The COVID-19 pandemic has really shaken us up and has altered our lives drastically. The lockdown, implemented as a preventative measure, has led to many organizations replacing their in-person conferences with virtual meetings using video chat apps like Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp Messenger, and Google Hangouts among others. NEEOpal is a messenger app which has an HD calling feature, definitely worth trying out!
With the ever-growing uncertainty of whether things are ever going to get back to the way they were before the virus came up, it seems evident that online meetings and workshops will become a norm in our everyday lives. And even though the circumstances leading to this change weren’t quite favorable, it does have certain positive attributes. One, for instance, is that a lot of people who were unable to attend events in the past due to physical disability or other health issues can be a part of the events now. Virtual meetings provide flexibility and enable attendees to connect from different offices, residential areas, towns, cities, and countries. Below are some tips on how to successfully conduct virtual meetings.
- Check your mic
As soon as you get a notification for an online meeting you should check your mic to make sure you can speak and hear properly.
- Mute your mic
When you’re home, living with either adults or kids, there is bound to be noise in the background. At least one of your family members will embarrass you and if not a human, a pet might start crying for attention at the exact moment when your boss is giving you important instructions. If the mic in your cell phone or computer is extra sensitive, any sort of noise, whether it be coughing, shifting objects, or a duck quacking in the backyard will be picked up by the meeting interface. Therefore, it is best to keep your mic on mute when someone else is speaking to avoid embarrassment and keep others from getting distracted during the meeting. On some platforms, the host can mute or unmute participants which is one way of ensuring the meeting runs smoothly without interruptions, even if some participants join in late.
- Agenda to be shared beforehand
As an organizer, you should share the agenda of the meeting with the participants before the meeting. Prepared participants will be able to come up with more valuable points for discussion instead of taking time to understand the agenda first. There are certain platforms that enable the user to share the agenda in the form of an attachment, a file, or text added to the meeting invite. With this strategy, the attendees of the meeting will know beforehand if they are required to provide information to help you reach an important decision.
- Important Introductions
Hosts should begin by introducing themselves and then call out the names of all the participants with clarity. In case the participants don’t know one another they can be asked to give brief introductions of themselves and talk about their roles and responsibilities.
- Recording Meetings
Some video chat apps come with a recording function. People who could not make it for some genuine reason can go through a recorded meeting at a later time and even those who were present during the meeting can go through the recording in case they missed some points due to a distraction in the background or malfunctioning of their device. Recordings are also useful for the meeting heads since they would know exactly how much progress has taken place when they conduct follow-up meetings. In any case, the participants should always be informed if the meeting is being recorded.
- Useful Chat feature
Using the chat feature can be very effective for keeping the meeting interactive without verbal interruptions. Links can also be shared through the chat feature as a reference to be viewed by the attendees later. The chat feature can function in a group or individually, depending on the purpose of the message.
- Limiting Distractions
Distractions should be reduced as possible because with online meetings a lot of concentration is required. People tend to become relaxed and negligent while attending meetings online, especially when they are not required to keep their cameras or mics on throughout the session. The host of the meeting can ensure all attendees participate actively by making use of video conferencing. For presentations, presenters should make sure side windows are closed on their screens and prevent pop-up notifications from appearing and distracting the attendees. Phone notifications should also be turned off during important meetings.
Considering all the aforementioned tips, it is safe to say that video chat apps like NEEO Messenger, with its audio and video calling feature, is a very useful tool for conducting virtual meetings. The app provides speedy and steady video communications, most suitable for professional meetings or meetings of any kind for that matter. While making video calls there is also the benefit of two readily available cameras which you can use if you wish to show your surroundings to the person at the other end. All that is required is a stable internet connection and you are good to go!