The Best Way to Have a Successful Video Conferencing Call    -

The Best Way to Have a Successful Video Conferencing Call         - Your first, second, third, and even fourth video conferencing call or webinar can be intimidating. You may have been doing them for years and still struggle to get past the sweaty palms and high blood pressure that show up a few days before the big event. You know your performance matters. It may make or break a deal for your company, or lead to either very happy or very dissatisfied customers. If the mere thought of hosting a video conference call makes you want to hyperventilate, take a deep breath and keep reading for the keys to a successful meeting. Follow this advice and you will be able to dial in to any meeting confident and ready for conference call victory. At Least a Week Before Your Conference Call Determine if You Need Operator Assistance When you put time and effort into preparing for an important meeting, the last thing you need is for participants to have trouble even dialing in. Businesses everywhere are constantly struggling with a time crunch and it is crucial for things to go as smoothly as possible right from the start. Operators can help you get your meeting or webinar off on the right foot by connecting attendees with the call, announcing their arrival to you, and assisting with the flow of the call. Send Invitations Set up your meeting within your software and send invitations. You can schedule ahead of time or have an instant meeting, by simply sending out the dial-in or web attendance codes. If you are creating a future meeting, your software can connect with your calendar and automatically enter it. Adding attendees will trigger an invitation to be sent with the time, day, and dial-in details. Set Agenda and Talking Points Make sure that you are prepared for your meeting by setting up an agenda and talking points ahead of time. This way, everyone knows what to expect and will be prepared with either their own contributions or the proper frame of thinking. Depending on your strategy, you may want to send your agenda out to everyone well in advance, or you may want to simply give everyone a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting to look things over. Coordinate Presenters If you are working with a team on this meeting, coordinate with them to ensure you are all on the same page with your presentation. This way, there are no surprises during the meeting. You want yourself and your team to come off as professional, prepared, and cohesive. The Day Before Your Conference Call Check Back in With Presenters and Gather Your Notes An old adage tells us that “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Make sure you are set to succeed by going over your agenda and talking points until you are completely comfortable with everything you plan to discuss. You may even want to rehearse in front of a mirror to make sure your facial expressions and body language convey your exact message. If possible, coordinate a meeting with the rest of your team. This way, you can all make any last-minute adjustments necessary for a successful meeting. Check Your In-Call Settings and Get Familiar With the Software With video conferencing software, you have total control over the call settings. Test your camera functionality and your mic volume, and make sure your speakers are set to a volume where you can clearly hear the other participants. Learn about the other tools within your software that can be used in meetings so that you know exactly what they do and how they work. Record Greeting and Set Hold Music With video conferencing services like Vast Conference, you will come off as the ultimate host when you record a greeting message for everyone who joins your meeting. Boost your brand identity and make wait times go faster with custom hold music. These small touches go a long way to make a big impression where you need it most. The Day Of The Meeting Get Rest Your nerves may have you on edge the night before your big meeting, but good sleep is essential for thinking on your feet and staying sharp. Whatever helps you get to sleep and stay asleep, make that a priority. Exercise, eating well, taking vitamins, meditating, doing yoga, going for a relaxing walk. All of these things can help you get the rest you need in order to wake up ready to tackle your business for the day. Look Your Best Remember that this is a video conference and make sure you dress for success. Wear clothes that are neat, wrinkle-free, and fit well. Avoid patterns, stripes, polka-dots, and plaid. White can make you look washed out on camera if you have lighter skin, and make sure any shade of red you choose does not make your cheeks look flushed. Think of who your clients are and keep that in mind when choosing your look. Use All the Tools at Your Fingertips You have access to a number of tools that will help you make the most of your meeting. Use them. Within your video conference software, you can switch between presenters, mute everyone who is not presenting, assign a talking order, and even record the call so you can have access to everything from the meeting later. Follow Up Then Relax After your meeting has ended, make sure you follow up right away with any additional notes and comments. Send out surveys if necessary. Ask for feedback. You can share the recorded meeting in a multitude of ways, so do so in a way that makes sense for your participants. When you are all finished, take a few minutes to kick your feet up and reflect on the things that went well with your video conferencing call and the areas that could use improvement. Then pat yourself on the back (or get yourself a pedicure) for a job well done.