Business Etiquette for Zoom Meetings

  Run Your Client Meetings Like A Pro In A Zoom World

It’s fair to say that much about the world and how we do business has changed over the past two years. Businesses were forced to utilize virtual platforms in place of in-person meetings, adapting to stay safe while remaining effective. 

While Zoom calls are not always required anymore, it is pretty clear that they aren’t going anywhere and have become a permanent way of doing business, at least at times. In fact, The Growth Coach franchise considers the virtual platform a long-term part of the brand’s recruitment strategy, as well as a tool for its franchise owners to use in assisting their clients.  

So how can you ensure to make your Zoom meetings dynamic and productive? We have a few tips for you. 

• Be Punctual - Really, this goes for any meeting but seems to be reinforced when it comes to Zoom meetings. With the ability to take a meeting from seemingly anywhere, you tend to try to get “just a few more things done” before you log on for a call. Plan ahead, and make sure that you are ready and at your computer, a few minutes before the meeting starts.
• Understand the Controls and Settings - Particularly if you are hosting the Zoom meeting, it is essential to understand how the meeting is set up and ensure that everyone can participate.
  
  
  • If the waiting room is enabled, you will need to admit your guests. Be sure to monitor this because being locked out of a meeting that you have been invited to is frustrating.
    
    
  • Planning to share your screen or present during your Zoom? Do a test run. This is not something you should be figuring out how to do as you go along.
    
    
  • Monitor the chat or have a colleague monitor the chat if applicable to your meeting, as someone may be trying to participate without you realizing it.
    
    
  • If juggling all of this seems a little overwhelming, you may want to consider adding a co-host to your meeting that can assist you. 
• Be Aware of the Mute Button - While there is nothing worse than realizing you are NOT on mute when you thought you were, there is nothing more frustrating for your fellow Zoom attendees to have to continuously tell you that you are on mute. 
• Use Video - Unless you are someplace where you really cannot be on video, you should always turn the video on for your Zoom meetings. While it can be uncomfortable to look at yourself on the screen, no one likes to talk to a blank screen. With that being said, if your video is on, be aware of your background - because everyone else will. 
• Dress Appropriately - We all know that our collective dress code seems to have changed significantly over the past two years, but that doesn’t mean you should not dress appropriately for your Zoom meetings. Just like you would for an in-person meeting, dressing for your Zoom meeting should reflect the type of meeting and who will be in attendance with you.
  
  
• Be Engaging - Particularly if you are one of the multiple attendees of a Zoom meeting, it can be tempting to try to multi-task and get a few things done while you listen to what others are saying. If you wouldn’t multi-task in the middle of an in-person meeting, you definitely shouldn’t do it while on a Zoom meeting. It is very clear when someone is not paying attention and it is disrespectful to others taking the time to be in the meeting. 
• Make Eye Contact - While you may not be sitting in the same room with the others in your Zoom meeting, that doesn’t mean that you can’t look them in the eye. It can be distracting for those on the call with you if you never make eye contact and leave them wondering what exactly you are looking at. 
• Slow Down and Pause - If you are a fast talker, Zoom might be a bit more of a struggle for you. It can be hard for your fellow meeting attendees to follow what you are saying if you talk too fast. Similarly, it can be hard to interject a comment during a Zoom meeting if the person who is speaking doesn’t pause occasionally to get others' input. 
• Upgrade Your Technology - If you participate in Zoom meetings with any regularity, you may want to upgrade your camera and microphone to ensure a high-quality visual and audio experience. 
• Check Your Internet Connection - Sometimes a bad connection is out of your control, but you should know going into the meeting if it is going to be a problem so you can warn fellow attendees. Again, if you are taking Zoom meetings regularly from the same space, you may need to upgrade your WiFi so that it can handle the meeting without any lag time. 

How The Growth Coach Adapted to the Virtual Platform 

As a unique business training program, The Growth Coach mixes affordable group coaching with high-powered one-on-one coaching to help businesses reach their goals. And that didn’t change during the global pandemic. In fact, The Growth Coach earned a special distinction from the International Franchise Association as one of the top eight franchises to open to support businesses and economic recovery at the time. 

Just as The Growth Coach franchise owners utilized new technologies to help their clients adapt to change at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Growth Coach franchise turned to the virtual platform to continue to support its franchise owners. It allowed The Growth Coach to provide its coaching curriculum safely and effectively at a time when it was not safe to do so in person. 

The pivot to the virtual platform was so successful that the virtual platform is now a long-term part of the strategy for The Growth Coach as it works to attract knowledgeable and ambitious professionals to join the business coaching team. It’s not surprising then that Franchise Gator has chosen The Growth Coach as a Top Emerging Franchise for 2021. 

Are you ready to join Entrepreneur Magazine’s #1 ranked Business Coaching Franchise? Owning a Growth Coach franchise has never been easier and you can be up and running in just a few months. Check out our 8 Steps to Owning a Growth Coach Franchise, and contact us to get started.