Online Meeting: How to Grab Attention

It’s 2021, and the digital world is taking up more and more space in our daily life. Now, even the majority of work-related affairs, whether meetings, business discussions or briefings, happen online. Still, not all of us have adjusted to the new reality just yet.

Unfortunately, many struggle to have their voices heard during those online meetings. After all, getting noticed is a rather complicated task even when you are sitting in the same room with your business associates. What then to say about participating in an online meeting from your home? 

Of course, being a part of such meetings in general is already a challenging experience. However, trying to draw attention to what you have to say is a test on its own.

Fortunately, we have found a few winning techniques on how to grab attention during an online meeting. Use these tips during your next group call to make a good impression. 

Remove distractions

First and foremost, make sure that you are not complicating your task of grabbing attention by having distractions around you. Remove everything that does not help you in bringing the focus on you. Start with the sound. See if you have any external noises, like music from the next room, pets, and find how to avoid those.

Make a soundcheck before the call to test your microphone. Next, choose the background for your video. Examine the view behind you and set the camera at the best angle. Remove any items in the background that can distract others. 

At last, getting closer to the camera can be a good idea. First of all, it creates intimacy by leaving little space between you and a camera. Your listeners have no other choice now but to look directly at you. Secondly, you erase the distance between you and the screen. Hence, it communicates confidence and results in more trusting and close relationships. 

Get to the point

Often, we don’t have many chances to speak up or be heard during a group chat. Thus, make every speaking moment count. Whenever you have a chance to speak up, go straight to the point. Try to grab the attention of your listeners with the facts, data, or other valuable information.

Be brief. No one appreciates verbosity during an online meeting. Speak with confidence. Adjust your voice and tone to stimulate attention. Yet, don’t forget to be polite and follow the formal protocol of a business meeting. 

Engage with others

One way to grab someone’s attention is to ask them for it directly. Try to engage with the others when it’s appropriate. For example, you can ask questions, address people by their names, and call for action. If you want to be noticed, act like it. Make it hard to ignore you by engaging with others. Besides, people love hearing their names. So, when you address them (in a kind manner), they will remember you.

Dress to impress

Remember we told you to remove any distractions? Well, this rule doesn’t apply to dressing up. You need to look both great and professional. It can feel somewhat silly to dress up when you don’t even leave your house. Yet, it can be a final step in your attention-grabbing journey. You should look formal and elegant.

Choosing clothes for an online meeting can be a drag, though. First, you can’t go for a full look as people see you only up to the waistline at best. Still, your choice of clothes matters. Secondly, consider your background. Make sure you don’t blend in with your wallpaper or surrounding. 

Rehearse

Many of us don’t like hearing our voices on speakers or seeing ourselves on a screen. Yet, those two things lie in the very essence of online meetings. If you know that you are uncomfortable in such situations, rehearse your appearance beforehand.

Turn on your laptop camera, put your laptop where it will be during the meeting, and rehearse your future meeting. After all, you feel much more confident buying items online after reading about them. No student ever paid for assignments without reading an online essay writer review. You are doing a similar thing here by working on an impression you want to achieve during a meeting.

So, see what angles make you look better. Of course, your appearance has little to do with professionalism. Yet, liking your reflection will certainly boost your confidence.

Experiment with the lighting, too. Certain light can help you hide all skin imperfections while others expose all the flaws. Overall, spend some time in front of a camera to get used to your image there. Also, remember that laptop cameras do make us look a little funny. So, don’t take it close to your heart if your nose seems odd to you or your eyes are too small. It’s just the screen.