The same planning process is necessary to ensure successful remote meetings, just as it is for in-person meetings. You need to be clear about the agenda, make sure attendees have read through the agenda prior to the meeting, that in-meeting sharing successful remote meetings goes smoothly and that all key points are discussed. If you are able to walk out from the meeting feeling as if everything went according to plan then you know your remote team meetings are successful.

If your meetings fail to produce results, then they’re a waste time and money for the whole organization. That’s why remote teams need to invest in the tools and strategies that will allow meetings to be successful. Meetings are a crucial part of the work process but they can also be disruptive or even counterproductive if poorly controlled. Meetings are often the biggest productivity loss for globally distributed teams.

It’s not as difficult as it may appear to host an interactive and productive virtual meeting. You can help your team stay on the same page and become more productive by following some best practices. Here are eight strategies that will allow you to conduct successful remote meetings.