Your virtual meeting playbook
Virtual meetings are becoming the new norm. These best practices will help you run great meetings from anywhere, while leaving your clients with a positive impression.
Look your best
- Get ready for your close-up. Position your camera so that it’s just above your head. If you are using a laptop, put it on a stack of books.
- Light ’em up. Avoid being backlit as your face will be shadowed, and put a lamp slightly behind your screen.
- Dress for success. If you wouldn’t wear it in a client’s living room, don’t wear it now.
- Buy a better camera. The cameras on older computers generate a grainy image. Given that you may be conducting many virtual meetings from now on, an upgrade may be a smart investment.
- Let the sheet shine. A simple piece of white paper placed on the desk between you and your camera will improve your lighting and enhance the video. Give it a try – you’ll be surprised.
Meet better
- Clean your room. If you’re working from home, clean up the room behind you. Having nice art and/or bookshelves behind you is always a good choice.
- Share your screen. Augment your message with sharply designed slides. These will help focus your client’s attention, plus they give you a break from being on camera for an entire meeting.
- Don’t avert your eyes. Eyes tend to drift off-screen, especially when people are speaking off the cuff. You can better hold people’s attention by keeping your eyes on the camera or on the faces of the people you are meeting with.
- Questions, so many questions. Set aside more time than usual for questions – your clients will likely have lots of those. And they will appreciate you addressing their concerns over a medium that they might not be all that comfortable with yet.
- Mind the gap. Leave 30 minutes between meetings to ensure you don’t get backed up. While this might result in a less productive day, you can justify it knowing your clients are getting the extra attention they deserve.