“Can You Hear Me Now?” 10 Tips for Running an Effective Web Meeting
From that awkward silence to a seamless sync, everyone has experience with online meetings… and they aren’t going away anytime soon. So with that here are 10 tips to make sure your meetings run without a hitch!
Zoom: Where the meeting is real and the commute isn’t!
Tip 1: Send a Clear Invite
Tip: When you set up your Zoom meeting, make sure your invite includes the meeting link, dial-in numbers (if needed), and any access codes. Add the agenda and any prep work needed.
Actionable Insight: A well-organized invite makes sure everyone knows what to expect and is ready to go. Keep it simple and straightforward to avoid any last-minute confusion.
Tip 2: Check Your Tech
Tip: Test your audio, lighting, and internet connection before the meeting starts. Good sound and lighting make a huge difference!
Actionable Insight: Go for artificial lighting instead of natural light, and use a wired connection if possible to avoid tech hiccups. Test everything beforehand to ensure a smooth meeting.
Tip 3: Assign a Cohost
Tip: If this is going to be a larger party call where you are the host, assign a colleague as co-host during the call so if you have an unexpected drop in connection or have to depart early, the call can continue without disruption.
Actionable Insight: If you have a colleague on the call that joins, let them know you plan on making them a co-host to ensure the meeting continues to run without disruption.
Tip 4: Kick Off with Introductions
Tip: Start the meeting by introducing everyone, especially if they don’t know each other. Mention their roles or what they’ll be contributing.
Actionable Insight: A quick introduction helps everyone know who’s who and sets the tone for the meeting. If it is a larger group of people, sometimes it could make sense to skip introductions or you can announce the team through a generalization of job titles or goals. For example, “Today we have members of the finance team to discuss X,Y,Z questions.”
Tip 5: Make Eye Contact with the Camera
Tip: Look at the camera, not the screen, when you're talking. It makes you seem more engaged and keeps the conversation lively.
Actionable Insight: Position your camera at eye level. It makes a big difference in how connected you appear to others.
Tip 6: Manage the Mute Button
Tip: Remind everyone to mute their mics when they're not speaking to cut down on background noise. Use Zoom’s “mute all” feature if things get too noisy.
Actionable Insight: If you're in a noisy place, say on mute and you can press the spacebar and hold down to quickly say what you need to say, then release spacebar to go back on mute.
Tip 7: Use Zoom’s Features
Tip: Take advantage of Zoom tools like screen sharing, breakout rooms, annotations and chat to keep things interactive and engaging.
Actionable Insight: Share your screen for presentations, use breakout rooms for smaller group discussions, and use chat for quick questions or comments.
Tip 8: Be Mindful of Your Background
Tip: If you are on the road a lot, don’t want people to know you took an early vacation or maybe you have a messy office or hotel room- use a virtual or blurred background to keep the focus on you and not where you are!
Actionable Insight: Zoom has some out of the box virtual backgrounds or you can upload your own- personally I use living room backgrounds from high-end furniture company websites (Serena & Lily, Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs) to create a calm and well-manicured aesthetic.
Tip 9: Follow Up with Action Items
Tip: After the meeting, send a follow-up email summarizing what was discussed, the decisions made, and the action items. Include any relevant documents.
Actionable Insight: A follow-up email helps everyone remember what was agreed upon and what they need to do next. It keeps everything organized and on track.
Tip 10: Cadences, Cancellations and Shared Meeting Rooms
Tip: Be mindful of the meeting room number used when scheduling calls- especially if a meeting was cancelled or there is an overlapping meeting…. you don’t want to wrong people to show up to the wrong meeting!
Actionable Insight: When reviewing your calendar, check the meeting room numbers for any meetings you are hosting to ensure meeting rooms do not overlap.
Running a successful Zoom meeting is all about good preparation, clear communication, and making sure everything works smoothly. With these tips, you'll keep your meetings running efficiently and make a great impression. For more advice on virtual meetings and professional growth, check out the Sales Squad Foundation.
