Do You Zoom?
More and more small business owners are finding virtual meetings not only useful, but necessary to maintain client interaction and succeed at business.
Virtual meetings have many advantages:
No travel = save time, money, and wear and tear on your automobile
Visual connection with remote employees, customers, vendors, partners, job candidates, and other stakeholders
Ability to expand the clients you serve beyond a small geographic location
My preferred virtual meeting tool is ZOOM. You can find them HERE.
It’s easier than you might think to hold a virtual meeting. The learning curve is more psychological than any skill or equipment needed. You can host or participate in a ZOOM meeting by phone or computer. However, if you want or need to share your screen – or see the screen of your host – you’ll want to join by computer for the best visual experience. You can even request “mouse rights” from the person sharing their screen so you can point and click to work on a file remotely.
I am all about sharing my knowledge and guiding my clients, so ZOOM is a perfect tool in my toolbox. Working by ZOOM feels a lot like sitting right next to your trainer. My clients can share their screen, so I can control where we go and explain to them how and why I got there. They can also control of the mouse and keyboard while I guide them step-by-step through all of their questions and concerns. It is truly on-the-job training at its finest.
For best results, you should have a webcam built into your computer, or you can purchase one separately and connect it. Many people are camera-shy, or webcam-shy, but don’t let that stop you. You can always host a meeting without video.
ZOOM offers a free account that you can use to try out virtual meetings. Once you’ve set up your account, you can schedule a meeting or host one on the fly. Setup options allow you to choose whether you’ll use computer or phone audio, whether you want the video to be on or off, and whether you want to record the session. These options can be very handy. You can also mute and unmute participants, so that it can be used for classes as well as meetings.
Here are a few tips to make sure your virtual meetings go off without a hitch:
Treat a virtual meeting with the same importance as a face-to-face one. Show up on time, have an agenda, and make sure everyone is heard.
Audio quality is more important than visual quality. Test your sound.
If you are new to the software, do a test run before you invite clients to meetings so you can get through any learning curve. Consider using a microphone headset for higher quality sound. Apple EarPods work great if you have an iPhone.
For optimal video results, face a window or light source so that your face is not in shadow. The brighter the better; everyone looks better with more lighting because the light erases wrinkles! If possible, the webcam lens should be at eye level or above. You can use books under your computer to raise it if you need to.
If you are already using ZOOM, let me know how it has helped your business. If you’re not using ZOOM yet, let me know what you are using, if anything, to work virtually and stay connected. I look forward to hearing from you, either way.
