Virtual Meeting Prep

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

social-network-153535_640Before you join in a video conference or virtual meeting of any kind, think through the ramifications of what’s about to happen. Take at least a little time to create a positive impression with your visual surroundings and make the exchange productive for all. Outline your objective. Rehearse your points so that you can:

• Inform and “tell, not sell” • Relate a compelling story

• Be exciting
• Be entertaining

• Talk with the viewers, not at them

With prethinking, at the very least you’ll relax and show respect to others, but in addition, you’ll minimize freezing, failing, or fumbling in front of the camera.

One CEO told me his prep, “I breathe deeply because it helps me talk when my lungs are full of air. I suck my gut in, get on the balls of my feet even though I’m seated, and get ready to be fired at.”

Picture of Debra Benton

Debra Benton

D.A. (Debra) Benton has been helping great individuals and organizations get even better for over 20 years. Just as exceptional athletes rely on excellent coaching to hone their skills, Debra's clients rely on her advice to advance their careers. She focuses on what is truly important to convert what you and your organization want to be from a vision into a reality. TopCEOCoaches.com ranks her in the World's Top 10 CEO Coaches noting she is the top female. And as conference keynote speaker she is routinely rated in the top 2%. Her client list reads like a “Who's Who” of executives in companies ranging from Microsoft, McDonald's, Kraft, American Express, Merrill Lynch, United Airlines, and PricewaterhouseCoopers to the Washington Beltway and U.S.Border Patrol. *She is the author of ten award-winning and best-selling business books including The Virtual Executive and CEO Material. She has written for the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Fast Company. She has been featured in USA Today, Fortune, The New York Times, and Time; she has appeared on Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and CBS with Diane Sawyer. To learn more Debra advising leaders, coaching, facilitating a workshop, or speaking: www.debrabenton.com

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