10 Zoom Hacks to Make Virtual Meetings More Productive

Can we all agree that Zoom is awkward and time-consuming? “You’re on mute” was one of the most used phrases in corporate America during the pandemic, right behind “new normal” and “unprecedented times.”

Now that Zoom is the de-facto virtual workplace for most people, so much time is wasted on inefficiencies like mute/unmute, coordinating with your virtual sales team, and scrambling to find the link to your next meeting.

If you’re consistently running five minutes behind, try these 10 Zoom hacks for making your virtual meetings more productive.

Problem #1: It only gets good at the end.

Salespeople know to always schedule the next meeting before you get off the phone with the prospect, but you don’t get to that until the end of the first one. How many times have you found yourself running late to your next demo call? You know how rude it is to the second person, but don’t want to mess things up with this one either. What do you do?

If you have Warmly, use the Running Late feature to customize a template for what to say when this situation comes up. With one click, you can let your next meeting know you’re running a few minutes behind, while still focusing on next steps for your first meeting.

Whether you’re meeting a prospect, coworker, or a friend, you want people to feel like you respect their time, so be professional and always apologize when things come up.

Problem: #2: You’re always late to your next meeting.

If you find yourself chronically late, the best thing to do is schedule a few minutes between virtual meetings. If that’s not possible, try using the Warmly Zoom App’s in-meeting countdown timer. It will pop up a huge warning when there’s a few minutes left in your meeting, so you know to wrap it up. The best part? It also shows a “Join Meeting” button, so you can hop onto your next meeting straight from the previous one without having to fumble for a link.  

Problem #3: Your conversation partner is missing.

Your teammate or a prospect is running behind. You don’t know if they’re even there. You could try pulling up their email, phone number, or Slack, but all those require multiple steps and the clock is ticking. How can you ping them quickly? With one click in the Warmly Zoom App, you can send them a Where r u? message that will notify the that the meeting is happening and even send them a Zoom link so they can get to the meeting really easily. 

Problem #4: You forgot to take notes.

How often have you gotten off a string of calls and realized that you forgot to take notes for half of them? If you’re one of those people who always forgets to jot things down after a meeting, try using an app like Warmly that pops up a message after every meeting and prompts you to add a quick follow-up, action item, or reminder before moving on. 

Problem #5: You always forget to unmute.

How often do you start talking, figure out you’re on mute, quickly jam the unmute button, but then have to wait for a 3-second lag until you can speak again? You can leave your audio on, but then you risk passing sirens, roommates, kids or pets disrupting the meeting. Try using Zoom’s built-in push-to-talk feature. You can keep yourself muted, and just hold down the spacebar to unmute whenever you want to speak. Just let go when you’re done and your audio will automatically turn off again. No more racing around your trackpad to hit the Mute/Unmute button.

Problem #6: It’s too hard to coordinate your virtual sales team.

When you’re selling as a squad, looking unified can make a great impression. Your sales team can wear matching t-shirts, or better yet, match your backgrounds. Try emailing a picture to everyone on the team and have them upload it themselves. If you don’t want to risk a coworker messing up or forgetting, Warmly also has a Matching Background feature where one person can upload a background and it will automatically populate for everyone else on the team.

Problem #7: Do we have a mutual connection?‍

In a survey we did of 1,000 business professionals, 74% have found themselves researching a person while speaking to them. If you’re looking someone up during a virtual meeting, you aren’t focused on building a relationship with them. Instead of pulling up a browser, use a tool like Warmly that automatically pulls up context on the person you’re speaking to, and even their LinkedIn page, all without leaving Zoom.

Problem #8: I can’t remember how I met this person.

Getting an introduction or having a professional “meet cute” is a great way to start off on a warm foot. Yet what if you can’t remember the mutual contact that brought you together, or what you talked about by email six months ago?

The Warmly Zoom App doubles as a personal CRM—or a superhero assistant—by automatically pulling up past email exchanges. It also makes people feel important when you remember little details about them. 

Problem #9: You need a waiting room.

Too many meetings back-to-back? If you send everyone a different Zoom link, you’ll go crazy trying to track down the right meeting code for all of them. Try using the same link for all your virtual meetings with Zoom’s Waiting Room feature. You’ll stay in the same call, and everyone who meets with you can join at their scheduled time. If someone shows up early—or you’re running late—the next person will be put in a virtual waiting room until you let them in.

Problem #10: Who am I talking to again?

‍Do you ever wish you had an org chart in front of you when you’re talking to someone? Maybe you want to know who their boss is, so that you can ask for an introduction. Organizational charts are crucial for high-level sales.

You can look up someone’s LinkedIn page, but knowing their title won’t always tell you who they answer to. Try a resource like The Org to see where they stand in their organization. Warmly People Insights will also provide this information right in the Zoom App so you don’t have to pull up a browser on the sly.