If you feel nervous about video conferencing, remember that practice makes perfect. Once you get the hang of being in front of the camera, you will have mastered yet another invaluable business skill.
Set Up Pre Session
1. Check your computer system is working about 24 hours before the scheduled time to allow time to make any necessary changes.
2. Join from a location with a strong and stable internet connection. Conserve individual network bandwidth and ensure the software operates efficiently by closing any other applications on the computer which you do not need for your online session.
3. Be on-time. Start about 5-10 minutes earlier than the scheduled time as it can take time to get set up and logged in before the session starts.
4. Use a headset with a microphone to get better sound quality and reduce background noise.
5. Your surroundings say a lot about you. Let’s make sure that they say the right things. Clean up and have a simple background (a plain wall, a potted plant, or a bookshelf works perfectly). Zoom also provides virtual backgrounds to help you disguise even the most recklessly cluttered environments.
Live Session
1. Position yourself so the camera is seeing you from the chest or waist up, instead of just seeing your face. This is more natural for the viewer (after all, in an in-person meeting you’re usually seeing more of a person than just their face). This is especially beneficial if you tend to gesture a lot.
2. Set your camera so that you can be seen clearly in a "portrait" framing, at a level that is as straight on as possible. Avoid setting your camera at odd angles that would be dissimilar to how you would appear in person. Your camera should sit in a way that allows you to look as much into it as possible - avoid looking at yourself while speaking.
3. Position yourself so that most of the light is coming from in front of you (behind your monitor), instead of behind you. If you have a window behind you, shut the blinds. Otherwise, you will be backlit.
4. Mute your phone/microphone when not speaking as every noise that is made on your end will be heard by everyone else in the live session e.g. coughing, paper shuffling, chatting with others etc.
5. Introduce yourself by name when speaking or asking a question.
6. Refrain from eating, chewing gum, trimming fingernails, or anything else that you would not do in a classroom setting with other people.
7. Avoid overlapping your speech with the speech of others to avoid the interaction becoming unintelligible.
8. Chat: The “Chat” icon will turn orange for incoming messages from participants and/or the host. Be sure to click on it to read and respond if needed.
9. Be prepared for your sessions! Review the readings and media and have your notes handy so that you can get the most out of your participation.
