Holding The Best Online Video Meetings Using Video Conferencing Platforms

Online video meetings are now the essential cog in the corporate machine to maintain workflow and are often the only way of communication with various teams across the globe. From startups to large corporations like Apple and IBM are all utilizing corporate video conferencing solutions to create an efficient operation. For example, suppose you are in Kuopio, and you have teams operating in New York, Boston, and San Francisco. 

In that case, a video conferencing platform is the only way to ensure complete team collaboration. We at NeoMeet have often been asked whether or not online video meetings can work, with the biggest fear being internal rejection and a fear of being less productive overall. 

While managers tend to prefer face-to-face meetings but that’s mostly because it’s a relatively new adoption. Still, once they adapt to the latest technology, there is a vast possibility of improving the remote collaboration process and outcome. The rules are different when it comes to online video meetings than in-person ones. Unlike an in-person, you have to ensure a wide range of things to make online video meetings a success. 

Now, yes, it does start with using a comprehensive video conferencing platform, but there are quite a few different things that go into making an online video meeting productive. So we thought we should let you know how you can smooth the process and establish an engaging and productive atmosphere. We’ve divided the tips into two primary forms. You have to do one before the meeting and what you should do when the meeting is going on. So without further delay, let’s get into it!

What To Do Before An Online Meeting?

Before you start your online video meeting or conferencing, you need to ensure you choose the right online conferencing platform. But that’s not all you have to do. Here are some other things you need to make sure you have if you want to make your online meetings a success. So let’s check them out!

Impactful Online Video Meeting Tool Stack 

The three main pillars of online video meetings are connection, collaboration, and feedback. When you can ensure all of these three things, you can guarantee your participants remain engaged while keeping the meeting productive. Now, a few different solutions will meet all three criteria to make your online meeting a success. Tools like Miro or Google solutions that include Docs and Hangouts, and others. 

These tools should be used in combination with each tool serving a different role to ensure your meeting is successful. You can choose a wide range of tools to provide complete collaboration, but we suggest using comprehensive corporate video conferencing solutions. But to keep the participants engaged, you should employ tools that will let you take polls, chats, IM. 

Know The Tools You Have And Also Have A Plan B

Simply knowing how to turn on the video conferencing platform and sharing the online video meeting link won’t cut it. If you want your meeting to be a success, then you have to know your software through and through. When you know your tools front, and back then you will have the knowledge to solve problems faster than usual effectively. Whenever you have a meeting schedule, make sure you go in at least five minutes early. Then, you will be able to set up the meeting and tools, and if you see something isn’t working, then you will have time to transition to your plan B. 

Preparing A Shared Space

The biggest reason why meetings become a success is that it’s a shared space for the entire team, and that’s not dependent on whether or not the team is in the meeting room. The shared experience is usually based on clear communication and the transfer of information. From things like shared flip charts, chats shared screens, or shared online whiteboards. 

All these ensure that your meeting positively influences remote employees’ presence in a meeting. Big corporations are already utilizing specialized online video meeting platforms like NeoMeet or other video conferencing solutions that have features like screen sharing to view product development and make adjustments on the go. 

Plan The Agenda Beforehand & Share It In Advance

Gathering all the things for a remote meeting takes a long time to set up, and doing this during the meeting will only help you waste valuable time. For any company, time is money, and online video meetings need to be run optimally to ensure maximum impact. That’s why you should always plan ahead and arrange all the specific items to cover and make sure you stick to that plan. 

Also, make sure you share the meeting agenda with all the participants so that they know what they come in prepared for the meeting. When people have the meeting agenda before, they will be better prepared and even share their insights on the agenda while also sharing any feedback or suggestions they may have, ensuring maximum impact. 

Inviting The Right People 

Large meetings are often ineffective for both in-person and virtual meetings. When there are too many people in the meeting, the agenda can drown out with too many voices, and many may not have anything to even add to the meeting. To ensure your online video meeting is a success, you need to choose the participants carefully. You have to work with smaller groups of people who will be able to add to the conversation. However, you can increase the number as you achieve better managerial success. You can start with 3-4 participants and then build on from there. 

Setting Up The Rules Of The Road

An online meeting’s success is dependent on the flow of the meeting. That means everyone participating in the meeting needs to know how to go about the meeting. Whether it’s a brainstorming meeting, a project update, approval session, or any kind of recurring meeting, you have to make sure you plan out the rules and share them with all the participants. 

Remember, if you have a lawless meeting, then it will all but guarantee that the online video meeting is a failure. So make sure everyone knows the rules of the road before they get into the meeting. And that’s about it for the before meeting prep. Now, let’s move on to what you need to do during the meeting.

What To Do During An Online Video Meeting?

So now that you know the prep you need before you start your online video meeting, you can go ahead and start it. First, however, there are things that you have to make sure of during it for maximum impact. So in the following passages, that’s what we will talk about. So let’s begin!

Introduction

Introducing everyone is a vital part of an online video meeting, and that is the first thing you should do when starting it. Remember, corporate online video conferencing solutions often don’t show all the participants together and only focus on talking. So it’s an outstanding practice to introduce everyone at the start. Studies have shown that people respond to and engage in a meaningful way when they know who’s talking, so make sure you introduce everyone at the start of every meeting. 

Have Some Small Talk Before Getting Into It

Now, you may think this is counterintuitive, but this is precisely what you will do in an in-person meeting. Small talk helps you connect with people and increase your bond with your team, and that’s especially helpful if you are working with a remote team. It will help them feel part of the operation and ensure their presence is felt in the room. Remember, if your team has chemistry, the productivity will increase exponentially. 

Always Remind Them Of The Meeting Goals

All the participants need to know the meeting goals, but you should also remind them of the goals at all times to keep the meeting on point. For example, if you are using an online collaboration whiteboard, then make sure you pin stickers about the goal and what needs to be achieved at the end. That way, everyone will know what they are working towards. 

Set Roles For Everyone

Everyone needs to be involved in the meeting. Talk to your team and set up a facilitator, a timekeeper, and one scribe to write down action points and decisions made. Team participation ensures everyone is engaged and focus on the meeting, and also, the team feels part of the decision-making process. If it’s a recurring meeting, then change up the roles every meeting to keep things fresh. You can even begin with a game before the meeting to break the ice.

Make Sure Everyone Identifies Themselves

If you are not conducting an online video meeting, the best thing you can do is have everyone introduce themselves when talking. That will let the others know who is talking and ensure keep tabs on who said what. Also, be aware of the nonparticipants and always encourage them to join in. That way, you will be able to bring out the best of everyone and ensure you meet your meeting’s goals. 

Be Courteous

Now, side conversations and background distractions can be a problem, but that doesn’t mean you let it happen. Instead, make sure you keep everyone engaged and always try to be on point. Remember, if you give everyone roles during the meeting, then they will be engaged and won’t be sidetracked easily.

Encourage Participation

If you want your team to be engaged all the time, then asking for input during the meeting is the best way to do it. It would be best if you remembered that people could only focus on one person talking, so ask questions one at a time and take turns sharing your thoughts. It’s vital that your team feels part of the process and feels that they contributed to the meeting. There are a few ways to ask your team. You can use hooks like:

• Are you happy with the decision?
• What do you find interesting about it and why?
• What’s your favorite and least favorite part?
• What would you change about it and why?
• What can be added to ensure you are satisfied with the decision and why?

Engaging

Remember, boring meetings are very hard to sit through, and you will lose your team, and all your work in organizing an extraordinary meeting will go in vain. So you have to make sure you invest time and make it enjoyable with lively interaction, good visuals, or set up your own meeting traditions. For example, plan your ice breakers beforehand to get everyone in the mood and make sure everyone is involved in the process.

Use The Right Video Conferencing Platform

So there you go; those are the things you need to do to ensure you hold the best online video meeting. Make sure you follow these tips to have productive meetings and ensure that you have everyone’s attention. Another thing you should ensure has the right equipment along with the right corporate video conferencing solution. So if you are looking for the right video conferencing platform for your company, then make sure you contact NeoMeet. 

Our comprehensive solutions will make sure you achieve all you want and more. If you have questions regarding video conferencing or online video meetings, please drop them in the comments below or hit us up on our socials, and we will answer them for you. And with that being said, that’s about all we have for you today. We will come back with something new for you soon. Until then, see ya!