The word scourge means “Something causing misery or death”. Now, while dying may not actually be a realistic fear of holding a virtual meeting, video conferencing has definitely been known to make more than a few designers miserable. Yet, for most of us, social distancing and ongoing stay-at-home orders require that meeting remotely become the norm. If you're struggling to come to grips with the “new normal” for meetings, we have some valuable video conferencing tips to help you adjust. (And, we hope, become proficient!)

First, whether we like it or not, it’s time for all of us to accept that the current pandemic has made video conferencing an essential component to keeping a business running. Sorry but, being camera shy is no longer acceptable (or forgiven).

Whether you're conferencing with your team, contractors, suppliers, clients, or prospects, you need to do everything possible to ensure your remote conference or consultation is glitch-free. In other words, how you handle yourself in these (hopefully) temporary but stressful times will make a huge impression on everyone you do business with. Professionalism simply MUST be the priority here and we have a number of tips to help you.

Virtual Meeting Hosting Tips

Conducting a virtual meeting can be challenging for the uninitiated. Even some of us who have experience with them run into problems occasionally, which is why we suggest you follow these tips:

Testing… Testing 1, 2, 3 – It should go without saying that being heard matters in a video conference. It should, yet many people forget this little detail. Making sure you can hear and be heard clearly is critical to the success of any virtual meeting. Using a headset with an attached microphone is usually much better than relying on the mic that’s built into your computer.
What they are seeing matters – Whatever you do, avoid the nostril shot! Keep your camera at eye level or slightly above and never, never, never use the upward angle. (You must have seen that horrible view on remote reports or meetings. Yikes!)
Look over your shoulder – Because they will be, guaranteed. Yes, your background is important. While you might want it to be attractive and “make a statement” during your meeting, you want to avoid distractions. Your goal should be to keep attendees’ eyes on you and what focused on you're saying, instead of some cool but diverting piece of art or furniture.
When silence is golden – As with so many things, knowing when to stop speaking and listen is important; and never more so than during a video call. That’s what your mute button is for. The experts in this stuff agree: Mute your microphone whenever you’re not speaking, even if you’re alone in the room. Background noise can be an annoying distraction and stifle any meeting’s flow. (So can mumbled comments you hope no one else can hear.)
Light it up – Make sure your room is well lit (side lighting is the best). Few things are worse than having a professional meeting while feeling like you're talking to someone in a dungeon. [Also, it’s a bad idea to have a bright window behind you, putting your face in shadow] Use natural light from windows or simply turn on the overhead light in the room to brighten up the conference. (Entreprenuer.com)
Dress the part – While you may love the new remote work environment because you can keep it casual all day, that won’t work for you here. For an online conference, trade-in your “work PJs” for a regular work outfit. (What if you suddenly have to stand up and they see your ratty shorts beneath your lovely blouse?) Keep it professional in every way. You can always revert when the meeting is over.
Rehearse your role as moderator – Practicing in a low-stakes environment with a friend or colleague ensures that your lighting, audio, and visuals are all optimized before you’re in an important meeting with a client. Pay attention to yourself so you can critique how you look. (Houzz.com) And, make sure you have a roadmap for the meeting. Use an agenda and stick to it so none of the attendees feel like you're wasting their time.

Once you've set up your conferencing system, test it with someone who won’t judge but who will give solid feedback. Also, while muting your mic when you're listening is important, make sure you unmute before offering a monologue that displays your amazing expertise and insight – but which no one can hear!

A final tip for those who attend virtual meetings: make sure you can be seen and heard as well as your host, and that you're dressed appropriately with a non-distracting background. Otherwise, you may be ignored and you certainly don’t want that to happen.

Ted remains available for business consulting support to interior designers and furnishing store owners. With more than 25 years' experience in the luxury furnishings industry and through all sorts of economic crises and natural disasters, he should be able to help you cope with all the changing trends and priorities.

If these video conferencing tips don’t answer all your questions about hosting virtual meetings – or other questions about marketing your furnishings or interior design business… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

It’s Hard to Really Connect Virtually

Thanks to the world suddenly going off the rails a few months ago, it’s likely you’ve been required (forced?) to attend a few of these meetings yourself. Or, you may have conducted some as The Boss, or as a way to stay in touch with clients. Whatever the reason for these experiences, connecting virtually rarely eliminates the sense of isolation many have been feeling.

By definition, “remote” means “far apart in time, relevance, relationship or kinship.” That kind of separation is tough to overcome with a webcam video connection. (Not to mention a sometimes sketchy internet connection.)

After all, if virtual meetings were so great, we would all have been setting them up and using them all along, wouldn’t we? Yeah, in-person meetings are so much better because it’s easier to connect and interact on a personal basis.

Still, when online meetings are needed just to stay in touch, there are ways to make them better.

Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings

Harvard Business Review offers a dozen tips for effective virtual meetings, a few of the most important we want to share:

Test the technology ahead of time. Beyond the apparent essentials of using video and audio, nothing kills momentum at the start of a meeting like a technical delay or unfamiliar software. Before a virtual meeting, all participants should test the technology and make sure they are comfortable with the significant features.

Make sure faces are visible. Video conferences are more effective when people can see each other’s facial expressions and body language. Ask individuals to sit close to their webcam to help to recreate the intimacy of an in-person meeting. (And, ask them to remove distractions or inappropriate backgrounds before your meeting.)

Stick to meeting basics. Before the conversation, set clear objectives, and send a pre-read if appropriate. During the session, use an agenda, set meeting ground rules, take breaks, and clearly outline the next steps (including timing and accountabilities) after each section and at the end of the meeting.

Assign a facilitator. It’s usually harder to manage a virtual discussion than an in-person one. It can be helpful to assign one individual to guide the conversation, allowing the other participants to focus on the content. The facilitator can also use a polling system to “take the pulse” of the group on particular questions and ensure that everyone can participate if they wish.

Call on people. Getting everyone to participate without talking over each other is one of the more challenging aspects of running a virtual meeting. To forestall this, we recommend periodically calling on individuals to speak by “going around the table” before finalizing a decision. This helps the facilitator drive closure without the risk of excluding an introverted participant’s views.

Virtual Meetings Will Remain Popular

While it’s never easy to predict the future, human behavior is a bit easier to guess. In other words, once people become familiar with a new technology or procedure, they tend to adopt it as their own. Don’t be surprised if you wind up attending far more virtual meetings even after the end of the lockdown.

We guarantee that there are people out there who do not agree that virtual meetings suck, so be prepared to make them a part of your life from now on.

To get in touch with Ted for answers to business consulting questions, or more design business tips, trends, and marketing ideas, get in touch with TD Fall today.