With the pandemic still looming over us, it might be a while before we have face-to-face meetings and events again. It’s such a difficult time to make changes to your business model, or to reach new clients, which is why it’s so important to stand out virtually to potential clients and even existing ones. Virtual meetings are here to stay and businesses are continuing to find new, effective ways to meet with clients and showcase what they do using virtual platforms like Zoom.

Before the pandemic hit, virtual meetings were actually my preferred choice anyway. It's much easier for couples to meet with me from wherever they are, whether it's a 10-minute drive from my home office or the other side of the world. Since early 2020, everybody has become used to these virtual meetings, so they will be much more open to them in the future. Clients have many more compelling reasons to favour a virtual meeting: as well as saving time for all parties involved, they are better for the environment, with less carbon emissions traveling to and from in-person meetings.

I also enjoy meeting with planners this way, as I find the virtual setting enables me to better showcase what I do. My presentations are smoother and I have more control of the environment. Another great thing is that I can record the meeting. If there are decision makers who are not on the call, I can share the entire recorded meeting with the right people from the cloud. As a courtesy, I ask for permission to record right at the start of the meeting, so that we are on the same page. I’ve found that if I can share the recording with the decision makers, or with those who are paying for the event, I can improve my chances of closing the deal.

With virtual meetings here to stay, your investment into equipment and subscriptions will be well worth it once the pandemic is over. So, how do you stand out? How do you let your clients know you are somebody they will have confidence in to successfully execute their event? I know DJs love to invest in their equipment and setups, so why not invest in a great virtual office or home studio? If you can instil confidence right from the first meeting you will convert more sales, I guarantee.

Let's go over some ways to immediately scale up your virtual setup for meetings, and explore some opportunities to showcase and even book virtual events. My biggest piece of advice is to check what you have before you go and buy everything new – you may already own the elements needed to create a virtual meeting space. Once I started creating mine, I found I already had more than most. As DJs, many of us will have great audio capabilities and even lighting to hand already.