Now that connecting business from remote locations has become routine, forward-​thinking managers are setting up new rules for video meetings. When the pandemic first started, and we were all getting used to the idea of working from home, we enjoyed the novelty. Never before had we seen our top leaders’ cool home offices or poorly behaved pets. While these glimpses into personal life might improve team bonding, they do little to build rapport with prospects who are increasingly hesitant to do business with vendors they don’t know well. As Betsy Morris writes in the Wall Street Journal, it’s “time to get serious about video meetings.”

Personal Image

Vide chat meetings are now accepted as one of the best ways to meet prospects and clients. If your team members aren’t up to speed on the new rules of video chat etiquette, remind them that they need to look their best for these sessions. Make sure their equipment works and that they’re in front of the camera when a meeting begins. The camera should be on and stay on for the entire meeting. When team members shift to an avatar during a meeting, attendees get distracted or they imagine that your rep isn’t paying attention.

Conference Room Behavior

Your sales reps wouldn’t dig into a meatball sub during a discovery session at a client site. They shouldn’t do that during a video meeting either. Watching another person eat is distracting. Viewers can either be grossed out by the food choice or decide they’re hungry. Either way, your reps lose control of a meeting when they’re paying attention to food instead of the prospect.

Meeting Manager

Back in the day, when we gathered around a conference room table, your reps knew how to watch for visual cues. If they sensed a participant was losing interest, they may have walked closer to that person’s chair. Or they may have asked that person a question. They also paid attention to who had a question. They stopped their presentation and engaged in a two-​way conversation. These kinds of conversations build rapport with prospects and give your reps credibility as they demonstrate true interest in helping the buyer with a business problem.

During a video call, your rep’s eyes must move constantly across the Hollywood Squares array of people’s screens. Coach your reps to pay attention to people’s expressions to see if a question might be coming. Remind them to stop their presentation every few minutes and ask for questions. If a long silence ensues, they shouldn’t worry. Some folks still feel awkward speaking during video calls. Your reps can get the ball rolling by mentioning a question about their suggested solution recently and then providing the answer. They can also encourage more active participation by stopping the presentation and showing a poll question. This kind of interaction will increase engagement and may be an icebreaker.

The New Rules for Video Meetings

The era of video meetings is here to stay. Your reps can make the most of their external meetings by following the new rules for video meetings and by maintaining the same professionalism they would use during in-​person encounters.