In this era of remote work, virtual meetings are important for continued communication. A lot of organisations, especially those with a remote team, are continuing to embrace the teleconferencing technology that makes it easy to host a virtual meeting. There are some things you can do to make everything go smoothly…

Stop going through the motions with virtual meetings. Here are 9 tips to make sure you step up!

1 – Get your position right!
When delivering virtual meetings, either from home or in an office setting, there is always a chance of interruptions. Especially if you are presenting in a large room with space behind you. Make sure that you are physically positioned against a wall or barrier so no one can walk behind you and distract your attendees.

2 – A professional start
Make sure that your presentation and all associated tech are working and ready before going live. You don’t want to be scrambling around trying to get your tech working or looking for presentations when live, thus keeping the attendees waiting. It just doesn’t look professional.

3 – Use a record prompt
It’s a great idea to record your virtual meetings. Having a record prompt to keep you on track is super important. Even a simple sticky note to remind you when to record and/or when to pause recordings can help immensely.

4 – Never trust your screen
Just because you can’t see yourself on video doesn’t mean that you aren’t there. Don’t think that no one is watching you as they could be. I was in a meeting last week when the delegate thought their video was off (because they couldn’t see it) and it wasn’t! Oops! That means you always need to be ready – No yawning away, squeezing pimples, or picking your teeth!!!

5 – Tell attendees to broaden their virtual culture
Attendees can often approach virtual meetings in a more casual manner. Gently encourage engagement and professionalism from your attendance when conducting your meeting.

Think about what you are going to report or present and how you’re going to do that! Try not to do an hour content dump of just information slides. Use different content mediums to keep the attendees engaged. 

6 – Don’t overdo the same interaction tool
Interaction tools are a great way to keep your attendees engaged and active. When holding your meeting, mix up your interaction tools. For example, while polls are great, don’t just use polls the whole way through your meeting. Mix it up!

7 – Icebreakers
Generally, with shorter meetings, a break is not needed. However, for meetings that last longer, an icebreaker is a great way to keep people active and engaged throughout your meeting.

8 – Timing is everything
When holding virtual meetings, it is important to remember most people already have their workday planned out from start to finish. Stick to your agenda and ensure that your meeting finishes at the specified time. Don’t run over your intended end time as it will ultimately cause lower that day’s productivity.

9 – Time to buffer
Always allow time for your recording to upload to the cloud after the meeting has been completed. Try to give yourself a buffer and not book back-to-back meetings as your video may not upload and can be lost.

That’s it, that’s my top 9 tips to make your next virtual meeting the ultimate success!

If you have anything to add to the list from your own personal experiences…

I’d love to hear it.