Successful workshops require a clear alignment on goals and outcomes. This is even more true when running a remote workshop.

Virtual workshops require more preparation compared to on-site workshops – account for double to triple the amount of planning and organization typically required.

When planning activities, consider which techniques are most effective for achieving the desired outcome in each activity. Expect to cover about 1/3 of the activities that you would normally cover in a physical workshop and favor activities that can be done individually. Play music during the silent time!

If your workshop is interaction-heavy, consider the general rule of thumb of 1 facilitator to 6 participants. If a large audience is expected for your workshop, use breakouts.

When selecting tools to support your workshop, make sure they let participants communicate in real-time and asynchronously if needed. Tools should also help share content, stay organized, and think visually. Make sure you and your workshop support team understand how your tools will work with each other.

Using a collaboration tool like Microsoft Whiteboard is key for engaging participants.

Attention spans tend to wander around the 2-4 hours mark. If possible, consider scheduling segments of the workshop across multiple days or weeks.

Create a team with restricted access and nominate someone to closely monitor access.

Save key collateral such as presentations and meeting minutes in a secure repository and dedicate one channel for housing it. The planning team can use a separate channel for sharing and collaborating on draft agendas and meeting materials.

Check your organization’s Teams licensing for guest access to make sure you can invite external participants and prospects to join your Teams channels and meetings.

Make it as easy as possible for your directors to access documents and join the call. Have the planning team reach out to individual directors ahead of the meeting to check on potential connectivity issues and answer questions on how to access files and meetings.

Pre-read materials can be shared using Director-specific folders within Teams with defined access rights, aligned with best practices in data security.

When conducting a live session, it is ideal to have two internal facilitators: one to oversee the session and the other to capture meeting minutes.

Use interactive techniques and screenshare presentations to help participants easily follow along.

Create an internal Teams channel to share files related to sales opportunities and RFPs. Collaborate to co-create responses, sales decks and meeting agendas.

Integrate with PowerBI’s dashboard capabilities to track sales and opportunity pipelines.

Before any high-stakes, externally-facing sales meeting, practice running the meeting several times in advance with your team—something that is especially important when selling virtually.

Share files like your meeting agenda, sales deck or other pre-read materials prior to your meeting, then post action items and follow up activities once your meeting is complete.

Set expectations that all meeting participants join by video. This is critical to reading the body language and spatial cues of your prospects when you cannot be in the room.

Use the Form application to poll your audience before, during or after your meeting. For example, consider conducting a needs assessment before a sales meeting with prospects.