How to host your next remote video meeting without feeling awkward

May 12, 2020
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As many of us are still working from home and video meetings are becoming the norm, having your camera on can still feel slightly awkward. Whether it’s making sure you are wearing the right clothes, having a tidy background or making sure family members are quiet, holding a remote video meeting can be daunting and uncomfortable.

Giving presentations is nerve-racking enough without having to deal with the pressure of presenting remotely to colleagues or clients. Making sure you are on point digitally can be even harder on top of worrying about if technology will cooperate. But don’t worry, we’ve got some top tips to make sure your next remote presentation is less awkward, even more engaging, and that you’re oozing with confidence.

Use our top tips to make a few minor tweaks and you’ll be sure to end awkward remote video meetings once and for all:

Choose a reliable conference platform

  • Making sure that you use a reliable platform and one that you know how to use will help to avoid any technical issues. How to use Zoom and Mentimeter 

Test the tech you are going to use

  • If it is your first time using Mentimeter, practicing before your live online presentation can ease any nerves and minimize any unexpected issues, check out this help article for how to do so  
  • Check your microphone and camera work on the chosen conferencing platform

Create an interactive presentation  

  • Interactive questions are perfect for online meetings. In the middle of a remote presentation, asking the audience questions may get little response. You don’t want to single people out for their thoughts as this can make things even more uncomfortable and awkward. Instead, use multiple choice questions or open-ended questions to get the audience to input answers from their smartphones. That way, it is much less intimidating for the audience to give their opinions and the answers can spark discussions and increase engagement.
  • Learn how to create an interactive presentation with Mentimeter with this short video
  • Avoid people trying to jump in and disrupt your flow mid-presentation by enabling Q&A throughout your presentation. Presenting remotely with Mentimeter allows participants to submit questions throughout the meeting and the host can answer them when they feel is appropriate or dedicate a slide to answering questions. That way you avoid colleagues talking over one another and don’t lose your train of thought.

Get prepared and ready in enough time before the remote video meeting

  • A recent study by Mentimeter found that 46% of people spend more time on their personal appearance before a video meeting and 44% said they choose to wear different clothes when they make video calls. Getting dressed in appropriate clothes for your audience is important to make sure you aren’t underdressed or overdressed
  • Find a quiet space. We all remember the BBC reporter whose video call got interrupted when his children walked into the room

Finally, don’t overdo it with the video calls. It can be exhausting to try and keep eye contact with someone on a video call for over an hour and sometimes a phone call is all that is needed. However, if a video call is unavoidable then make sure you don’t schedule back-to-back video meetings. If that is not possible, allowing a break in between can help you feel less drained and more focussed for the next meeting.

Get inspired for your next remote meeting with our business templates.

Impress with interactive presentations