6 Ways to Stand Out in a Virtual Meeting

You've been on those high-stakes Teams or Zoom calls. You've prepared for days. You make a brilliant point… and all you get back is silence. Virtual meetings have created a new set of rules for corporate leaders. What separates good leaders from great ones is how they show up on screen.

When I was in corporate leadership, I experienced this too. I was successful and smart, yet I kept getting overlooked in virtual rooms. And I've seen these same hidden habits play out again and again with my clients. The good news? You can change them.

Today, I'll share the exact strategies from my experience and from coaching my clients. They might seem simple, but they're deeply strategic in ensuring that your presence is felt and your ideas are unforgettable in virtual meetings.

Strategy #1: Take control of your virtual stage

In my coaching practice, I see this pattern frequently. My clients prepare extensively for what they'll say in virtual meetings. But they overlook something critical that's communicating about them before they speak a single word: their virtual stage. 

I learned this the hard way. A shadowy, poorly lit frame with a distracting background communicates disorganization. A clear, well-lit frame with a professional background communicates focus, control, and authority. Your colleagues may not consciously register these details, but they're forming impressions about your leadership capability before you've said hello. 

The fix: I teach my clients these four non-negotiables.

• Lighting. Your face must be clearly and evenly lit. Face a window with balanced light or use a simple ring light behind your device. When my clients make this one change, they immediately look more polished and professional.
• Camera position. It must be at eye level. Use a laptop stand or stack of books. Look directly at the camera to create peer-level engagement.
• Background. Keep it uncluttered. A neutral wall, curated bookshelf, or professional virtual background works well.
• Audio quality. Use a USB microphone, Lavalier mic, or quality headphones. Clear audio signals professionalism.

Your virtual stage has different rules than in-person presence. Because colleagues only see a small frame, everything is magnified. It's essential to be more intentional online, not less.

Strategy #2: Master your body language

I see this often on Zoom or virtual calls. You're focused entirely on what you'll say. But your body is already speaking, and in a virtual meeting, every gesture is magnified.

Here's what I see happening: You might be positioned too low in the frame or off-center, your hands disappear below the screen, you're looking at faces instead of the camera. Meanwhile, colleagues who master virtual body language are perceived as more confident, more authoritative and more leadership-ready.

The fix: I coach my clients on these four critical adjustments.

• Position. Place yourself in the center of the frame with space above your head. Avoid the common mistake of being too low. It diminishes your presence immediately.
• Posture. Sit up straight and hold your shoulders back. Lean forward slightly when speaking or listening. This signals engagement and commands attention. It non-verbally says, "I am present, and this matters."
• Hands. Keep them visible. Rest your forearms on the desk or use purposeful gestures within the space around your chest. Open-palm gestures signal honesty and confidence. Avoid fidgeting, touching your face, or playing with your hair. These are amplified on camera and instantly undermine authority.
• Eye contact. Look at the camera, not at the screen. It feels unnatural at first, but to everyone else, it feels like direct eye contact. This single habit dramatically increases your perceived presence and trustworthiness.

This isn't just about looking confident. Adopting these powerful postures actually signals to your brain to feel more confident. This is the inner work I focus on in my leadership coaching program, the BLISS Accelerator, aligning your executive presence with inner conviction so your authority becomes second nature.

Strategy #3: Use your voice to build authority

After more than a decade of coaching, I've learned that your voice does heavy lifting in virtual meetings. Without full physical presence, your vocal delivery can either build your authority or undermine it.

The problem? When you're nervous, you tend to speak quickly and your pitch might rise. This can leave you sounding unsure. I've watched this pattern play out on countless calls. Meanwhile, colleagues who've mastered vocal presence are perceived as more confident and leadership-ready.

The fix: I teach my clients these three vocal shifts.

• Master your tone. According to negotiations expert Chris Voss, your voice is "your most powerful tool in any verbal communication." A warm, confident tone creates trust and connection.
• Slow down. Deliberately slowing your pace projects confidence and gives your words weight. It gives your audience time to absorb your message.
• Lower your pitch slightly within your natural range. Combined with a warm tone and slower pace, this projects authority without being perceived as aggressive. I've seen this create a subtle but game-changing shift, especially for women in leadership.

Strategy #4: Design a message that sticks

Being heard is one thing. Being remembered, and credited, is another. Too often, I watch brilliant leaders - especially women - share an idea that gets overlooked, only to be celebrated when someone else repeats it. I experienced this myself in corporate leadership.

Let's change that.

A "sticky idea" is one that's memorable, impactful, and easy to repeat. It sticks in people's minds. The concept comes from Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

The fix: I developed this Prime-Deliver-Solidify framework for my clients.

• Prime. Before the meeting, plant the seed. Send an agenda note or message with a data point or question that frames your idea. You're positioning yourself as a strategic thinker before the discussion even starts.
• Deliver. In the meeting, name your idea. Instead of "We should focus more on clients," say, "I'm proposing what I call the Q4 Client Retention Initiative" and tie it to results. That's how ideas become memorable.
• Solidify. After the meeting, follow up in writing. "Great discussion today. Here's a brief outline of the Q4 Client Retention Initiative I proposed." You've now documented your contribution and ensured it's credited to you.

When you design your message to stick, you don't just get heard. You get remembered AND recognized.

Strategy #5: Stay composed when you're interrupted

Research confirms what many of us know from experience: women are interrupted more often than men in professional settings. I've experienced this firsthand, and I've coached dozens of clients through it. How you handle these moments is a critical test of your executive presence.

The goal is not to be aggressive, but to be unflappable.

The fix: I teach my clients to master the calm redirect.

Resist the instinct to stop talking. Instead, take a small breath, hold up your hand in a calm "stop" gesture that's visible on camera, make direct eye contact with your webcam, and say one of these:

"I'll just finish my point."

Or, using their name: "Hold that thought for one moment, David."

Or simply: "I'd like to complete my thought."

The key is is your calm delivery and confident, unwavering command. There is no anger, no apology nor frustration in your voice. Then, immediately continue your sentence from where you left off. You're not asking for permission. Rather, you're signaling that your contribution is valuable and you have more to say. This demonstrates poise under pressure, a critical leadership trait that gets you noticed for the right reasons.

I remember the first time I ever did this and it felt very empowering. And here's an advanced technique I teach my clients:  find an ally. Before a high-stakes meeting, connect with a trusted colleague. Say something like, "I'm working on being more assertive. If you see me getting cut off, would you be willing to jump in and say something like, 'I'd like to hear Stephanie finish her point'?" This creates a culture of mutual support and respect. It's a powerful way to shift meeting dynamics not just for yourself, but for everyone.

Another subtle tactic is to simply not stop talking immediately. If someone begins to interject, continue speaking for another word or two before pausing to address them. This small act of not yielding the floor can often be enough to make the interrupter pause and wait their turn.

Strategy #6: Amplify your enthusiasm

As humans, we're designed for in-person interaction. And as much as we love the convenience of virtual meetings, let's be honest, they're unnatural for us.

There's a lot about video conferencing that creates challenges. For example, our brains work overtime to interpret cues from others who appear only in small rectangles on a screen.

Communications expert Vinh Giang explains, "The moment you're speaking to a camera and not a human being, your energy levels drop by 70%."

Stanford research confirms what we've all experienced, video conferencing can be draining. They even have a name for it: Zoom fatigue. 

The fix: I coach my clients to consciously project enthusiasm.

During a virtual meeting, especially when you're speaking, you need to bring genuine energy and interest. That will show up in your voice, your facial expressions, and your body language. If the topic is neutral or positive, smile. Others will notice your energy.

Dig deep into yourself to bring a heightened presence. It's going to feel a little unnatural at first. When I teach a class online or record a YouTube video, I always take time before I go live to "psych" myself up, to elevate my energy, so I can show up as effectively and vibrantly as possible on the virtual stage, and not just at the beginning but for the duration.

And I'm curious, which strategy resonates the most with you? And when will you implement it?

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