Virtual meetings could be the most efficient way to make deals. Here’s 5 reasons why
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Virtual meetings have become the norm for businesses across the globe. In fact, there are more than 300 million people using Zoom alone every single day. However, in-person meetings are often seen as the ‘best’ and the first choice when it comes to deal-making. Of course, building rapport with customers and clients is important, and developing that relationship can feel easier meeting face-to-face. But, for efficient, targeted deal-making - virtual meetings might just take the lead. In this article, we present 5 reasons why virtual meetings could provide the most efficient and effective way to make deals.
1. Focused Agendas
With the rise in remote working, many are experiencing the condition dubbed ‘Zoom fatigue’. Spending too long in a virtual meeting can be particularly draining and as a result, we have adapted our meeting strategies to counteract this condition and optimise performance and outcomes. Analysis from Microsoft revealed a 22% rise in meetings of 30 minutes or less, demonstrating that we can get the job done in a much shorter time frame. Short, efficient meetings with clear agendas are crucial. At DELIVER, we have designed our 1-1 meetings matchmaking and structure for Connect Global 2023 [link] to ensure that meetings are short, focused and relevant.
2. Reduced time-wasting
Realistically, how many in-person customer meetings could you fit into one day? When you take into account travel time, introductions, small talk, organising refreshments and setting up a presentation - the number of customers you can reach quickly dwindles. Even getting everyone into the meeting room can take 10-15 minutes. Setting a clear time limit for a virtual meeting puts pressure on getting down to the details, reducing inefficiency and streamlining your meetings schedule.
3. Access to documents and resources
Speaking to the Harvard Business Review certain business owners said that access to virtual collaboration resources such as screen share, collaborative documents and sheets, annotation tools and more can provide “more control, speed, structure, and clarity than… [sitting] around a conference table”.
Consider some of your in-person encounters. How often do you need to follow up with documents, contracts or figures? You may need to make introductions, check information or even take a look at everyone’s calendar to arrange a follow up meeting. When meetings take place virtually, all of these tools are at your fingertips, streamlining the process.
4. Easy to arrange, reschedule or decline
When you operate in the global logistics industry, arranging meetings with customers or clients can be challenging. Different time zones and conflicting schedules can make organising in-person meetings with your dream customers impossible. However, virtual meetings allow people to join from wherever they are. In the office, at home, in a hotel, co-working space or even while travelling. Virtual meetings are a flexible option for a fast-paced world.
5. Direct communication
When virtual meetings are set up correctly they facilitate more direct communication. A clear agenda, short time frame and no distractions mean that the only thing left to focus on is reaching the agreed outcomes.
Ready to meet your future customers? Join Connect Global, 30 JAN-3 FEB 2023
Connect Global is a highly focused opportunity to generate business and build your brand through a series of 1-1 virtual meetings. More than 350 representatives from the world’s biggest retail brands have already signed up - and they are waiting to meet with vendors who can fulfil the needs of their upcoming projects.