants, and speedily follow up.

A dramatic shift from face-to-face to virtual interactions has taken place over the past few years. Virtual meetings frequently encounter difficulties in gauging customer interest and engagement, which is crucial to engage them and encourage them to share their thoughts. To guarantee productive virtual meetings, preparation is essential. Engaging with qualifying questions enables effective time use and setting meaningful objectives. Preparation encompasses tailoring content to customers' needs and ensuring dependable technology, demonstrating professionalism and respect for customers' time, which builds trust and strengthens the relationship between parties.

It is all about bringing the energy and driving engagement around a structured agenda. Over prepare with data/content to be shared but also be willing to not share if its relevancy organically wanes throughout the conversation. Be aware of side-bars and when they should be delegated to another resource or conversation - this helps keep engagement high and time prioritized. Wrap up with clear expectation setting and if possible, some humor.

Setting an agenda is only the start. Making sure it is shared in advance and expectations are set with the attendees. Everyone should come to the meeting fully prepared.

One of the things which i have found very useful is making the expectations clear on what the meeting is about - is it to seek approval, is it to brainstorm, is it an FYI or is it to challenge the findings. When people know what outcome is sought, they put their thinking hats in accordance. This is applicable even if the meeting involves very senior people.

Prepare details prior to the meeting and share those details with everyone among the team and guide them to have questions or concerns ready. Besides, prioritise time and ensure everyone joins the meeting on time and avoid any distractions while attending virtual meeting.

Here is what one can do - Manage Time: Prioritize your agenda and stick to a schedule. Time is precious! Prepare: Share the discussion points ahead of time so everyone’s on the same page. Stay in Control: Keep the meeting on track and focused. Engage Everyone: Make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and share their input. Tech Check: Ensure your tech is working smoothly before the meeting starts. Follow Up: Send a summary with key points and action items afterward to keep everyone aligned.

No meeting should be scheduled without agenda. That's a first and far most important thing. It will allow team members to prepare for the meeting and 75% of the meetings ends with the conclusion.

1) Own the room. Bring lots of energy and excitement to share time with your participants. 2) Give everyone space to introduce themselves and set a tone for collaboration, communication, and attentiveness. 3) Create an agenda to guide the conversation. 4) Be prepared to thank people and show gratitude for their time and contributions to the discussion.

Maintaining client engagement during crucial discussions is paramount for successful business partnerships. Here are two key strategies to foster active participation from clients: 1. Pre-Meeting Surveys: Clients are encouraged to participate in pre-meeting surveys. These surveys typically address the meeting's subject matter, inquiring about clients' primary concerns or areas of greatest interest. 2. Client-Centric Questioning: Strategic use of client-centric questioning techniques is implemented. This involves posing specific, thought-provoking questions to individual clients following key discussion points. The implementation of these strategies can lead to a more interactive and productive meeting for all parties involved.

Having a meeting over a web call is all about making sure the prospect is engaged. It's very easy to lose focus when you're staring at a 2x2 box on a screen. Keep the conversation light, try to make jokes, make it a back and forth conversation, etc. You have to make the person want to stay on the phone with you.

As per my experience, BREAKING THE ICE is very CRITICAL in Virtual Meetings or Trainings ( VT|VM). You have to open the floor like it's YOURs & THEIRs. The HITCH (anything stopping the flow of conversation) has to go. You have to moderate the VM|VT in a adequate manner giving everyone the CHANCE to ENGAGE & SPEAK. Check their UNDERSTANDING by asking questions. Be open to QUESTIONs & be PATIENT in replying back with RELEVANCE. Use technological tools to engage and ask questions. Use TWO WORDs FORMULA (Write 2 Words to DESCRIBE, UNDERSTANDING, THOUGHTS in MIND, ACTIONS they will take etc.) Keep it going...PEP UP the AUDIENCE!! Acknowledge people who are participating, NUDGE the ones not yet OPENED UP. Create a BALANCE & MOVE ON! Thank ALL!

- Time is valuable. Ensure that the meeting room is well set up & your workstation is connected to the camera (Must be always on!) & microphone. There’s nothing worse than stopping your meeting midway due to technical snags - Set a clear agenda & allocate time allocations for each point, at the start of the meeting - Ensure all the relevant stakeholders are invited: This facilitates decision making - Since it’s difficult to read customers’ body language on a VC, it’s prudent to stop for queries after each main pointer - Highlight the next steps before concluding the call. Make the actionables & timelines clear to make sure conversations don’t fizzle out - Take notes & be prompt and thorough while sharing the MoM. Ideal TAT < 4 Hrs.

It is a common scenario where a meeting gets extended beyond the speculated time due long discussion over a topic. Time managing a meeting is very important to honor the time of all the participants. With clear Agenda helps the organizer to plan a meeting and ensure the required time is spent on each topic that needs to be covered during the meeting. This also encourages other participants to be prepared with the opinions/Points/Feedback they wish to share during a meeting.

In my experience, managing time effectively might be the hardest part. Gently and politely remind participants when they are off-topic. Some participants might have difficulty articulating their ideas. In this case, we should be careful not to make them uncomfortable, as they might lose their train of thought.

Gosto de começar a reunião fazendo perguntas que podem ser abertas ou fechadas. À partir das respostas, conseguirei conduzir melhor a minha abordagem. É importante ainda saber a dor do cliente e propor uma solução para a mesma. Também procuro agendar um tempo um pouco maior para a reunião, já levando em conta possíveis imprevistos, como atraso do cliente ou um número maior de questionamentos. Assim, consigo terminar a reunião no prazo combinado.

Managing time effectively is crucial for successful virtual meetings. Start by setting a clear agenda with time limits for each topic. Stick to these time frames to keep the meeting on track. If a discussion runs long, suggest moving the topic to a follow-up meeting or addressing it offline. Regularly check the time and gently remind participants if the meeting is running behind. By managing time wisely, we ensure the meeting stays focused and productive, respecting everyone's schedules.

Time is very precious. Everyone who joins a Virtual Meeting (VM) comes to it with EXPECTATIONS of "gaining" something out of it. For the VM Anchor it is important to go as per the AGENDA and consider discussions around that subject only. As the TIME is limited it is important to regulate or control the discussion. If the meeting members start straying away from the relevant topics, the meeting loses it sheen. People feel put off, seriousness is lost & the entire agenda goes down the drain. Hence it is important to set the agenda in time and share with all stake holders and share DO's & DON'Ts of the MEETING. And time the AGENDA! Anchoring becomes important to keep things on TRACK else swaying away is easy!

I’ve found that at the conclusion of a meeting, it’s best to follow up with an email as soon as possible recapping the conversation and reminding the client of anything they need to do. It keeps the conversation fresh in their minds, and shows that you are eager to make any necessary changes to ensure that they have what they need and are satisfied. Often, these conversations help to solidify relationships especially when the meeting has gone well.

Congrats!!! Your Virtual Meeting (VM) went well. GREAT!!! Now the FOLLOW-UP is REQUIRED to make things POSSIBLE. The MOMs (Minutes Of Meeting) & CTAs (Call To Action) are to be worked upon. Connect with each SH (Stake Holder) and CHECK the STATUS on CTAs. If there's some grey areas...just color them with solutions >>> discussions >>> meetings or any other kind of support. The SUCCESS lies in CTAs completion. Take that on PRIORITY! Be with SHs.

In the light of Account management it is very important to set the clear agenda & expectations for the virtual meet as any digress of agenda could create the negative sentiment in front of client. Next step would be to address all the queries assertively and try to create the trust of taking action based on the queries in upcoming timeline , Assurance to collate all the pointers and document the same with defined timeline/ETA will become a next step These above steps will help to close the virtual meet at positive note!!

I have a wonderful mentor that introduced me to the "sunset rule": no matter how busy you are, always reply before the sun sets. Even after the last meeting of the day, send a quick follow-up with agreed actions and a more detailed one in the morning if needed. This practice makes clients feel important, understood, and valued—crucial in any client-facing role. It builds trust, fosters stronger relationships, and keeps projects on track.

Post-meeting follow-ups are essential. Summarize key points, decisions, and action items, and share them with attendees promptly. This ensures clarity and accountability, demonstrating your commitment to delivering on promises.

Utilize the latest tools and platforms to enhance your virtual meeting experience. From AI-driven transcription services to collaborative document sharing, technology can streamline processes and improve efficiency. Staying updated with tech trends showcases your adaptability and innovation.

Ensure the virtual meeting tool is compatible with the attendees Testing of internet connectivity, audio and video devices before the meeting Use of interactive tools for Q/A session Use of screen sharing and collaborative features

Maximize virtual meetings with AI-driven tools. Use analytics for participant engagement, automate scheduling, and employ AI assistants for real-time minutes. Enhance decision-making with data insights

"You are only as good as your systems"; Cliche, but true. Implementing robust systems and automations can significantly boost your efficiency and effectiveness. By automating routine tasks like follow-up emails, meeting reminders, and data entry, you free up valuable time to focus on what truly matters: building strong relationships with your clients. These systems ensure consistency, reduce errors, and enable you to stay organized. Embrace automation tools like Zapier and ChatGPT to enhance your productivity, allowing you to spend more time understanding and meeting your clients' needs, ultimately driving better results.

Muitos dos programas disponíveis para reuniões online são ricos em recursos para que a reunião ocorra de forma interativa. Durante uma Reunião. Compartilhamento de Tela : Anotações na Tela : Utilize ferramenta Bate-papo e perguntas e respostas : Utilize Reações Levantamento de Mão Relógio e Temporizador Agenda na Tela Encerramento e Acompanhamento Gravação da Reunião Enquetes Pós-Reunião : Formulários de Avaliação Resumo da Reunião : Envie um resumo por e-mail

1) Build Rapport: Even in virtual settings, personal connections matter. Take a few minutes to engage in small talk and build rapport before diving into the agenda. 2) Be Adaptable: Be ready to pivot if the meeting’s direction changes or if technical issues arise. Flexibility is key to handling unforeseen challenges smoothly. 3) Ensure Accessibility: Make sure all participants have access to the necessary technology and materials. Consider different time zones and language barriers to ensure inclusivity.

For me the Month is about 5 PAANCH KA FUNDA. You need to sit down to list most important 5 THINGS. Create the PRIORITY LIST with time & resource requirement. Divide the WORK in Days & Weeks. Share the details with YOUR TEAM with Action Guidelines. Ask them if they need any clarification/ support to complete the TASKs. Create KPIs Monitor Chart. Close the day/week with complete tracking. Analyze the shift in performances. Look at who is leading & who is a laggard. Praise & Pull as per the KPIs. Be TRANSPARENT. Trust is a "Big Factor" in building TEAMS. Be available to YOUR TEAM! Plan for a weekly meeting (online) if scattered else offline. CAARR >is important > Communication > Acknowledgement > Action > Result > Realignment. Yes this helps!

1.Test equipment beforehand 2.Minimize distractions 3.Monitor time 4.Record key points 5.Adapt to audience needs 6.Foster open communication

While meeting clients in person there is usually a great time at first to get to know things personally about that individual or small talk. But for virtual meetings you usually will discuss business more quickly than you think and make sure to be aware of that approach from a new client. Then you will be able to small talk/personal talk to finish the meeting more times than not.

The six thinking hats technique helps a lot, must try this. The results are magical if you keep on practicing it. Make sure your team mates and peers get habitual to this. You need to take a conscious efforts to make it better 🙂