Friday, June 02, 2023
I’m sure you have heard people say “I prefer to meet people in real life, online meetings are just not the same”….. Did you know you can be up to 100 times more effective in your job by embracing the power of online meetings and webinars?
8 years ago I decided to make online meetings my main way to conduct 1-1 meetings, coaching calls and training courses. Today I do 99% of all my meeting online.
Seeing the one you talk to makes ALL the difference.
I learn so much more about them, and I find it much easier to get them to “know me, like me and trust me” too. That’s so important in business!
The cost savings compared with physical meetings is enormous. The way I work today, I can easily talk with 100 times more people a week than what I used to do.
Here’s a short list of tools and tips for great online meetings:
- I use Zoom most of the time. When connecting with people that are not used to online meetings, most of them find it easy connecting with me when I send them my Zoom link.
- For meetings with just one or two others, I sometimes use WhatsApp instead. I stay away from platform-dependent systems like FaceTime.
- Good sound is important. You can get a decent microphone and a good speaker quite cheap (message me for what I’m using). Adjust the microphone level so people can hear you clearly.
- Great picture is of course equally important. I use a normal HD Logitech camera that sist on top of my screen.
- Don’t forget the lighting! A lamp behind your screen lighting up your face is normally enough. Do not have a bright light or window behind you.
- Focus on the camera! Most people watch on the video those they speak to when they speak. You should look them in their eyes (like you would if you were in the same room), meaning you must look into the camera and not on their video! Normally organize my screen so the person I’m talking to are just below my camera, and not too big (in Zoom, just click and drag the video to the place you want it). In that way, when I speak I can look at the person and it looks as I talk directly to them (because their video is just 2 cm. under my camera lens).
- Be conscious about your background! I have placed my computer so I have a neutral/quiet background that hints to my business (I have a few copies of my book visible in the corner of the picture).
It’s easy to get started with online meetings, just give it a try and you will love it. I’ll come back with some more advanced tips in a later post – things like professional screen sharing, sharing videos and sound in a way that gives the audience a good experience and more!
