4 Tips for Hosting Video Meetings
Hosting video calls can have their challenges, from unstable internet connections to an array of other issues — and that’s before the meeting has even started. Presenting during a meeting can be especially challenging when you’re not able to effectively read the virtual room or manage the conversation.
Here are 4 tips I’ve learned to help you host a productive meeting (even if your attendees aren’t using their cameras).
1 — Ask for reactions.
Looking for feedback from the group only to hear crickets? Ask for reactions rather than questions. It’ll help encourage participation from the group, even if it’s just to say, “I agree” and get consensus from the group.
2 — Pause and count to 10.
Have you asked for feedback but you’re not sure how long to wait before moving on? When you pause, tap your foot 7x (or count to 10) to allow enough time to encourage conversation. After that, it’s ok to continue.
3 — Steer a tangent back on track.
Has the conversation gone off on a tangent, and you need to move on? First, trust your gut. If it seems awkward to interrupt someone who’s speaking, then it probably is. Otherwise, here’s a way to tactfully interrupt: It’s most helpful if you slowly jump in, address the person speaking by name, apologize for interrupting, and thank the person with a recent point they made, and then take hold of the conversation. Moving on to the item and bring the crowd along with you.
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For example, “Hi Steve, excuse me for interrupting here — I agree with your point on X — and that brings me to the issue around Y that we need to discuss.”
This values the contribution from the original discussion, but also allows you to take back control and move the conversation along.
4 — Have a visual.
Whenever possible, use a visual aid during your meeting. It gives the attendees a place to focus and “learn more coherently during the presentation, ” according to Virtualspeech.com.
Visual aids can enhance your presentations — they can increase the audience’s understanding of your topic, explain points, make an impact and create enthusiasm. — Virtualspeech.com.
While it can be a pain to put together materials for a meeting, you’ll reap your rewards in how quickly the audience will grasp your message, and help make the meeting more productive. Virtual speech has several examples, that can be shared here.
Any other tips you’ve learned to improve the flow of your video meetings? Share them with me on Linkedin!
