\No one likes meetings.

At least not the way that they’re usually run now.

Power Point and Keynote have actually detracted as much as they’ve added to presentations. Presenters being more in the service of their slides than the story that they’re trying to tell.

Meetings in person can be rough sledding but conference calls have even more speed bumps.

You can’t see people’s reactions.

You’re not even sure if they can hear you.

And there’s less pressure for people not to check their phones.

Face it. Face-to-face isn’t easy, but it’s a lot easier than over the phone.

With many more meetings conducted over the phone than in person, let’s work on making these calls better. A lot better.

Welcome to Episode 47 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the everchanging world of creativity & marketing.

My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, where we hold no meetings without tacos or pizza.

If you find Navigating the Fustercluck to be helpful, please share it.

Now let’s help make teleconferences better.

The Meeting Before the Meeting

Every meeting should have a meeting before the meeting. Because most meetings should simply be exclamation points. The icing on the cake. Where everything comes together and you’re consolidating support for your ideas and executions.

Often the key to that is the conversation or conversations that precede the big meeting. The talks between Accounts and sometimes senior creatives with the client. Where things are smoothed out and people get on the same page.

That’s important in any meeting, phone meetings even more. Develop those allies on the client side that can read the room you’re not in and help make the sell.

The Ta-Dah Moment

Sometimes agency folks prefer to hold back on presenting ideas until the very last moment. They prefer to be like magicians, keeping their work secret until showtime and that big ta-dah! moment.

Maybe they think that they’re protecting the work by hiding the work. Maybe they’re afraid that once the work is exposed that it will suffer a death of a thousand cuts. Yet the AMA claims that the more interactions you have with the client, the better the work. The fact that many agency people don’t believe that points to the lack of trust that hinders truly innovative and breakout work. If that’s the case, then we may have to do a podcast on that. For trust is the cornerstone of every relationship. Personally, and professionally. But that’s for another day.

 

Who Should be in the Room?

 

Balance. Agencies are caught between wanting to be efficient with everyone’s time and exposing people to meeting situations so that inexperienced talent learn the game.

Teleconferences are a great opportunity to gain exposure for people. If the client can’t see who you have in the room, they won’t feel that their money will is being wasted. There’s no travel. And there won’t be the distraction of a full room. Just make sure that those extra people know their role and don’t talk, laugh or distract.

Roles

Everybody has got to have a role and know their role.

One person has to be the quarterback. Be the glue. Everyone else has their particular section to lead. Competing voices will tear the whole effort apart. Know your roles.

If the meeting takes a detour don’t panic and blurt something out. Huddle with your team. Write notes. Take advantage of not being visible.

The Pre-ramble