As working from home becomes the new norm, so will virtual meetings. Conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Skype have replaced cafes and offices. An unprofessional virtual environment can be unpleasant for everyone involved. Thus, whether it’s with a client, colleague, or potential employer, holding effective and smooth-running virtual meetings is imperative in elevating your personal brand. Here are a few tips to ensure your next virtual appointment goes without a hitch.
Practise with a Test Meeting
- Before the actual meeting, do a trial run to ensure that the technical setup is in order. Get to know the conferencing platform and figure out all the necessary functions. In some instances, the platform will require explicit permissions for audio and camera access or screen-sharing capabilities, so be sure to have that set up in advance.
- Test your equipment. Since meetings are all about communication, it is essential that your microphone and camera be working well to avoid issues like muffled audio or blurry videos. Solve potential technical issues beforehand to help avoid unnecessary frustration and miscommunication.
- Test your wifi. While seemingly obvious, connectivity issues can happen more often than one might expect. Having inadequate wifi would nullify all your previous efforts if it causes laggy audio or videos.
Create a Professional Virtual Environment
- First impressions matter. In virtual meetings, presenting your best self on camera is important as that is the impression you will be leaving. A dimly lit room and a cluttered background is not only distracting, it looks unprofessional. Find a well-lit area with lighting that properly illuminates your face. You should also make sure that your background is clean and tidy. If you find yourself in a pinch, simply use any plain surface like a wall or a draped bedsheet.
- An empty room may result in echoing. If echoing occurs, either find a well-carpeted room or place some blankets and towels around to help reduce reverberation.
Look the Part
- While it may be tempting to stay in your comfiest attire all day, putting on your work clothes sets the mood. Some people feel the most confident when they are well-dressed, and that may be the case for you. Even if the meeting is audio-only, try dressing how you would in a physical meeting and see how that affects your performance.
- During the meeting, act just as you would in a physical meeting. Being distracted, either by your phone or other tasks, during a long meeting is ill-advised as you run the risk of missing vital information.