If there is one thing that the past couple of years has shown everyone, the digital world is here to stay. If anything, it has quickened its pace as it penetrates personal and work life in so many ways.
If you are like most, you have made many adjustments and have found that the online world offers several significant advantages, mainly when accomplishing more in your career. At Virtual Zoom Office, we offer these tips for working remotely in a world that grows ever more virtual by the day.
Differentiate From Your Competitors
It is good to think you have a competitive advantage over the competition. This gives you confidence without seeming arrogant, and it can still motivate you to achieve bigger and better goals. This is certainly true when you prepare for an important presentation that you want to be informative, entertaining, and valuable. Intense preparation is one key that enables you to showcase material in a new and exciting way that others have not tried before.
Still, you might be looking for new ways to set yourself apart. Perhaps you need some new strategy to show your professional attitude clearly without being overbearing. You also want to represent your company in the best light possible as you embark on a memorable virtual presentation. While other presenters have a standard screen background or one that has no relevance to the meeting, you can do better with a customized screen background that has the following qualities:
High-resolution graphics
A prominent display of the company logo
A stunning visual presence
A clear message of focus and professionalism
You can create your background quickly and deliver it to your email inbox in less than one day. Supported by nearly every virtual platform you are likely to use, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Meet, Webex, and more, the background of your choice shows your clients that you have mastered the digital world. At Virtual Zoom Office, we provide you with all of the technical guidance you need to set up a screen background that differentiates you and your company from the rest.
Be Professional Even at Home
When you work from home, you tend to let your guard down and backslide into questionable practices. You have probably shared screen time with co-workers who have taken a lackadaisical attitude and come to the screen wearing pajamas while chewing on a donut. So far, you have resisted, but perhaps you could use a little help. Or maybe you are dissatisfied with the background you have adopted in your home, even though it looks nice enough with some well-chosen books in view.
Maybe you have chosen to stay with what you have because you are worried that improving your background is too complicated. In reality, upgrading your background to a better one is disarmingly simple. You don't need any special equipment such as a green screen, as just a plain wall of a single color will work fine. Most computer devices will support the system requirements needed to set a professional background for whatever video meeting platform you use.
Creating a branded virtual office is easy, and you can save it to your computer or phone. You can even send out the background to other team members, adding consistency to your company which is a rarity. Professional Zoom backgrounds are an excellent way to ramp up the business atmosphere even when away from the office.
Nail Your Virtual Presentation
Regardless of your preferred video meeting platform, it helps you become familiar with the program's capabilities. This allows you to incorporate innovations in presenting your information, giving you added flexibility that could be helpful. For example, you can use breakout rooms in Zoom that let different groups discuss a topic and then have everyone reunite to compare findings.
Proper business dress is always a good idea, so don't carry the relaxed format too far and wear something you wouldn't put on for an in-person presentation. Another good tip is to check your energy level before the presentation as it could be lower than is ideal. If that is the case, consider standing up and moving some during the meeting and asking others to join in the movement.
The addition of a wired headset could free you up to move a little more. Other tips for a successful presentation include the following:
Invest in some good lighting
Engage others with questions and feedback
Set ground rules such as no looking at phones
Speak clearly and plainly
It also makes sense to ask for help from someone on your team. This person can monitor questions, especially side chats, and help with technical issues. If this is your first online presentation, you might be nervous or unsure, so reaching out to others could calm you down enough to improve your performance. You owe it to your material and career to put your best foot forward.
Go Above & Beyond
The more you work in the virtual world of business, the better you will get at it. It takes time to master all of the nuances of connecting to partners and clients through a computer interface, but it can be done.
The basics are essential: use a professional screen background, prepare as best you can, dress appropriately, and respect your audience. All of this will go a long way toward making sure your audience has a reason to tune in and stay engaged.
The early days of online meetings and presentations saw behavior that might make you cringe now. These events included indifferent lectures, lousy lighting, intermittent connections, and other atrocities. Now that a virtual meeting is a part of how people do business, there is no excuse for unprofessional actions. Zoom Virtual Office helps showcase your company's brand on every outbound video call.