Virtual meetings are quickly becoming the norm in today’s workplace, with nearly 70% of respondents to a recent survey using them at least once a week. If you want to improve your team’s productivity while saving money and time, consider some of these tools and ideas for virtual meetings that will make them easier to set up and more successful when they happen.
Read on for our comprehensive guide about how virtual meetings work and how they benefit your business.
Getting Started
When it comes to virtual meetings, there are several different ways of carrying them out. Find what works best for you, whether that’s Google meetings, Skype, or an old-fashioned conference call. And once you’ve found a platform that suits your needs, make sure you take advantage of all its features. For example, if your virtual meeting platform offers screen-sharing capabilities, try using it during presentations (it allows remote attendees to follow along more easily).
You can also use video chat on platforms like Zoom if everyone agrees beforehand; it makes for a less stressful atmosphere and lets people see one another face-to-face even if they’re far apart geographically. With all these options at your disposal, virtual meetings are easy!
Why Have a Virtual Meeting?
With virtual meeting platforms becoming increasingly common, your business should take advantage of them. Virtual meetings are convenient for every attendee, provide a more realistic way to communicate, and allow you to meet at any time or place. Just because you don’t have an office doesn’t mean you can’t schedule virtual meetings! If your business does not require face-to-face interaction, consider using virtual meetings instead of in-person meetings whenever possible.
Remote communication tools, such as call services and video conferencing platforms, have transformed communication in recent years. Though online communication platforms may not be ideal for all scenarios, they can often serve business needs better than in-person meetings. From saving money on travel expenses to allowing for work-from-home situations when needed, virtual meetings can prove invaluable when used appropriately. In fact, a survey by Gartner shows 78% of employees use web conferencing tools. Whether you’re starting a new company or simply looking for ways to cut down on business travel, virtual meetings are a great tool that you should be using. Using technology to communicate instead of going in person is faster and easier for everyone involved because it eliminates delays due to traffic or other issues with scheduling across time zones.
Types of Virtual Meetings
There are several types of virtual meetings, which can be used for different types of conversations.
The two most common are webinars and teleconferences, but there is also screen sharing, video conferencing, Google meetings, Skype calls, and more.
It’s important to know what each one looks like so you know how to prepare for each type of conversation.
A webinar requires no special software or equipment—just an internet connection and a place to sit where you won’t be disturbed. Teleconferences are just that—you’re on a conference call using your telephone or VoIP device.
It’s often best not to use your cell phone because these calls can drop unexpectedly or have interference from other signals in your area.
In-Person Meeting vs. Virtual Meeting Platforms
In-Person Meetings are costly and time-consuming. When I started my business, I would travel three hours (each way) for an in-person meeting with a client that was over an hour away from me. Granted it is easier when you meet your clients in person because they can see your face and how you react to their questions and problems; but these meetings will make it hard for your clients and yourself to keep track of things like progress, deadlines, and action items. On top of that traveling costs money which adds up if you have several clients who are not near by you.
The solution? Try using online communication tools like Skype, Zoom or Google meetings to conduct virtual meetings with potential or current clients instead of costly traditional ways of communicating.
Hurdles to Overcome
Virtual meetings come with their own set of challenges, namely distractions. As an attendee, you’ll need to be prepared for potential interruptions—particularly if your virtual meeting is streamed over a public platform like Google meetings. To keep yourself focused on your tasks, you’ll want to keep your computer setup uncluttered and prepare questions ahead of time. If possible, try not to multitask while attending virtual meetings; instead, create a no-interruptions work environment where you can concentrate on your assignments uninterrupted. If you’re running a meeting rather than just attending one, put yourself in your participants’ shoes—are they getting enough information? Be careful not to steamroll through any topic too quickly or without enough context.
Finding the Right Virtual Meeting Platform
There are several virtual meeting platforms online, so you want to think about which is best for your needs..
Virtual Meeting Platform should have features like an integrated calendar, one-click dialing, and video/audio conferencing capabilities, along with a reliable chat function.
If you’re a larger company with a team of more than 10 people, it’s probably worth investing in a paid platform.
Free services might work for smaller teams but could get complicated if your company is bigger. Make sure you have enough bandwidth so everyone can connect easily from all around the world.
You’ll also want to make sure there are no hidden costs on these platforms—many require upgrades for advanced functionality or add-ons for things like training courses or extra help desk support that some businesses may not need.
Top Virtual Meeting Platforms
When it comes to virtual meetings, selecting the right tools can be extremely beneficial in terms of efficiently and effectively managing your online meeting.
To help you out with this, here are seven of the best virtual meeting platforms in 2021!
Zoom
Zoom is one of my favorite tools for conducting virtual meetings. I’ve used it for client calls, video interviews and webinars—and, yes, I even use it on some client calls. Why? One word: bandwidth. Since some people prefer not to install new software or download apps on their devices, using a platform like Zoom makes it possible for everyone to access a meeting from any device without having to worry about software compatibility issues.
The free plan allows for up to 100 simultaneous participants and a 40-minute time limit. Users can upgrade to a paid plan by subscribing to it.
Google Meet
Google Meet lets your host or join a meeting from your PC, laptop, tablet or even smartphone.
It’s been popular for a while now, especially since Google added voice calling and screen sharing features.
This app by Google is one of two apps that takes the place of Google Hangouts, with the other being Google Chat.
Google meet lets you hold video meetings with people inside or outside of your organization.
Skype
Skype is one of the oldest virtual meeting tools. It has a simple and familiar interface and is easy to use.
This tool is also very handy for sharing visuals without having to worry about file sizes or how much bandwidth you’re using.
It can support virtual meetings for up to 50 participants with no registration or download is required for joining the meetings.
According to Skype, more than 2 billion minutes of voice and video are being used each day over its platform.
That’s roughly 3 million hours each day! So you can see why many people consider it essential business tool.
Cisco Webex
Cisco Webex is business-oriented video conferencing software. Webex has long helped businesses stay connected thanks to its simple controls and tight security. You can hold virtual meetings or games with up to 100 people for any length of time if you sign up for Webex’s free plan. In contrast, Zoom limits your meeting time to 40 minutes if you have three or more people in it.
Webex also records all virtual meetings, you can view recordings of previous sessions. This helps keep everyone accountable and on track during calls.
As a result, if you use Webex for your next online meeting, you won’t have to worry about time limits.
Slack
Slack enables team members to communicate with one another through chat capabilities, customizable notifications, and a streamlined interface with a variety of office functions.
It also features audio calling, file sharing and group huddles etc.
Slack offers many other features like persistent chat rooms organized by topic, private groups, and direct messaging.
It can be great for your internal communication needs.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams have been used for over a year now. It has become many company’s tool of choice for internal communication.
The app can help you work more efficiently and collaborate more effectively. It works with Microsoft Office programs like Word and SharePoint, and its architecture and infrastructure make it extremely dynamic. Skype for Business can now be integrated into Microsoft Teams, according to the company.
Microsoft Teams is a general-purpose workplace chat platform, but its video conferencing feature is as compelling and effective. Directly from their chats, users can start video conferences.
Facetime
This well-known platform may be used for more than just interacting with friends and family; it can also be used for business meetings.
It offers a free plan, which is a good way to test it out. On a more prosaic level, you can also view polls and files from people working outside your company.
BlueJeans
BlueJeans is an online meeting platform for live online meetings, webinars, and video calling.
The unique feature Blue Jeans is that it connects participants across a wide range of devices and platforms.
The BlueJeans service brings high-quality video meetings out of the realm of specialised conference rooms and into the realm of daily business.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a platform that is easy to use, without any complicated technical set up required. So you can launch meetings in minutes — not days — and get your team together for fast, effective collaboration with no fuss or hassle.
You can use a laptop or desktop computer connected via a standard web browser. Or, even better, join your meeting from your mobile device using an app that allows full audio and video streaming quality on low bandwidth connections such as 3G networks.
Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect The best part? It’s all free for 90 days for holding small meetings.
Not only does this service include desktop sharing, messaging, and video chatting, but it also allows you to create microsites, organize emails, and create digital rooms that are customizable to match your company’s logo.
It is mostly a web conferencing solution for schools and organizations.
Amazon Chime
For virtual meetings, this service synchronizes with Alexa, Amazon’s AI assistant service.
Calls, messaging, digital meetings, and video conferencing are all available with Amazon Chime. If you merely utilise the platform’s basic capabilities, the service is free; however, depending on which features are used, pro features can cost you.
ON24
ON24 allows marketers to create information-based, interactive webinars, content learning, and audience behavior interpretation through polls, surveys, engagement and conversation monitoring, and resource analysis.
You can also record multiple takes of webinars or meetings and switch between live and previously recorded presentations. This service provides a 30-day free trial period.
ON24 allows you to broadcast your meeting live online through multiple platforms, record it for on-demand viewing, and share it on social media sites such as YouTube and LinkedIn.
It can be used for large-scale cooperate meetings and gatherings.
Cvent
Cvent is a leading tool when it comes to strategic business meetings.
The company offers corporate meeting solutions to drive your company’s meeting and event objectives.
All in one end-to-end platform, Cvent can help you in improving engagement and the overall attendee experience.
Their system uses high-end technology with great customer support.
Conclusion
Regardless of your industry, hosting virtual meetings will help you spend less time in transit and more time with your team. The ability to conduct virtual meetings can be especially helpful if you have remote employees or contractors. Plus, when you host virtual meetings regularly, it sends a strong message that you value collaboration and efficiency. And when meeting attendees are eager for regular check-ins, it’s easier for everyone on your team to stay in sync—and do so in a way that doesn’t strain their schedules or budgets. All of these benefits add up to one thing: You can spend less time scheduling inefficient client calls or traveling between different offices for impromptu get-togethers and more time focusing on what really matters—your business.
Want to host virtual events, we have created a list of top virtual event platforms here.