Five Foolproof Ways to Enhance Communication During Your Next Virtual Event

Effective communication is the lifeblood of a business. 

Steve Jobs, a rather successful businessman himself, once said, “Great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.” 

If you can’t successfully communicate with your team, then it’s IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish anything great. 

So how can you ensure effective communication throughout your company? All it takes is a little preparation. 

We’re sharing 5 ways that you can bring the benefits of face-to-face communication to the virtual space. 

Also, check out these 3 inside tips to enhance communication in both the virtual and face-to-face workspace.

In-person meetings provide a great setting for meaningful communication. But what about global companies or remote workers? 

Do virtual meetings mean you have to throw in the towel on successful communication? 

Not at all!  

Despite what your mother said, it IS possible to have your cake and eat it too. 

You don’t have to be in the same physical space to reap the benefits of “face-to-face” meetings. Virtual settings can provide a great platform for effective communication.

1. Build Rapport

Don’t underestimate the impact your presence can have. As a leader within the company, showing up to meetings says a lot. It lets everyone know that you are a part of this team, not just a distant authority figure. 

How to do it:

If possible, attend with your camera on. Let people see your engagement in the meeting. Open the floor to questions and concerns. Don’t leave the answering to someone else. Be a part of it.

Encourage participation to enhance the feeling of community. Teams that feel connected are more likely to collaborate on small issues, leading to a variety of ideas and better solutions.

2. Efficient Communication

Sending out a group email might seem like the most efficient way to assign a task. But written communication can open the door to massive misunderstandings. 

Virtual meetings allow the same opportunity that in-person meetings do when it comes to getting your point across clearly. 

How to do it:

Set aside time to take questions and address issues. Clarifying misunderstandings on the spot will save a lot of time and boost efficiency in the long run. 

Discussing tasks during live meetings limits the long, question-and-answer email threads that no one enjoys. Having these conversations in real-time during a virtual meeting makes for more efficient and clearer instruction.

3. Read the Room

Want to know what your team REALLY thinks of the topics discussed at your meeting? It’s simple. Just read the room. And it doesn’t have to be in a physical room either. Virtual meetings provide a great setting to see what your team is really thinking. 

How to do it:

All the cues you’d look for in an in-person meeting are just as applicable to the virtual space. If cameras are on, take note of body language and facial expressions.

And if cameras are off? Throughout the discussion, team members’ tone of voice and intonation are valuable sources to see how well your message is being received.

4. Resolve Conflicts

It’s much easier to bring up a difficult subject over text or email. But it’s not as effective. It usually leads to more conflict or an issue that’s “resolved” but with lingering negative feelings. 

Why? Email and text message recipients have no way of knowing the tone of voice behind the message. Was the sender…

• Angry? 
• Demanding? 
• Disappointed? 

Verbal communication leaves no room for doubt and makes having tough conversations that much more effective. 

How to do it: 

• • If it’s a company-wide issue, discuss it with your entire team during the meeting. 
  • If it’s something involving only a few, invite participating parties to stay on after the meeting, or schedule a separate one altogether. 

The success of your team directly affects the success of your business. By being present and fully engaged in the resolution process, you show your team that they are your priority. 

5. Boost Productivity

Bouncing ideas off of coworkers, brainstorming solutions, and collaborating on projects, all lead to one thing – enhanced productivity. 

Getting together for a virtual meeting keeps everyone on the same page and focused on the tasks at hand. 

How to do it:

Deliver your meeting as an outline, not a manuscript. After hitting a highlight or new idea, pause and ask for feedback. Participation is vital to team collaboration.

Bonus Tip: Try to stick to the main theme, but if questions or ideas are presented about another topic, let the conversation develop naturally. Your team needs to know that you value their feedback and want to hear their ideas. Don’t shut them down just because it strays a bit from your next bullet point.

No matter how well you plan a party, if nobody shows up to it then it’s still a failure.  

The point: Being armed with the skills for great communication during your virtual meeting does you no good if nobody is there to hear it. You need to create an environment that encourages communication across the company.

Check out these 3 ways to enhance communication in the workspace for both virtual and face-to-face meetings.

Don’t Leave it to Chance

Schedule regular team meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page and working toward common goals. It could be twice a week, weekly, bi-monthly, or as often as you see fit. The important thing is that communication isn’t left to chance. 

Give these meetings a set place in the company schedule and make sure everyone is aware of them in advance. If meetings are a priority for you, they will become a priority for your team.  

Invite Open Communication with Leadership

Fear and feelings of inferiority do not breed a great environment for open communication. 

Leaders in the company need to be approachable, and not just via email. Employees that feel free to express themselves with management are more likely to:

• • Work harder
  • Go beyond role expectations and
  • Increase overall productivity

To help your team communicate freely with those taking the lead, schedule one-on-one or small group meetings. Company-wide meetings have their place, but small, more intimate settings encourage participation from everyone. 

Try this: Let team members know they are free to schedule one-to-one meetings when needed. 

Provide the Right Tools

Captain America’s shield, Thor’s hammer, and Indiana Jones’ whip; What do all of these have in common? Without their weapons, none of these iconic characters would be successful at what they do.

If you want to be successful, you too have got to provide the right tools for your team. 

Virtual meeting platforms come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choose one that gives you and your team the features needed to keep communication at the highest level.

Not sure which ‘weapon’ is best for you? Here at Virtual Velocity, we’ve dedicated years to understanding and perfecting virtual communication. Our teams’ knowledge of various virtual platforms goes a long way in choosing the right one for you. 

You’ve worked hard to enhance communication during your meetings. Don’t let technical challenges stand in the way. We are here to ensure that your next virtual meeting goes the way that you planned. 

Curious about how we can help? Contact us today for a free conversation and after listening to your concerns, we’ll share tips that you can implement immediately to troubleshoot any problems that you might have.