Who are you again?

If you are like me, you have attended a lot of phone only and or virtual meetings. As a new Salesforce employee I have attended my share of  “Go to Meeting” and WebEx meetings. These faceless encounters make getting to know a virtual team difficult. The meetings tend to start right on time or even a minute or two late and leave little room for pre-meeting small talk.

Additionally, in these virtual meetings, the facilitator skips or forgets introductions. However, even with a lack of personal connection it is important that we do connect and communicate too get off to a fast start.

Research, research, research

One way I have tried to make connections with what amounts to a group of strangers is by proactively learning about meeting attendees through Salesforce and then via LinkedIn profiles. When I am researching I am looking for a photo so that I can associate a name with a face.

Additionally, I am looking for where in the business they work. This often means figuring out who their manager is and mapping that back to an org chart. It's not perfect, but I work with what I have. Finally, I look for connections that we have on a personal level. Groups we are in on LinkedIn, past companies we've worked at and where we went to school are all things I scan seeking connections. It is amazing how a little thread can help.

All of this is a ton of work and while it pays off, it is not always possible. Plus it is repetitive. If only there were a better way…

Apps and services to the rescue

That is where the app and service come in. Below is a concept video showing how, once you gave the app access to your calendar, Salesforce account, LinkedIn and others (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) it would create a simple summary email with short profiles about the people you were meeting with and a private web page with further details on each person you are meeting with.