How to Look Like a Pro in a Videoconferencing Meeting
From The Pen Woman, Summer 2020
By Rodika Tollefson, The Pen Woman Editor, Member-at-Large
Videoconferencing has become wildly popular in these times of social distancing. Everything from elected officials’ meetings to yoga is going to Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, WebEx, etc. It’s a wonderful way to stay connected.
But for those new to the experience, video calls can get a little tricky. If that’s you, here are some tips for how to shine in a videoconference, especially in a professional setting. These come from my personal past experience of working remotely in a corporate environment (and attending way, way too many video meetings).
1. Find a good space.
Clanking dishes. Barking dogs. Television. You may not realize it, but the hum of your household carries into video. Find a quiet space, especially if you’re on a professional call.
If you can close your door, great. But if you have pets who like to scratch or whine on the other side, dying to join your meeting, invite them in ahead of time — or make sure they’re corralled somewhere else.
These days, people understand that you have other family members at home, too, and they’re more forgiving of background noise. Even so, do you really want your family’s TV show or dinner preparations to be part of your meeting?
2. ‘Edit’ your background.
A “noisy” background is just as distracting. Instead of focusing on what you’re saying, minds will wander to the clutter or the unusual objects behind you.
Simplify your background by removing a few things. Keep in mind that the bigger your screen, the wider the angle that will show on camera. Don’t want that messy closet in the corner to make a cameo? If you can’t close the closet door, turn the screen a bit so it’s out of the “frame.”
Some apps allow you to test your video in full-screen mode beforehand. It’s a good way to check what you and your space will look like before sharing with the world.
You can replace your background with a fun digital option provided by some of the video apps. But have plan B (i.e., a good “real” background) because meeting hosts have the option of turning off that feature.
3. Check your lighting.
Make sure others can actually see your face. If you’re in a dark room and you look on screen like you’re in witness protection, you might as well switch off your camera.
If there’s no daylight, add a desk lamp or floor lamp in front of you or on the side, if you can. Windows are great — but if there’s one right behind you, pull down the shade, or you’ll blind your meeting mates.
4. Mute your microphone.
Even if you’re in a quiet room, muting your microphone is customary in a group meeting when you’re not speaking. You never know when your phone rings or some other commotion happens. The mic will also pick up your paper rustling, typing, etc. No need to advertise that you’re sidetracked.
If you have a good pair of headphones with a mic, use them to filter out background noise and improve your audio.
5. Warn the household.
This is a good idea if you don’t want children or significant others loudly busting in and crashing your meeting. It also lets them know you’re not available for activities like answering the door, letting the dog out, or checking the oven when the timer goes off.
And if your internet is like mine — “fast” in name only — ask your household to stop streaming video, downloading large files, or doing anything else that takes up bandwidth. If your internet connection is overtaxed, your video and audio will cut in and out — or you’ll simply get disconnected.
6. Prep your desktop if screen-sharing.
If you think you may be sharing your screen:
- Remove clutter or anything private from your desktop.
- Close all programs except the one you’ll need.
- Turn off all auto notifications you may have from apps like Facebook, calendar, email, etc.
This helps avoid any embarrassments. You don’t want the entire group to read a notice that your Amazon order of shampoo has shipped, nor do you want them to see those beach vacation photos you saved on your desktop.
A few final tips:
- If you’re using your phone or tablet, try to find a way to steady the device or your arm — or you’ll look like you’re floating. No one wants to become dizzy watching you. And flip the device sideways so your screen shows horizontally, like everyone else’s.
- Don’t sit too close or too far away from the screen. You don’t want to appear like you’re in someone’s face, and you don’t want to be so far that you look tiny or sound muffled.
- Look at your video camera, not the center of your screen, so you can “make eye contact.”
- If you need to “excuse” yourself covertly for a moment while in a group call, turn off your video and mic temporarily.
A note to organizers: Videoconferencing is likely here to stay long after our collective isolation ends. But even now, not every conversation needs to take place over video, especially if it’s just two or three people.
Unless it’s a networking function, a live demonstration, a meeting formerly done in person, or similar, it’s still OK to just pick up the phone and call. They may sound old-fashioned, but phone calls are still very much acceptable.