If you’re a true work-from-homer, then chances are good that you participate in a few Zoom or other online meetings. While they’ve become the norm for a lot of us these days, they’re still new to some and can often begin with awkward silences and strange faces and waving.
Especially if you’re the one running the online meeting, you might be keen to learn a few good conversation starters for Zoom meetings. Some simple, easy ways to break the ice, ease the tension and get the conversation, and the meeting, started.
Once the usual “Turn your microphone on”, and “Can you hear me now?” are out of the way, move forward from the awkward silences and get your conversation flowing with these conversation starting ideas.
Here we have brought together all of the best conversation starters for online meetings – simply choose the ones that best suit your target audience and the image that you are trying to portray in your Zoom call.
Conversation Starters For Zoom
- Ask about their week or weekend : “How has your week been so far?”
- Discuss current events or news: “Did you catch the news about [recent event]?”
- Talk about a common interest, such as a hobby or sports team – maybe their team had a win over the weekend? “How about those Bulldogs?”
- Share something interesting or unique about your day: “You wouldn’t believe the phone call I just had…”
- Ask about their goals or aspirations for the upcoming week/month/year: “What do you hope to accomplish this quarter/month/week?”
- Discuss the agenda or purpose of the meeting: “Here’s what we need to discuss today…”
- Ask about any recent vacations or travel experiences: “Have you been to any interesting places recently?”
- Talk about a book, movie, or TV show that you (or they) may have recently enjoyed: “What have you been reading/watching/listening to lately that you would recommend?”
- Ask about their work or professional experiences: “How’s work been going? Any new projects or challenges?”
- Share a funny joke or meme to lighten the mood: “Did you see the meme about the…?”
- If it’s appropriate and you know them on a more personal level as well, ask about their family: “How’s the new baby – getting any sleep?”
- Pick their brain about your industry: “What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry/field we work in?”
- Seek their advice about a relevant topic: “What are your favorite tools or resources for staying productive and efficient?”
- Discuss a common challenge or problem and ask for their perspective: “How are you managing your time and productivity when working from home?”
- Ask about the weather where they are – online meetings give you the opportunity to meet with people from all over the world, if they’re in a different hemisphere to you, or even just a different state, they might be experiencing wildly different weather conditions to you which can make for some really interesting conversations.
Conversation Starters For Online Group Meetings
If your online meeting includes many participants, then you might like to use some of these icebreakers to get the conversation going:
- “If you weren’t in your current job, what job would you be doing?”
- “What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?” (It could be something they’ve cooked, knitted, crafted etc.)
- “What’s the most overrated city you’ve been to?”
- “What’s your favorite place in the world?”
- “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you be?”
- “What superpower would you choose and why?”
- “Have you ever met or had an encounter with a celebrity?”
- “What was the first concert you ever went to?”
- “Who do people tell you you look like?”
- “Do you prefer sunrise or sunset?”
- “What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?”
- “What gift would you like to receive?”
- “What was your first job?”
- “What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?”
- “If money and time were no object, what skill would you like to learn?”
- “What’s your proudest achievement in your professional career?”
- “What actor should play you in a movie about your life?”
- “What was your favorite subject at school?”
- “Did you enjoy high school?”
- “What’s your favorite social media platform?”
- “What is your best purchase ever?”
- “Professionally speaking, who would you like to meet most in the world?”
- “What is your dream vacation?”
- “What’s your favorite season?”
- “If you could have named yourself, what would you be called?”
Not all Zoom meetings need to begin with awkward silence! Be prepared and come armed with a few of these online meetings conversation starters and get the ball rolling and the chat flowing.
Once you’ve mastered the skill of putting people at ease in online meetings, working from home becomes a whole lot easier.
