It can sometimes be hard to meet the clients and colleagues in real life. For the same, technology has found a number of ways to get in touch with them. You can do it by the means of video conferencing on Skype. This process is called virtual meetings. So, when you are holding one of these, you need to follow the following rules.

• Make proper introductions

Introduce the people at the meeting, particularly if new people are joining the group and when given the time permits, you can also give a brief background on everyone involved. This helps in establishing team cohesion. If your team meets on a regular basis then you can ask for updates since the last meeting. Always keep in mind to conduct all the meetings with civility and respect. And always be respectful of others’ time and always be present. There should be no multitasking when in a meeting.

• Involve everyone

As people are not in the room together, it becomes easy for someone to miss out on the details. People may also not contribute and you may not be able to notice that as well. When you are leading the meeting, you need to maintain control all the time but never be too dominating. You can empower every participant for sharing their ideas and contribute to the group. Always make the participants feel valued by collecting their feedback or else they may just get bored.

• Always choose video over audio

In order to make the most of your virtual meeting, you can use the video conferencing where every participant can view each other and you can view them too. You can get the most undivided attention from this and can also pick up on the non verbal cues and facial expressions and what is being conveyed. Video involves more people because it lets them see each other’s emotions and reaction that humanizes the room instantly.

• Use latest technology

In the midst of an essential conversation, you don’t want the meeting to be interrupted because of a poor quality connection or equipment failures. There are many popular technologies that can be used for virtual conferences like Skype, WebEx etc. that lets the participants share documents while being an active participant in the meeting. Go with the medium that is easily accessible to everyone.