It can be intimidating to introduce yourself to a new team virtually, especially when they live in another time zone and don't have the opportunity to meet in person. It's normal to feel nervous when facing a new team. What should you say? What if they think you're weird? You're probably wondering how to introduce yourself to a new team remotely. In this article, I'll show you how you can introduce yourself to a new team over the internet with minimal risk of awkwardness or failure.
10 Tips to Introduce Yourself to A New Team Virtually
If you work remotely, it can be hard to meet new people. But it's not impossible, and some tips and tricks can make the process easier. Here are 10 tips for introducing yourself to a new team remotely.
Want to know how you can manage your remote team virtually, read our blog on 8 Proven Tips to Manage Remote and Hybrid Teams
1. Turn on Your Camera
I know this is obvious, but you will be surprised at how many people turn off their cameras when virtually introducing themselves to a new team. I get that meeting someone or a team for the first time, whether offline or in person, can be quite scary and intimidating. You are probably wondering what to say and what question to ask. The truth is that most people want to get to know you. And not showing your face can feel very unprofessional. Team members want to know who they will be working with, and not showing your face doesn't tell well about your personality and professionalism. If you are prepared for your introduction, showing your face shouldn't be a huge deal.
As a manager, virtually introducing yourself to your remote team might not be enough. Here is an article on The 10 Best Practices For Supervising Remote Employees to help you get started as a remote team manager
2. Know Your Audience
Another tip to help you introduce yourself to a new team virtually is researching your audience. Before you start thinking about what you want to say to your new virtual team, it's essential to understand who will listen. Find out if there are any existing groups or networks that are relevant to the company or its culture. This way, you can do a little bit of research into the people you will be meeting with. Curiosity is a great keyword you must familiarize yourself with, especially when meeting a new team virtually. With your research, you will have some insight into what your team members are doing. Ask things like interest, where they went to school, past employment, and other activities can spark conversation when you are introducing yourself. This way, conversation with your new virtual team wont be awkward and weird.
3. Check Your Attitude
Since you are remote, you might want to create a solid first impression in people’s minds about who you are and the things you do. When introducing yourself, greet your new virtual team members with enthusiasm. Opening on a positive note is a great way to win people over, but it’s even more critical at work, where morale might be down. So put on your camera, with a smile, show that you’re excited to be a part of the team, and exude enthusiasm. Your team members might read your attitude, facial expressions and voice in person or through video call. A positive attitude will help draw your new staff to you and help with team collaboration and development.
4. Body Language
Body language is also essential to virtually introducing yourself to a new team. This buttress my first point about turning on your camera when having a virtual meeting because your body language goes a long way. So how do you achieve body language virtually? Sit straight and set up your computer correctly so it’s at eye level. This way, it appears like you are looking at people directly and paying attention to what they are saying. This will go a long way regarding impression and how your team members view you. Good body language makes you look present and engaged, even though you may be at home!
5. Follow Up
This is a very important technique to pay attention to in getting to know your new virtual team. This technique is often applied before and after you have met your team. this can be connecting with your team before you meet them by sending an email or connecting them on social media platforms like Linkedin. For example, you can send an email before the meeting saying
Hi Team,
My name is Jason Scott. I’ll lead your project team.
I want to introduce myself and schedule a quick call to discuss pressing matters and the next steps”.
You can also send them a following up email after the meeting. This can also be an email containing a short message to each individual saying what a pleasure it was to meet them and how you look forward to working with them. This will help you make connections and familiarise yourself with those you’ll be working with. And this is a great way to start with your new team.
6. Listen Before You Speak
This tip is good for team leaders and people managing teams in general. You don't want to impose yourself and become too bossy, especially at this initial stage of getting to know your new virtual team. Always learn to ask questions and seek your team members' opinions. Your team will appreciate it when you ask for their input. We all want to feel listened to, and when you ask for their input, they feel valued. This alone can help strengthen your bond with your new virtual team and help you win them over. You also get to learn about your new place of work and how things are done. There might be some norms and cultures that you might not know about. If you don't ask questions and listen, you might never know. This might harm the company.
7. Be Brief, but Don't Sell Yourself Short
Before your first Zoom meeting with your new virtual team, determine the core message you want to communicate. Then practice until you’re comfortable introducing yourself virtually to any audience. The goal is to look and sound confident and relaxed, not stiff and scripted. Remember, too, that shorter phrasing and responses make a more substantial impact over video. Although you must be brief and concise, you don't want to overdo it and say too little. When you don't say too much, people might begin to ask you many questions you might not be comfortable answering. So an introduction is a valuable opportunity to set the tone and define who you are or want to be. You don't want to waste that opportunity. You can also pay attention and learn to how people introduce themselves to remote teams on Youtube. It helps filter out what sounds good and what you should avoid saying.
[You can use other tools to introduce yourself to a new team virtually..You can read our article on Remote Work: Top 14 Tools To Make Your Job Easier]
8. Speak Clearly
This point also sounds very obvious, but many people overlook it when virtually introducing themselves to a new team. This is important since you are remote and will use video conferencing apps like Zoom and Skype. You must have an excellent network to avoid unnecessary glitches during the meeting. Furthermore, you might also want to speak clearly to ensure everyone can hear you. Find a good balance so you're not speaking too loudly or too softly.
9. Be Confident
Before introducing yourself to your new virtual team, you should prepare in advance so you become a confident person to the entire team. Remember that first impression matters; this goes a long way in how your team views you. So prepare in advance so you can become a confident person or leader. You could practice in front of the mirror until you feel confident introducing yourself naturally, not robotic,.
10. Set up one-to-one meetings
To get to know everyone in your team more personally, you can set up a one-to-one meeting with them after the initial introduction. This way, you will have a more personal connection with them.
If you're a manager, or team leader, setting up meetings with each person in the team is a sign of good leadership. Make sure the meeting is brief. You don't want to take too much time. 5 to 10 minutes for each member of the team should be okay. Ask them questions about their role, what they like about it, what they don't like, etc. Just ask them basic questions that will give you an understanding of who you will be working with.
Conclusion
Introducing yourself to your new virtual team can go a long way with how you relate with your team. And since you are remote, it might be a little more complex than in person since you can't meet with your team physically. We hope the tips above will get you started on how you can introduce yourself to your new virtual team with ease.
