3 Ingredients for Great Virtual Meetings

It's unsurprising that video conferencing is skyrocketing in popularity with the massive push to work from home. Just a few months ago, I was in meetings where only 25% of the participants would turn their cameras on; now it's almost 80%.

Although I'm excited to see clients, peers, and family on video, I sometimes cringe at their current set-ups. So, today I want to give a few tips to have great conversations over video (even if you only use FaceTime to talk to Grandma).

Whether a meeting is great or terrible depends on three components: audio, visual, and content.

Use a Headset

We have all experienced a bad cell phone call. You know the drill: you can't hear them, they can't hear you. Sometimes it's choppy, garbled, or robotic.

Video conferencing is no different. Having a good audio connection is very important but having the microphone as close as possible to your mouth is almost equally as important. Positioning matters, but so does the microphone itself.

The microphone in my laptop is very low quality. It picks up all the sound in a room and can't tell the difference between speaking and background noise. That's why I would recommend you use a headset. The headsets that come with your cell phone aren't the best for internet phone conversations. What you should be looking for is a USB headset that plugs directly into your computer.

A few brands I've tried in the past are Plantronics, Jabra, Poly, Cisco, and Avaya. Currently, I'm using a Poly Voyager 5200. It works with both my iPhone and computer. The headset hangs over my ear and the microphone is only inches away from my mouth. People can hear me very clearly, and I can hear them clearly as the speaker is close to my ear. If you have the option, please use a wired headset during any video calls.

(As an aside, having a good internet connection is also essential for sound quality. I recommend using a hardwired ethernet connection directly into your computer to prevent any disruption in your internet.)

Consider Your Camera

The second component to a great video meeting is the visual aspect: what you see and what other participants see. Camera quality is a factor, but the placement is more important. I recommend the camera be placed at eye-level so that you avoid the dreaded nostril shots or the handheld phone selfie perspective.

With the camera at eye level, it gives a very natural perspective. The easiest way to accomplish this is by purchasing an external camera and placing it on top of either a monitor or a desktop microphone stand. If you don't have an external USB camera, place your computer on a stack of books to be high enough so your camera is at eye level.

Now a camera is only as good as the lighting you provide it. My suggestion is to sit either facing a window or to the side of one. If you're in an office environment where there are no windows, you might be "faced" with a harsh shadow under your eyes (pun intended). To combat this, you can either move to a space where there is a window or purchase a selfie-ring light to place in front of you. 

Keep the Background Simple

One of the last visual components is the background: you want it to be distraction-free. You don't want to be on an important call with someone while it looks like you're working out of a busy coffee shop. Have a simple background with the least number of items that might distract others or arouse their curiosity.

I use the simplest background possible: a light grey wall about three feet behind me. This look feels similar to a studio photo rather than a view of my master bedroom or garage. You don't have to move your entire office, but rearranging it to best suit ideal lighting can make for better meetings.

Sharing Your Screen Effectively

Finally, in almost every meeting, you're either sharing something, or something is being shared with you. It might be a PowerPoint presentation, a Word document, or an Excel spreadsheet. Preferably you want all parties to be looking at the same document. My recommendation is to be familiar with the platform that you're using and how to share your screen before the meeting starts.

If you have multiple screens, this is even more important. You don't want to share one of your dual monitors showing your Amazon cart of kitten sweatshirts you were planning on buying while presenting to the VP of IT. I would suggest before you host a meeting, you do a test call with a friend to become familiar with how to share your screen.

Let's Review

Whew! That's a lot to keep track of to make sure you have the best virtual meetings possible. To help make it simple, I've summed it up below:

?      Dial in your audio

?      Adjust the placement of your camera

?      Ensure you have sufficient light for your webcam lens

?      Have a simple background

?      Become familiar with sharing your screen before the meeting takes place

If you master these tips, you're sure to dramatically enhance the quality of your next video conference.