Photo credit
Let’s be honest, we have all “multitasked” during Zoom meetings—doing things we’d never do if the meeting were held in a conference room. Drinking alcohol, exercising, watching television, doing household chores and going to the bathroom are just some of the Zoom meeting multitasking remoter workers admitted in one survey conducted by Quality Logo.
Of the 1,000 participants, 80% owned up to zoning out more in online meetings than in person. While it’s always comforting to know you’re not alone, meetings remain the most powerful way to make your mark and build your personal brand. That’s hard to do if you’re also texting, like 86% of participants, doing other work (75%) or online shopping (56%). Or you keep your webcam off for the majority of online assemblies, which is what half of the participants said they do.
Tuning out takes away your opportunity to showcase your skills in front of an audience you seek to influence and impact. The new normal requires a new set of soft skills.
Indeed, it takes more effort to pay attention to a meeting that’s happening on your 13” screen. Virtual meetings are less visceral. Less engaging. And we somehow treat them as less important. Add to that the fact that we all think we can multitask effectively (which isn’t true—only 2.5% of us have brains that are wired for true multitasking) and you have the perfect recipe for tuning out.
Here's the good news. If we have all become so jaded and apathetic and dismissive of virtual meetings, and we all expect them to be boring, you have the opportunity to truly stand out when you buck the trend and deliver an online meeting that’s magnetic, engaging and memorable. Here are 4 ways to amp up the allure of the online meetings you lead:
1. Make your message coherent and compelling.
Part of the reason people reach for an alternative activity during meetings is that the topics meander and aren’t gripping. A shorter meeting that’s rich with important, interesting content delivered in a fun and engaging way will stave off some of the distraction. To do this, send prep materials for participants to read/watch before the meeting. Just make sure that those materials are also compelling. Once the group has gathered together, focus on a clear objective.
2. Design billboards, not slides.
In an online meeting, you’re often competing against other screens: multiple tabs on a laptop, constant messages on a phone, a news crawl on a smart TV, and even a screened-in window with a great view of the neighborhood squirrels are all offering something to look at besides your presentation. Increase the excitement of your materials. When you share your screen, make sure what you share is readable, intriguing and visually engaging. No one wants to take an eye test during a meeting. Use images and video, avoiding the 26 letters of the alphabet. Make sure any words you do use (and try to keep them to 12 or fewer on the slide) are 32 pt or larger. And if you really want to make your mark, use tools like mmhmm or Prezi to deliver a much more connective experience for your participants.
3. Surprise!
Add unexpected features to your presentations. Our brains go on autopilot when things look the same for too long. To keep people engaged, use interstitials to interrupt the brain waves and get people to re-engage. Interstitials can be as simple as a screen of a vibrant color or a quick, entertaining video clip. Thought-provoking, impromptu questions can also do the trick.
4. Keep the audience busy.
It’s called “a meeting” because participants are supposed to be interacting with each other. A lecture no longer requires a meeting; you could just record it in advance. Take advantage of the gathering by adding generous levels of interaction. It’s harder to disengage when you need to participate throughout a meeting. Polls, word clouds, breakouts and whiteboards give your participants a mandate to stay engaged. But make those activities productive and worthwhile. You don’t want your personal brand to be associated with pointless busywork.
These online meeting enhancements are not that hard to implement, and the extra work you put in will help you expand your personal brand as a dynamic innovator while ensuring that your important messages get heard.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of the Personal Brand Power Audit - a complimentary quiz that helps you measure the strength of personal brand.
