What do you do if your B2B marketing team needs to enhance virtual collaboration using technology?

Teams sometimes skip critical steps, leading to idle tools due to unnecessary or overlapping features. Changes in management without proper turnovers also result in investing in too many unnecessary tools. To ensure smooth operations, it's essential that we understand our team owners and processes. This understanding will empower us to accurately assess any gaps that may exist. Additionally, scheduling meetings with the sales or accounts team to learn more about the features of the tools that are currently available and any new ones that may be coming in the future, will further enhance our role in managing our tools effectively.

Communication Hubs: Slack, Microsoft Teams - Keep everyone informed & brainstorming seamlessly. Video Power: Zoom, Google Meet - Virtual face-to-face interaction builds connections & team spirit. Shared Knowledge Base: Google Drive, Dropbox - Ensure everyone has access to the latest marketing materials. Real-Time Feedback: Figma, Miro - Collaborate & give feedback on creative projects in real-time. Break Down Silos: Donut, Remo - Encourage informal interaction & build camaraderie amongst remote team members.

Few absolutely key things to remember if your B2B Marketing team is virtual only: - New tools take time to learn and adapt, - Make sure a new virtual communication tool does not result in people not conversing as regularly just because of the platform shift - Take initiative and build huddle calls so that people do not switch over to personal communication apps such as Whatsapp or Telegram - Explore fun features together first! Try new backgrounds or avatars and talk about them before you talk about how MS Teams will benefit the daily work - Build virtual communication habit first, eagerness and comfort will make it easy to discover the rest of the solution together

Algumas coisas precisam ser consideradas antes de escolher ferramentas de colabora??o virtual, entre elas as mais importantes s?o: as necessidades do trabalho e o grau de conhecimento digital dos membros da equipe. Liste tudo que você espera que a ferramenta seja capaz de fazer, a partir daí busque op??es. Lembre-se que algumas ferramentas podem se integrar com outras e ainda ganhar fun??es extras com plugins. Avalie também a facilidade de uso e se é possível que parte da equipe já tenha familiaridade com alguma ferramenta capaz de entregar o que você precisa. Nem sempre a ferramenta que tem mais fun??es é que vai funcionar melhor para o seu time, mas a que tenha mais chances de se integrar à rotina da equipe.

Lead by example. Set an example for your team by demonstrating how to solve problems and communicate complex situations through virtual settings. Implement tools such as weekly trackers, project management software, group conversations, polls, and simple form surveys to clarify your team leadership and ensure everyone is aligned on important issues.

It's important to establish clear guidelines for group conversations, meetings, and discussions that are easily understandable to everyone. For instance, avoid continuing group discussions on meeting chats, maintain transparency by regularly communicating group projects on the main group channel, and ensure that central approvals for materials occur on the main channel to avoid losing them in threads, among other things. Make sure all team members are aware of the guidelines and ask questions about issues you may have overlooked as the team lead.

Check usage data continuously through the software analytics you're provided. Typically, the usage is high in the beginning, but it decreases if there's a miss alignment with the team in the implementation process. To ensure a smooth implementation, allow the team to provide feedback on how the new changes impact their work. During team meetings, you can ask about their onboarding and usage. If you hear repeated concerns or issues, it's best to discuss them with the technology's customer success team. They can provide you with best practices on handling these concerns within the team. Most technology providers have cheat sheets and best practices for increasing value and usage.

Virtual collaboration platforms are designed to enhance teamwork and should be customized to improve collaboration and team morale, rather than forcing the team to adapt to the platform. As a team leader, it is your responsibility to monitor and encourage better usage and communication of these platforms.