Online Meetings

Be Prepared

Around half of the world’s employees are expected to take part in telecommunications like conference calling within the next decade.

Getting started with an online meeting is easy. There are at least four things you’ll need to join or host an online meeting: a computer, tablet, or mobile device; a webcam or smartphone with a camera; a microphone or headset; and, access to a reliable internet.

Lighting

The No. 1 culprit of a painful videoconference is the quality of the call itself. Preview your webcam and check your picture. Adjust your indoor lighting and camera angle to make your face look properly lit.

Background

Set up early and really check what people can see. Things happening in the background can be a distraction for others on the call. It’s good to show your personality, but if you’re doing an online meeting from home, then your personal posters and pictures might not be for everyone to see.

Audio

Test the microphone. Make sure you wear a headset with a built-in microphone or use an external microphone — the microphone included on laptops can sound very poor. The easiest way to make sure you sound good is to do a video call with a friend and ask how you sound, then adjust accordingly. If you are in a shared house or space, try to let people know in advance that you are on a call so they can keep the noise down.

Connectivity

Check your internet speeds. Because so many people are staying home and using the internet at the same time, our bandwidth and service are slowing down in many neighborhoods. Visit speedtest.net to gauge your internet speeds. If your speeds are below 20 megabits per second, there’s a high likelihood your video is going to look pixelated and have audio delays.

If you haven’t used it before, make sure you test the software in advance. You’ll be given a set time to join the meeting. Sign in with enough time – it always take longer than you think to load up! If you try and you get stuck, you have time to let your host know and they can help you log in properly.

Be Professional

78% of corporate businesses use video conferencing to facilitate team meetings.

Treat remote meetings like a face to face meeting and enter them with the same level of respect and preparation you would for any other meeting. While you may not be in a physical room for the meeting, you still need to be professional while you are online. If you wouldn’t do something in a face-to-face meeting, don’t do it in a video meeting.

Appearance

Get into business mode and act the part. Make sure you look presentable, wearing your usual dress code for an in-work meeting. If you’re doing an online meeting at work, that goes without saying. If you’re doing an online meeting while working from home, look sharp. No pajamas or bed hair!

Introduce yourself

When you join the call, introduce yourself. It can be a little bit awkward when the call starts and people join without saying anything. When you introduce yourself, you can check the sound/video connection. If people can hear you properly, that’s great! If they can’t, they might say they can’t hear you. You then have a chance to address the issues.

Speaking

Don’t interrupt other speakers. You may or may not be able to see other people in this meeting so you need to pay extra attention to cues on when to speak. Talking over other people makes online meetings really messy and confusing. Wait for a pause before talking. Pay attention to what’s being said and wait for the right time to join in. You would hopefully do this in person, so do the same here. On a video call, it is not always easy to see everyone to know who has interrupted the conversation.

If you start talking over someone and you find yourselves going back and forth trying to let the other speak, put a note in the chat that the other person can go ahead with their ideas. You can then write your idea in the chat so your train of thought is not lost. The host can come back to your point and ensure that your ideas are heard.

Eye Contact

Be sure to look into the camera when you speak. If you’re looking at yourself on the screen while you’re talking, it will seem like your attention is elsewhere. Direct eye contact into the camera while speaking gives others on the call the impression that you are looking at them rather than off to the side. Be sure to position your web camera and monitor at eye level so you can look into the camera and simulate that eye-to-eye connection with other attendees. Also, remain aware that you are on camera and try to avoid doing other tasks, checking emails, looking at your phone, etc.

Focus

Stay focused on the call. Give your full attention, rather than trying to multi-task while you are on the call. People can generally tell when you are not focused on their conversation. Avoid moving around while you are on the call. Remember that your video is on unless you turn it off, so watch what you are doing and be sure that it is what you want people to see.

Location

Our families are more important than anyone, but that doesn’t mean our colleagues want to see them. That’s why it’s important to take a video call in a place where you can draw boundaries, if possible. The simplest physical boundary is a room with a door, which can be shut when you are on a video call.

Body Language

Don’t forget to smile! A sense of humor and a smile can go a long way to making the meetings more pleasant for everyone!

Be Polite

54% of the workforce in the United States take part in video conferences frequently.

Netiquette is short for "Internet etiquette." Just like etiquette is a code of polite behavior in society, netiquette is a code of good behavior on the Internet. While there is no official list of netiquette rules or guidelines, the general idea is to respect others online.

Basic Guidelines

• Be on time. If you arrive late, don’t interrupt the call. Remain silent and catch up as best as you can.
• Be prepared. Review the meeting agenda and any attached documents before the start of the meeting.
• Come to the meeting with a positive attitude.
• Participate. Share ideas, ask questions, and contribute to discussions.
• Do not multi-task. Be engaged and stay mentally present.
• Mute yourself. Use the mute button when you are not speaking.
• Identify yourself before you start to speak.
• Speak slowly and clearly, and try not to talk over another speaker.
• Stick to the agenda.
• Do not record the meeting unless everyone knows you are doing that and has agreed to being recorded.
• Show your face at least periodically during the meeting. People feel more connected if they can actually see each other.

Mute

Know when to put yourself on mute. The top tip is to put yourself on mute whenever you’re not talking. Sound really carries on web conference calls. Muting yourself will stop any issues you have with background noise like traffic, dogs barking and phones ringing.

Default Setting

In online group meetings, mute by default may seem obvious, but plenty of people forget to mute their microphones before joining a call with multiple people.

That can lead to background sounds like barking dogs interfering in the call. On video-chatting services, you have the option to turn off the microphone before joining a meeting, and everyone—except the person leading the meeting—should do so. Unmute only when it is your turn to speak.

When it is your turn to speak, remember to unmute yourself. Watch for verbal cues that people aren't hearing you or read the chat box. Remember that if you introduce yourself when you begin speaking, you will quickly be able to determine if other attendees can hear you.

The average video conferencing meeting length is 31 to 60 minutes.