10 Ways To Perfect Your Video Conference Call Etiquette

In just a few short weeks, offices around the world have come to rely on Zoom and other such video conferencing tools for maintaining some semblance of normality when it comes to team meetings. But many of us have already noticed that looking professional on camera isn’t a given. Here’s what you need to know to present the best version of yourself online…

INVEST IN SOME DECENT EQUIPMENT

With all of us in variable surroundings and settings, a good camera and set of headphones are key. Increase your internet bandwidth, too. If you are wireless, try to remain close to the wireless router and consider installing a signal booster in areas of low signal strength. When you have the option, choose wired (instead of wireless) for video conferencing.

ALWAYS TEST IT FIRST

Nothing is more irritating when it comes to video calls than a slow internet speed, connectivity issues, or malfunctioning hardware. With that in mind, one of the most important things to do before joining a call or hosting one is to make sure your hardware (microphone, speakers and headphones) works and that your internet speeds are fast enough to support a decent level of quality for a video call. Use this Zoom-approved link to test all your vitals, or ask a colleague if they wouldn’t mind dialling in so you can check your sound before the rest of the team joins. There are also plenty of websites that test your internet speed prior to any meetings. broadbandspeedchecker

CHECK THE LIGHTING & SURROUNDINGS

Once you’ve found a quiet space free from external noises and distractions, it’s worth checking the lighting and surroundings to ensure everything looks professional – after all, most experts agree that refusing to turn on your video is a bit of a no-no. Don’t sit directly in front or beside a bright light source, or else all the audience sees a shadowy figure with a haloed glow. Experiment with moving lamps, closing blinds and your camera position until you can see your brightly lit face on the screen. Meanwhile, if you’re struggling to find a clean space, look into the app’s virtual background feature it can eliminate background distractions when you have to meet in a messy or busy location.

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE WEARING

Even if you’ve opted to use a virtual background to cover up at-home messiness, it’s sometimes still important to try and look the part – especially if the meeting is with a potential new client or partner. Don’t give in to the temptation to wear an old sweatshirt or gardening t-shirt because you’re working from home. If your colleagues and customers expect you to have a professional appearance, dress for your video conference the way you would expect them to be dress.

POSITION THE CAMERA

It might take a bit of getting used to but try to look at the camera when you’re talking, rather than the other participants faces. This will mimic the face to face feeling of eye contact. It’s important to gauge reactions by looking at the screen but alternating that with looking at the camera makes the audience feel like you’re really talking to them.

TRY NOT TO MULTITASK

It’s tempting but try not to multitask too much. Don’t eat during your meeting – it’s unappealing to watch someone eating up close on a big screen! Drinking coffee, sipping water are fine as you would in an in-person meeting but try and mute your mic when you’re not speaking and be mindful that notifications from texts, ringtones and desktop apps can be distracting. Try not to have one eye on the meeting and another on emails, try minimising the app.

KNOW WHEN TO MUTE

Teams and Zoom have a ‘mute microphone’ option that cuts down on ambient feedback for the audience. When there is a lot of back-and-forth discussion you will turn this off, but you should mute yourself when listening to a presenter. The host or meeting organiser can also mute the audience on mass.

INTRODUCE & ADDRESS PEOPLE BY NAME

It might not be necessary for a small, tight-knit team, but larger groups – especially those who are maybe cross-departmental or aren’t familiar may need to host to introduce everyone first to keep things orderly. From there, be sure to address people by their name first, so each participant knows exactly whose job it is to respond to what question or request. Finally, bear in mind that when it comes to video conferencing, leadership isn’t always as implicit as when we’re face to face. If you’re the host, try running through an agenda to initiate some structure for others to follow – sending it out ahead of time will also mean people have any relevant documents in front of them ready to discuss.

USE THE CHAT FUNCTION

In a face to face meeting, it’s far easier to anticipate who is going to speak next. On video calls, this is much harder and the potential for multiple participants to talk over each other is high. While addressing people by name will go some way to remedy this, using Zoom’s chat function to message participants privately could also help. Also, don’t over-inviting meeting attendees to keep things as streamlined as possible. You can send other stakeholders a summary of the meeting via Zoom Chat, thus limit the attendee list.

STAY ON IF YOU’RE THE HOST

The general rule for meeting hosts is…. wait until everyone else has left the meeting before hanging up. Zoom will assign an alternate host if the original host exits first, but it’s not a good look! If you’re not confident hosting, it’s always worth practicing before trying to contact an important client or customer.

Summarized from @Sheerluxe.com article 16th April 2020 full version here 10 Ways To Perfect Your Zoom Call Etiquette