Effective online meetings require more than the right video meeting software. It’s about creating the right environment and encouraging participation. Virtual participants aren’t able to see your non-verbal signals, making it difficult to keep them engaged and focused. By making a few changes to your online meeting, it’s possible to be more efficient than ever before.

Keep the Meeting Brief

Ineffective meetings tend to be long and drag on far longer than necessary. To keep your team’s attention and keep it interested make sure you limit the length of the meeting. As a rule, you should limit the length of your meeting to the effective online meetings amount of time you will spend discussing each item on the agenda.

Use short, simple slides

It is important to keep your slides short and simple in order to not distract your audience. People are likely to lose interest and concentration if you use overly-detailed, full of paragraphs. Instead, think of your slides as tools to illustrate and enhance your presentation, rather than the main presentation itself.

Encourage your team members to participate in the meeting by asking ideas and questions in advance. This will allow introverts to feel more comfortable, and lets reserved people contribute. Also, encourage them to DM you on Slack with any concerns. This allows everyone to voice their opinions without disrupting the meeting. It also makes it easier to review and share notes after the meeting.