For you, live web conferencing meetings may be "old hat." Or, maybe you are about to embark upon your first one. Either way, despite the fact that thousands of people take part in web meetings each day, most people take it for granted that there is nothing they could learn to have even better, more productive meetings.

After all, with a web conference, once you have figured out the technological element, it should just flow naturally, right? Well, not if experience serves. For example, there are some situations you may have experienced in a recent online meeting which are clear signs that things could have gone much more smoothly. Any of these sound familiar?

* one or more people showed up late

* you could hear excessive background noise - maybe shuffling papers or voices

* attendees seemed unprepared or even unaware of the intended topic

* nobody asked any questions during or after the presentation

* one attendee seemed to dominate the entire Q&A portion, never allowing anyone else a chance to speak

If you have experienced any of these things in the past during a live web conferencing meeting, you know the frustrations of an inefficient meeting. Here are 5 tips for organizers, presenters and attendees to have more successful online meetings:

1. Conduct a 5-minute pre-meeting review by yourself:

Everybody who shows up to the meeting, whether presenter or attendee, should come prepared. At the very least, spend 5 minutes just before the meeting to review the topic to be discussed. Prepare at least 1-2 questions that you would like to have answered or items you would like to explore. By showing up prepared, you show respect for the time of both yourself and of the other attendees.

Important: some online meeting software requires that users pre-load the software and login to the account. Be sure to start this process at least 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time to avoid technology-related delays.

2. Show up on time:

Punctuality for an online meeting is as important as it is for in-person meetings. It is a disservice to everyone involved - especially to those who did show up on time - if the presenter has to review progress thus far or start over just to catch someone up who logged on late.

Important: if people are to be joining from different time zones, make sure to double-check that everyone has a good understanding of the meeting start time in the context of their own time zone.

3. Mind your physical space, including potential background noises and personal interruptions:

This one is all about being a courteous participant. Even if you choose to sit quietly throughout the entire meeting, that is 10 times better than being an annoying web meeting attendee. Be sure to minimize any background noise such as the shuffling of papers, loud microphone breathing, and voices of others in the background. Also, try to attend the meeting from an enclosed office - and alert others in the area that you are not to be disturbed.

4. Be an active participant:

This is a big one. You will show respect for the topic and the presenter if you can actively ask some questions about what has been presented. Even one well-placed comment or insightful question can unexpectedly bring the dialogue in a new and fruitful direction.

5. If you are the presenter, you are also the de-facto facilitator:

Many web meeting presenters forget sometimes to also be good facilitators. A good meeting facilitator is one who respects the meeting process and keeps it on track. For example, a facilitator makes sure that everyone has the opportunity to speak, that nobody dominates the conversation, and that the meeting does not run too long. Also, the facilitator should summarize any conclusions and mutually agreed-upon next steps at the end of the meeting.

Follow these 5 tips to make a more successful live web conference.



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