What is a Virtual Meeting?
The word itself explains the meaning. The term “virtual meeting” refers to conducting a meeting without meeting personally. Online Meetings can be hosted within the same city or across the globe. Creating an online meeting room is often thought of as a cost-saving source for employees to meet for a few hours.
The process is less disruptive to office work and schedules. By using virtual meeting tools, people across the globe can collaborate virtually over the Internet. The virtual meeting software generally includes both audio and video components.
What Are the Benefits of Virtual Meetings?
- Virtual meetings are more cost-effective in comparison to physical meetings.
- Virtual meetings allow users to connect from anywhere in the world.
- Virtual meetings allow participants to share a variety of information in real time.
- Increases many opportunities.
- Enhances productivity and efficiency.
- Virtual Meetings virtually enable effective illustrations.
- Making a positive contribution to the environment.
Tips for Running Online Meetings With People in Different Countries:
1. Make Use of an Online Meeting Scheduler.
It will be challenging to figure out all the holidays, weekends, timezone “work days” overlaps, etc. If you live in one country, but what if you have participants from other countries? Don’t worry; we have a solution for that as well. If you want to know your participant’s pin code or zip code, you can get it from pincode of my location.
At such times, an international meeting scheduler comes in handy. This allows all the participants to mark the time suitable for the meeting.
If your meeting software doesn’t have an “ask the participants” option, then you can try the World Clock Meeting Planner. You need to plug in the locations of all your participants, but it gives you a good idea of what a possible meeting time (or set of times) may be.
2. Often Use Calendar Invitation File Attachments.
Many people have trouble keeping track of different time zones when scheduling meetings. So it is recommended to use a calendar invitation file to avoid confusion. Using these files, each person’s calendar application automatically converts meeting times to their local time zone without the need for manual calculations.
These files are usually sent via email and participants can easily add the meeting to their calendar by clicking on the invitation. Nevertheless, if you are not using this type of calendar application, you can use the Global time converter.
3. Make sure you post your documents in advance.
The best idea is to share the meeting document before the meeting. This becomes even more important when the participants have different native languages. Documents should be posted at least 24 hours before the meeting so everyone has time to review or translate them.
Providing documents the day before gives everyone time to prepare, plus it serves as a gentle reminder that the meeting is the next day. By doing this, more and more people will be able to attend the meeting on time.
4. Try to share the Inconvenience.
If you are scheduling a meeting with participants living in different time zones like the USA, Israel etc., it is challenging to find the right time that suits everyone.
Because there is no one time that is convenient for everyone. In this case, it is a good idea to rotate the meeting times so that each participant can meet at a time that is convenient for them.
5. Go for International Audio.
International audio communication can be a challenge. To find the best option for your team, ask them about their preferred methods of voice communication. Options include long-distance telephone, Skype, SIP, or Google Hangouts. Some may prefer a real phone connection, while others may not be able to use it due to their location.
SIP or Skype calls are usually the cheapest and easiest to set up for multiple locations, but sometimes dialling in through a corporate phone system works better. It all depends on the team’s specific needs and preferences, so be sure to ask first before making a decision.
6. Avoid Video Call During Meetings.
While some teams may enjoy video chat meetings, others don’t. To have smoother international meetings, consider skipping video. The reasons are:
- Poor internet speed affects video quality more than audio.
- Team members may not be dressed appropriately, especially if the meeting is in the middle of the night.
- Video adds more technical issues to resolve, making the meeting process slower.
- Stick to audio for easy and clear communication during international meetings.