Scheduling a conference meeting with your whole team, trying to coordinate schedules, and finding a time when everyone was in the same place at the same time used to be a logistical nightmare. Thanks to video conferencing technology, the conference room has practically become obsolete, and scheduling a face-to-face with your entire team has become a breeze. However, video conferencing can also come with a few challenges. If you’re new to the world of video conferencing, let’s look at some rules of etiquette to help you run a successful video conferencing team meeting.
Make sure your surroundings are rated PG when you join a business meeting via video conference.
Staging your video conferencing call
Perhaps the biggest video conferencing mistake is to place yourself in an unprofessional environment. Remember, people can see you, so even though you can log on from your bed, don’t.
Make sure there aren’t objects around you that may distract your team members. Smoking marijuana may be legal here in Colorado, but make sure there isn’t a giant bong standing in the background as you’re trying to talk business.
The same goes for art. Art is subjective, and you may love that nude sculpture that you have in your living room, but a nude figure, art or not, is going to be distracting, and may even offend one of your colleagues.
Dress appropriately
Yes, you have to wear pants.
Even if your corporate culture believes that every day is casual Friday, it should still be business casual. You should still be presentable, not show up looking like you just rolled out of bed. Now, you may say to yourself, this camera only sees me from the chest and up, so are pants really necessary? No one will know, right? That is true until you stand up to grab another cup of coffee, or you accidentally move the angle of the camera and all of a sudden you’re revealing a lot more of yourself than you (and your colleagues) would like. In short, be fully clothed when you’re video conferencing for work.
Pay attention
Don’t multitask during a video conferencing call. When you’re talking to a group of people, and you can see that everyone is looking somewhere else, it’s distracting, not to mention rude. Don’t check email, catch up on social media, play Angry Birds, or do your nails.
Check 1,2…
Of course, and perhaps most importantly, make sure your mic is on before you begin your presentation. If you are not holding the floor, it’s a good idea to mute your mic so that there isn’t background noise from everyone on the conference call.
VoIP solutions are more efficient and cost-effective for small and mid-sized businesses.
VoIP and video conferencing for your Denver business
Leverage the power of the Internet with our VoIP (Voice Over IP) options with video conferencing capabilities. Save money by using your existing Internet access for your phone and video conferencing needs.
Talk to an expert about your Denver business, and we’ll help you find the best IT solutions to meet the needs of your business.
