Best Virtual Meeting Solutions

Virtual meetings are different from face-to-face meetings in the following ways:

• Cost differences: Face-to-face meetings and conferences may be rather costly due to travel fees, housing, venue rental, and the packaging and shipping of exhibits. Some research claims that virtual or teleconference meetings can save you 50 to 80 percent of the cost of a face-to-face meeting.

• Location flexibility differences: Face-to-face meetings necessitate participants being in the same location at the same time, but virtual meetings can be held in even the most remote locales.

• Multitasking differences: According to research, those who attend a virtual meeting are more likely to multitask than those who attend a face-to-face meeting.
• Communication differences: Virtual meetings can save money and eliminate geographical barriers between participants, but they can't match the effectiveness of face-to-face human communication. Many virtual meetings lack the nonverbal indicators that we employ in person, such as tone of voice, body language, facial expression, and other nonverbal indications that can suggest uncertainty, discomfort, or disagreement. This can result in misinterpretation.

• Bonding differences: According to research, face-to-face meetings develop team bonds and provide an experience that promotes comfort among virtual coworkers. Shared experiences, spontaneous chats, and the experience of personality nuances are harder to come by when meeting online. Workers report that the immediacy and closeness of a face-to-face encounter cannot be duplicated.

• Differences in effect on the environment: Due to the additional energy and fuel consumed for transportation, handouts, nametags, meals, and waste, a face-to-face meeting has a higher carbon footprint than a virtual meeting.

Here are some dos and don’ts of virtual meetings:

• Do have all the right equipment and check your internet connection before the meeting.
• Do make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the meeting.
• Do turn off your mic when you’re not speaking.
• Do try to make small talk.
• Do maintain eye contact.
• Don't invite unnecessary participants.
• Don’t set up your webcam in front of a window.
• Do make sure you have a meeting agenda.
• Do give everyone an opportunity to participate.
• Do check that your background is appropriate before the meeting.
• Don't wait until the meeting time to login.
• Don't try to multitask.
• Don’t eat during the meeting.
• Don’t type too much on the keyboard during the meeting.
• Don't forget to send a follow-up email.

Ideally, a virtual meeting should last between 15 and 45 minutes. This ensures that everyone stays focused and engaged and gets the most out of their time. If you can't get through all of the talking points in that time, you may need to spend more time preparing for the meeting. Long meetings can bore your team and waste their time.

For a virtual meeting, you need:

• Good office space: Consider a space with a professional-looking background and low noise level.
• Good hardware: At a bare minimum, you’ll need a reliable internet connection and a device with video and audio capabilities, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
• Good office tools:
  
  • An ergonomic keyboard
  • A computer mouse
  • A comfy office chair
  • A headset with microphone
• Good software: Look for a program that has these basic capabilities:
  
  • Screen sharing
  • Chat features
  • File sharing
  • Integration with popular programs

VIrtual meeting software are platforms that bring people together over the internet. This software typically incorporates video conferencing as well as options such as chat, responses, and screen sharing. “Online meeting platforms” is another term for these programs. This software works in a similar way to virtual event platforms in that it can aid with virtual team engagement and team building activities.

All of our PeerSpot users agree when it comes to what qualities and features make virtual meeting software successful, that the speed and quality of a call are what make the difference between a good option and a bad one. Real-time speed, audio clarity, and call reliability are all essential, and a quick setup process would also contribute to overall user satisfaction.

With the basics accounted for, additional features can include:

• HD video: Look for virtual meeting software that delivers HD quality video.

• Built-in recording capabilities: This will enable you to record the session and save it to your online training library for later viewing. Make sure it captures the comment section as well.

• Screen sharing: This is a crucial feature needed for all virtual tasks. Screen sharing allows you to share visuals, demonstrate how to do a specific task, or troubleshoot a common issue.
  
  
• Mobile accessibility: Modern employees require mobile access to virtual meeting platforms. Your tool must be compatible with mobile devices. Attendees should be able to dial in using their preferred device at any time and from anywhere.

• Advanced scheduling and calendar: Most virtual meeting solutions come with comprehensive scheduling and calendaring capabilities so that you’ll be able to add events to your community calendar by creating them.

• Audio conference support: With this function, employees can call in from their mobile device or computer thanks to VoIP support.

• Simple interface: Look for a user-friendly, intuitive platform where the user interface has a low learning curve.

• Customer support: Vendor support may be in the form of online live chats with customer support reps, FAQs, or a vast knowledge base that includes online training tutorials and demos.

• Dial-in emails and reminders: This function allows you to invite a specific group of users and send an e-vite, followed by a follow-up email the morning of the event. These notifications also include information on how to join the meeting and the PIN codes that will be needed to log in.