If you are like most people, you may not be the biggest fan of meetings. In today’s world of virtual meetings, it can be even tougher to prepare for and be fully engaged.

These 4 tips will help you rock your virtual meetings.

Test Technology – Be Heard & Seen Clearly:

Being on a zoom meeting is virtually replicating a meeting in a real work environment. If you were to walk into a meeting at your office, you’d plan and prepare so everything would go smoothly and without a hitch. You should do this when preparing for a zoom meeting as well.

  • Make sure that you have access to a strong internet connection. This will prevent any freezing or miscommunication when the meeting is taking place.
  • Test your equipment and set up before actually beginning your zoom call to make sure everything will run smoothly. Ensure your audio and video connections are working. If your audio or video is not working a simple reboot of your computer usually does the trick.

Quiet and Distraction-Free Area:

When working from home it’s easy to get caught up in distractions that usually aren’t around when you’re in an office environment, such as the TV or kids (human or the furry kind).  When attending a Zoom Meeting:

  • Ensure you have a professional setup that’s separate from these distractions you have at home. To do this you could set up a small office or a desk in a quiet area.

Look the Part:

Working from home does allow you the freedom to work in your sweats and skip out on a professional look.  However, when connecting with clients and colleagues step it up with a business casual look.

  • You wouldn’t walk into a regular meeting in sweats or PJs. Especially when meeting with clients make sure you look the part of the professional you are.
  • Ensure the background displayed behind you is clean and clutter-free.

Clean your Desktop – Avoid Oops Moments:

Zoom doesn’t just allow us to see each other’s faces. It’s also being used as a way to conduct genuine meetings where you will be sharing work documents and content, probably in the form of a presentation.   When presenting & sharing your screen:

  • Your desktop should be clear of all distractions when you’re sharing. Declutter your desktop and only have the relevant documents needed for the meeting open.
  • Double-check that there’s nothing inappropriate on show on your desktop.

Now go rock your zoom meetings!

 

Author: Bryan Payne is the Chief Talent Scout and Founding Partner at Just Sales Jobs with over 25-years of experience in sales and leading high-performance sales teams. Bryan and his team specialize in recruiting top talent within the Greater Toronto Area to Kitchener Waterloo. You can reach him at bp@justsalesjobs.ca