Online meetings have become a huge part of our working lives; and can be just as dauting as in-person meetings.
Certain industries such as Estate Agents or Car Salesmen are finding it difficult to communicate and sell their product virtually, as what they are selling is an experience rather than a materialistic item, such as clothing or an appliance. These type of industries struggle with having to communicate over a video call, rather than a personal meeting, as they feel they cannot interact and sell their product as well as they could in person.
Over the past few months, our careers’ success has become highly dependent on making a great impression, virtually. This article showcases some of the fundamental aspects of how you can make a professional impression during virtual meetings.
Internet connectivity
- Make sure that your Wi-Fi connection is fast and stable. Test out which area of your house or office has the best Wi-Fi before your meeting. This will enable you to have a smooth and professional meeting, with no stuttering.
Choose your surroundings
- When you are setting up for your meeting, have a look behind you to see what may potentially be in sight, and remove it from the area. A clean and tidy backdrop is always a great start, especially now that many are working from home, one will need to be aware of what is going on in the background.
Look presentable
- This is one of the oldest rules in the book. Although working from home has allowed one to become more relaxed in their attire, looking presentable for a meeting is especially important, even though the meeting is not in person. Even if it’s just from the waist up, make sure that you’re proud of your presentation.
Be conscious of your body language to portray confidence
- Your body language says a lot and even though your meeting may be online, every move is being watched. Being confident is a great key to keep in mind when communicating, as it shows knowledge and self-assurance. Keep in mind that too much confidence may come across as arrogant, and that is not needed, especially not in a virtual meeting when body language isn’t as easy to read as when in-person.
Important documents on standby
- Having a virtual meeting certainly has its perks, just be sure to have the relevant material just a click away, in case they are required during the meeting. Links or documents can also be sent to the meeting group for all to view during the meeting. Perhaps create a new desktop folder with all files that may be required or useful for that particular meeting. This eliminates the need to panic and try to search for the documents that are being requested.
Take notes
- Always have a notebook and a pen or a tablet nearby to jot down ideas, questions or notes that may be discussed in the meeting. This is also a great idea so that notes can be referred to after your meeting or webinar. A great way to make an impression and ensure that all are on the same page is to send meeting minutes within 24hrs after the meeting.
Test your meeting before
- If you are the host of the meeting, test your meeting well before the scheduled time, to ensure that you’re confident and know how your meeting platform of choice works; whether that’s Microsoft Teams, Zoom or another platform. This is specifically important should you be hosting a webinar or for an interview, as you will then have a better feel of what to expect if you are unfamiliar with the chosen platform.
Unexpected Visitors
- You will be surprised how often this happens, with most of us working from home.
It is absolutely fine for your child or pet to enter the room when you are busy with a meeting. It happens across the board and all you need to do is embrace it. The only thing to keep in mind is that if there are repetitive or loud sounds going on in the background, to please mute your microphone, so as to disrupt the meeting as little as possible.
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