Video Conference Etiquette Tips

Many of us are not quite used to video conferencing. We don’t know how to act, where to look, what to wear, and so forth. That’s why we’re so excited that Warren Farmer, Zoom user and Director of Conferences and Events at Behringer Harvard, put together a helpful guide to video conference etiquette.

Before your meeting:

Think about your background.

If your treadmill is in your office and you use it more as a place to hang laundry, that’s not really the best visual for your audience. Consider Blur your back ground feature or a virtual background. 

Adjust your lighting.

Experiment with moving lamps and your camera until you can see your brightly-lit face on the screen.

Practice speaking to the camera and not the screen.

Our tendency is to look at the person on the screen, however, when looking at the camera when you speak, the audience feels like you’re talking directly to them.

During your meeting:

Mute your microphone when necessary.

Zoom has a “Mute Microphone” option that cuts down on ambient feedback for the audience. When there is a lot of back-and-forth discussion you will turn this off, but you should mute yourself when listening to a presenter.

Acquaint yourself with the use of Zoom’s chat or Q & A function.

You can send a question or statement to everyone or privately to a participant

Think about your actions on camera.

Always remember that everyone can see you. Someone is watching as you take a big, wide-mouth yawn, stretch, or wander around the room. These exaggerated movements are distracting to the audience and can be disruptive to the speaker. Try to stay still and be attentive – or at least act attentive!

Other Important Tips

If you are unfamiliar with live video workshop trainings, the following suggestions and tips will make it an easy and enjoyed learning experience for everyone on the call.