5 pro tips to prepare for virtual meetings: understanding your audience

2020 has been the _year of virtual meetings_. And those of you who teach, present, and facilitate for a living might be facing setbacks as a result of losing the face-to-face component of

your work. Admit it or not, understanding your audience via a screen is _difficult_. It’s _hard_ to _feel_ the same in-person _natural energy_ through a screen. And that’s where awkwardness

comes into play with participants experiencing _barriers_ to connection and participation. But we have five pro tips that will help you prepare for virtual meetings to understand your

audience, keep their attention, and avoid distractions! So, let’s begin. TURN ON VIDEO AND MAKE YOUR PRESENCE FELT Body language is one of the essential parts of communication. Turning on

the video will help you build a _connection_ _with_ your _audience_. Moreover, seeing each other and interacting will _cut down_ other _distractions_ and _allow_ both of you to

_concentrate_. Don’t just stay idle during the video call. Make _your presence_ _felt_ and be active. Making eye contact, calling your partner by name, asking questions, etc. will help you

make your presence felt. It will not only activate your presence but _encourage_ all of the _members_ in the virtual meeting to stay awake and _active_. MAKE THINGS PERSONAL No one likes to

attend a cold-formal meeting, especially if it’s virtual. Make yourself _presentable_, _friendly_, and _engaging_ while you are connected with your virtual audience. Greet people by their

names, give them attention, and share a smile or two to make them feel like you are with them in person. SKETCH OUT RULES Creating rules for your virtual meeting will _set expectations_ for

everyone. All people in the conference will be expected to follow the rules to ensure a smooth and soothing virtual meeting experience. Some rules you can set out for your virtual meetings

are: · TURNING OFF ALL DEVICES APART FROM THE ACTIVE ONE · TURNING ON VIDEO · MUTING MIC IF A PERSON ISN’T SPEAKING, ETC. Before anyone joins the meeting room, distribute a checklist that

they can follow during the meeting. This way, the decorum of the meeting will stay _intact_, and everyone will be able to make the most of it. FOLLOW UP AND GIVE FEEDBACK Before your virtual

meeting ends, take five or ten minutes for everyone to cool down and then _ask for feedback_. _Encourage_ everyone to _ask questions _one by one and share their opinion about the current

session. Give everyone a chance to speak out and listen to what they have to share. After the feedback session, _summarize_ and _debrief_ your team with quick and vital _highlights of the

session_. After everyone has signed off, ask yourself how things could have been better. Always remember, think, and reflect back. SET UP A PLAN For every virtual meeting, it’s _essential_

to _have a plan_. Without a plan, the members or the meeting’s head will not be able to stay on the same page. Firstly, _share_ your meeting’s _agenda_ will all the attendants before the

meeting. Next up, _provide_ them _with_ the _necessary_ _documents_ so they can learn what will be going down in the meeting. Lastly, make the attendants aware of how the meeting will be

conducted with some _pointers_. These five pro tips will help you to understand your audience and limit distractions in no time. > WHAT TIPS DO YOU USE DURING THE PREPARATION FOR A 

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