New to Virtual Meetings? Here’s What You Need to Know

Do you think Tom Brady walks out onto the field without a game plan? His seven Superbowl rings would suggest otherwise. Fact: You can’t win the game without a good game plan.

As the quarterback of your next virtual meeting, you need a solid game plan to get a win. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Just a little effort “before the game” will go a long way to ensure your virtual meeting is a success.

No matter how well you know your topic, preparing an outline in advance is essential. Why?

Without a clear plan of how you will develop the meeting, one of two things are likely to happen:

• You forget key points and don’t share as much info as you wanted
• OR you babble on for too long, burying key points

The solution? Develop an outline to follow throughout the meeting. It should include these elements:

Keep your introduction clean and precise. Your introduction should clearly state: 

1. 1. The purpose of the meeting
   2. Key points that will be discussed
   3. The ultimate takeaway for your listeners

Let your audience know things like:

• • What’s expected of them
  • What kind of participation is expected 
  • When questions should be asked
  • How the chat feature should be used for questions during the meeting

End your introduction with a positive statement that expresses your excitement to be there. Your enthusiasm will be contagious, so share that with your listeners!

Make a note of each point you want to share and how you will develop it.

Writing it out word-for-word isn’t necessary, in fact, it could actually be a hindrance. Nobody enjoys listening to someone reading a script.

Instead, jot down bullets of the main points that you want to discuss, which will ensure you don’t leave any major components out of the meeting.

Wrap it up with a quick recap of:

• • Main points discussed
  • Practical application. How would you like to see what you discussed affect the team moving forward?
  • If guest speakers were involved, thank them for their valuable contribution to the meeting 
  • Express appreciation for the attention and participation of attendees

Your well-developed outline will act as a guide to keep you on track and productive throughout the meeting.

If questions are raised on subjects that will be discussed later go ahead and let the team member know.

Make use of these key phrases to help you stay on track:

“That’s a great question Brenda, hold that thought because we’re actually going to discuss that in a little bit.”

“We’ve got a lot of info to cover today. If you have any questions outside of the agenda please hold those until the end.”

“I really like what you’re thinking, Joe. Let’s discuss that a little more during the next portion of the meeting.”

Waiting until the coin toss to check your equipment is a rookie move. Virtual meetings aren’t very successful if the virtual part isn’t running smoothly.

Do a run-through in advance to see how your equipment is holding up and if there are any changes that need to be made before the event.

Perform an internet speed test to check the quality of your download, upload, and bandwidth. The higher your download/upload the better your video quality will be during the meeting.

Zoom recommends 3.8Mbps/3.0Mbps (up/down) for 1080p HD video. If you aren’t getting the quality you want through WiFi, consider using an ethernet cable to plug directly into the router.

Check for updates to whatever virtual event platform you are using. Up-to-date software runs quicker and smoother.

The update may come with new features that you want to use in the meeting as well, so check the list of changes in the software update.

 If you don’t have one already, invest in a headset to use during your virtual meetings. The microphone that comes automatically installed in your computer is usually of low quality and picks up a lot of background noise.

Many headsets offer noise-canceling microphones, eliminating background noise and ensuring your audience hears you loud and clear. Once you’ve got your headset plugged in, run a microphone test on your computer to check the quality.

You want your participants to focus on what you say, not what you look like. So start up a meeting in the platform you will be using for your event and check your video.

• • What’s your background look like?
  • How’s the lighting?
  • Is the camera looking straight up your nose?

Make adjustments as needed so you look good for your event.

Anything that you want to share with your team during your meeting should be prepped and ready in advance. This could include sharing a link to certain files during the meeting or screen sharing things such as:

• PowerPoint presentations
• Photos/videos of project updates
• Status report charts
• Or any other project-related material

If you plan to screen share, remember to have the file opened before the meeting and be aware of what you are sharing.

Many platforms have the option to share your entire computer screen or a specific application. You don’t need to show everyone your desktop background, so choose to share the application directly.

Coordinate with your team, and especially management leaders, on a good date and time for the event. Take into account if your team or guest speakers are spread throughout various time zones.

Once the event is scheduled, it’s time to send out invitations. This is usually done via email with the date, time, and meeting link included.

If possible, prepare an agenda and send that with the invitation. Why?

Meeting agendas mentally prep attendees and build anticipation for the event. The agenda can be as detailed as you’d like. The core elements that should be included are:

• Meeting theme
• Key objectives
• Keynote speakers and the theme of their discussions
• Time estimates for each section
• Any materials attendees need to bring to the meeting

Agendas, even if brief, give participants an idea of what will be discussed and allow them to prepare. An attractive agenda will get your team looking forward to the event and excited to attend.

No matter how many times you’ve done it before, stepping out onto the field is always a little intimidating. But a good game plan allows you to walk out with a little more confidence.

However, that doesn’t mean everything will go perfectly. There are always audibles that need to be called during the game. Are you ready to deal with the pressure?

Here at Virtual Velocity, we’ve spent decades preparing for the big game. We understand not only how to plan your virtual meeting for success but the best call to make when the unexpected comes up.

Want to know how we do it? Let’s sit down and talk about it. Together we can make your next virtual event one for the books.