Good morning! Do you have one minute to read and one hour to do? If so, you can improve your small business’ marketing in a big way. Each week, we will provide new ideas. Grab your morning beverage and let’s get started:
This Week: How Marketers Can Master Virtual Meetings
These days, there is a new way we are “marketing” to potential customers (and others): through virtual meetings and get-togethers. Like any vehicle that we use to market our product or ourselves, a little time spent thinking through the details ahead of time, along with some planning, can help.
Follow these four steps to learn how you can master virtual meetings.
STEP ONE
Background
So you have a virtual meeting scheduled. Where will you sit? Be sure to choose a place with a complimentary background. Avoid having large, distracting things behind your head. Make sure the area is neat and clean.
Also, make sure the background is “on brand”. The area seen on screen behind a financial planner should be different from the background of a wedding planner.
Finally, make sure there is good light. All your efforts will be undone if you are sitting in the dark or bathed in white light.
STEP TWO
Camera Angle
This is the place many people miss. Locate the camera button on your device and make sure it is eye level with you. Adjusting your chair or putting your computer on a box to make it higher are options that can help.
STEP THREE
Check Out How You Look on Screen
Start out by opening your software and noticing how you look on screen. The camera frame accentuates the few items it captures, so make sure your hair is combed, your collar is straight, that sort of thing. Consider adding a piece of clothing that helps convey your brand image: be it a blazer, leather jacket, or a warm-up jacket.
STEP FOUR
Keep Your Audience Engaged
Like all of our forms of communication, we want to keep our audience engaged. It gets even harder here, so pay attention to:
Tone – keep it positive and energetic
Eye contact – look directly into the camera when you are talking. Do things like smile and nod your head at appropriate times to show you are listening. Ask questions. Refrain from not looking at the camera when you are not talking. Keep glancing at notes or emails to a minimum.
Body language – sit up straight with your shoulders back and lean in. Avoid slumping back in your chair or resting your head on your hands.
Gestures – minimize hand motions for two reason: one, fast gestures can result in a blurry screen, and two, often your hand gestures leave the area captured by the camera, rendering them ineffective.
Payoff: With a little practice, you can become one of the best at virtual communications, and you can add another communications tool that you excel at to your marketing arsenal. Start putting these tips into practice today! If you haven’t had a virtual business meeting yet, it is only a matter of time.
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