When working remotely with your team, having productive virtual meetings is important for your success. However, knowing how to stand out and make your presence at a virtual conference more impactful might be beneficial. 

When everyone occupies a small square on the screen, this can be challenging, but with a couple of these tactics, you can boost your presence.

Because of the pandemic, most workers are working from home now, and having online interactions are more common than ever. 

Virtual meetings are growing more common for a variety of corporate functions, from brainstorming sessions to staff meetings, as the pandemic turns more office workers into work from home workers.

However, communication strategies that work well in a conference room do not always transition well to a computer screen. 

Virtual meetings should be viewed in a different context than an in-person meeting or a lecture on a screen, according to organizational behavior experts.

Improving your presence during Zoom, Skype, and other similar virtual meetings necessitates not just the use of video conference-friendly strategies but also a shift in your attitude about the medium. 

Consider the following strategies to improve your presence and confidence during virtual meetings:

• Establish a Positive Mental Attitude

Your outward appearance and body language are only part of your executive presence. In the end, it is all about your mindset. 

And nothing detracts from your ability to project a confident demeanor like doubting yourself. Make sure you have the correct mindset.

Avoid ambiguous phrases. When you are wanting to be regarded as an expert, tentative language may be appropriate during a brainstorming session, but it is not appropriate when you are attempting to be perceived as an expert.

• Use a Loud Voice

Throughout the meeting, speak in a louder-than-usual tone. Strong voices convey power, credibility, and confidence in addition to being audible. 

Do not be tempted to speak at conversational volume, even if you are utilizing an internal or external microphone; instead, keep a powerful voice as if you are in a large conference room.

Because of the amount of breath required, using a loud voice stops you from mumbling and speaking too quickly.

• Turn Off All Notifications

Before joining a video conference, turn off your desktop notifications. You may believe that all the pings and dings make you appear important, but it is insulting to the other participants in the virtual meeting. Make them feel valued by giving them your undivided attention.

It is also important to understand that whatever you say in the chat will appear in the final transcript. As a result, make sure your private messages are something you are happy for your supervisor to see.

• Practice Proper Framing

The perception of you as a communicator is heavily influenced by your proximity. You will be less engaging if you are further away or concealed. In a virtual meeting, your head and shoulders should take up the majority of the screen.

If you sit too near to the screen, your head may be chopped off. And if your full torso is visible on the screen, you are too close to it. Please adjust your camera if only half of your head is visible!

• Change Your Position During Meetings

Standing up allows more air into your lungs by opening your diaphragm. It also makes you sound more certain when speaking. When you are standing, you have more freedom to move around and make more gestures without worrying about hitting your desk. 

This is especially useful if you are a meeting facilitator or a teacher who has to keep people's attention. Furthermore, having more oxygen makes you feel less tired and anxious

• Reangle Your Camera and Focus on It

Making direct eye contact is a powerful method to emphasize your idea. During a virtual meeting, though, this means glancing at your camera rather than your colleagues' pleasant faces. 

Speaking into a black circle may seem strange or unnatural—we are conditioned to stare at the people we are speaking with—but politicians and performers have been doing it successfully for decades.

It can be difficult to look at your camera during the meeting, especially when your colleagues or students are speaking; nonetheless, it is crucial to remember that looking straight into the dot increases the impact of your comments.

• Maintain a Clean Background!

Back-to-back meetings can be tedious, so using a fun background might help break up the monotony. However, make proper use of them. It is easy to become sidetracked in virtual meetings.

Also, make sure there are no background noises or distractions if you are contributing to the chat. If you do not want to use a background for your video meeting, make sure your workspace is tidy and clear of distractions.

Furthermore, ensure that as much natural light as possible is shining towards your face rather than behind you. 

Your audience will be able to observe your facial expressions, and you will be able to effortlessly connect with them. Experiment with different angles to determine what works best.

• Stay Away from Distractions

Virtual meetings have certain drawbacks, such as unwanted digital distractions and background noise, disruptions from pets and youngsters, and mistakenly chatting when on mute. 

You must master your virtual and real settings if you want to appear professional.

When you are not contributing, the first and most important rule is to stay on mute. Before speaking, always know when to mute and unmute. 

Turn off the camera if you fear your actions might distract others in the meeting. Eating, chewing, or moving around are all examples of distracting activities.

• Install Your Technology

Using a monitor arm throughout the day can help you maintain better posture. It can also aid in the relief of aches and pains. A monitor arm allows for better screen and webcam positioning, making it easier to focus on your camera lens.

In addition, a monitor arm lifts your display to an ergonomic height, allowing you to look forward rather than down. 

Using a monitor arm in conjunction with an external mouse and keyboard can provide an ergonomic boost that will help you stay energized throughout the day. You can check out the Single Monitor Mount D7L from FlexiSpot today.

Takeaways

Whether you have been attending video conferences for years or are just getting started this year, it is important to understand that a virtual meeting is not the same as a chat on Zoom or Skype. 

It is a completely new collaborative experience that necessitates you to adapt your habits, strategies, and perspective to make it work for you.