Video Conference Etiquette You Need to Know

It is becoming more common for companies and businesses to use video conferences. Video conferencing can help make your work life a lot easier since you no longer have to race against time to get to meetings and get things done. As a career woman, it is essential that you know how to do video conferences correctly. That is why we are going to talk about some of the etiquette you need to know when doing conference calls over video.

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Know the System Well

There are a lot of mistakes that can happen when you’re not familiar with the conferencing system used by the company. There are a lot of systems on the market too, from proprietary ones to solutions like the Cisco Spark and Spark Hybrid services. Mistakes like accidentally sharing your screen or streaming your voice when you’re talking to someone else in the room can be avoided easily.

Every conference call and unified communications system comes with a user manual. There may even be training sessions to help you understand how to use the system properly. Be sure to pay attention and to take the time to read the user manual before your first conference.

Introduce Yourself

Not all conference participants know you. When you’re doing a conference call with someone from another branch or a team from a vendor’s office, it is always necessary to start the video conference by introducing yourself. You should also introduce others who are joining the conference from the same room as you; alternatively, you can give them a chance to introduce themselves.

It is also important to take note of other speakers in the conference. This way, you can address them by name and avoid classic mistakes that can be easily avoided. A video conference is very similar to your usual meeting. Being able to speak to other conference participants and address them by name is the polite thing to do.

Don’t Shout!

It is also not uncommon for other participants to ask you to speak up because they can’t hear you properly. In this situation, never – and I do mean NEVER – raise your voice right away. Other participants may have their volumes turned up and raising your voice will disturb them.

Before you raise your voice, check if your microphone level is in the correct setting. You can usually increase the volume of your microphone in small increments until the person on the other end of the line can hear you clearly.

Don’t forget to give warning to other participants too; mention that you are going to try increasing the microphone volume before you do. If the microphone is on its maximum volume, you can then try to raise your voice a little bit and speak more clearly into the microphone.

Minimize Movements

We’re trained to use hand movements to make a presentation more interesting. Hand movements are also great for conveying certain messages and for showing body language during a meeting. In a video conference, however, this is the one training you must abandon.

Too many movements will distract your audience when you’re in a video conference. Depending on the internet connection and the system you’re using, you may also be dealing with video stream that is not as smooth as you want, and too many movements will only make it worse.

When in a video conference, try to minimize movement as much as possible. Forget about hand movements and gestures. Simply sit in an upright position and rely on your voice to convey your points.

Check the Lighting

Video cameras used in many modern video conference systems are very capable of capturing high quality video, but they often don’t work as well in low light situations. Before starting the video conference, take the time to use the preview window to check the lighting.

There are a few other things you must avoid. First of all, never sit with an open window behind you. This will create a silhouette instead of a pleasant, flattering video for other participants to see. Move so that the window is in front of you; natural light coming from the window is the best source of light.

You should also omit any source of light from the frame. Do you have a desk lamp sitting just outside the camera view? Turn it off to avoid flares and light leaks.

With these tips in hand, you will be able to conduct video conferences in a professional manner. Practice more, explore the features offered by the system and don’t hesitate to ask for help from the support team so that you can be better at doing the conference.