A Quick Guide to Video Conferencing for Businesses

A Quick Guide to Video Conferencing for Businesses

If you’re ready to frequently use video for your business conference, the adjustment can be hard for some employees.

Not only can the technology be hard to adopt, but you may find that there’s video conferencing etiquette that still needs to be learned and developed as well. However, your company will be well rewarded for using this technology that’s become even more popular throughout 2020 and 2021.

Compared to two years ago, 87 percent more people are using video conferencing. More importantly, 94 percent of businesses find that their productivity has increased after using video conferencing.

With this in mind, read on for our quick and straightforward guide on high definition video conferencing for businesses.

Proper Lighting

Regardless of whether you’re using advanced audio visual services or not, you need proper lighting. Overhead lighting may work when you’re face-to-face with people, but it tends to cast a harsh light on people’s features, casting them in an unflattering light.

Through video, the harsh shadows from overhead lighting can make it hard to see a person’s features. Instead, turn off the overhead lighting before your company conference and use soft light sources instead, such as a large open window.

You can also invest in two tabletop light sources to place on either side in order to even out the light being cast from overhead.

Clean Background

It’s important to keep in mind that in a video conference, you’re not the only subject that people will be looking at. They’ll also see some of the items on your desk as well as around you and behind you.

For this reason, make sure you choose an area of your office to hold your meetings that is relatively clean. Although it doesn’t have to be bare, you want it clean enough so that the background doesn’t distract viewers from your message.

Invest in Technology

Keep in mind that with audio video installation, you may need to invest in more technology in order to improve the sound quality of your video conference. You can do this by ensuring you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection at all times.

You may also want to invest in better audio equipment so that people can hear you clearly. You may also want to consider sound masking in order to increase the comfort of your office and the audio levels.

Sound masking can help protect employees’ privacy even in open offices. It can also help eliminate noise distractions during a conference call as well as make the office environment more comfortable.

Dress Appropriately

Oftentimes with video conferencing, you may feel as if your clothes don’t matter as much since you’re not seeing the other participants face-to-face. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they’ll still be able to see the upper portion of your body.

With this in mind, make sure to dress professionally depending on the context of the video call. For instance, if you would normally wear a suit to a meeting, you’ll still want to do the same if the meeting is held through video.

However, you can dress more casually if you’re having a monthly or Friday team meeting that normally doesn’t require you to wear your best business attire.

Use the Mute Button

One of the main interruptions during video conferences is when people forget or don’t know how to use their mute button. Train your employees so that they know where the mute button is.

They should also make sure to mute the button when a participant is speaking and remember to un-mute themselves when it’s their turn to speak. This cuts down on any noise interruptions and allows the meeting to flow smoothly.

Practice Eye Contact

One of the most difficult aspects of video conferencing is the fact that you need to look at the camera lens in order to maintain eye contact. Looking at the window on the screen may seem more comfortable, but to other viewers, it may seem as if you’re looking down or away from them.

When you’re speaking, try to glance at the camera lens as much as you can in order to maintain the feeling of natural eye contact. However, don’t worry if it’s hard at first–most participants are aware that you’re looking at them even though it seems as if you’re looking away.

Stay Punctual

You may feel as if video conferencing is more flexible, but the rules still remain for lateness and participation. You’ll want to log in to your video conferencing meeting early so as not to appear unprepared or forgetful.

You may also want to start preparing for your first video conference as much as an hour before. This is because you’ll want time to test the webcam and mic in order to ensure everyone can see and hear you. You may also want to become more familiar with the controls, the layout of the software, and more.

The more comfortable you are with this new technology, the more confident you’ll appear.

Follow Up With Your Team

Last but not least, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll want to follow up with your team through email or a Google Doc after a long meeting is in place. The reason for this is that some participants may have logged in late or had audio or video issues.

By following up, you can go over the main points of your video conference to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is also an opportunity to allow people to ask questions and get clarification.

Preparing for High Definition Video Conferencing

These video conferencing tips will help you run your first few video conferencing sessions smoothly. Not only will viewers be able to hear and see you clearly, but you can feel confident that you and your employees are presenting yourselves in a professional and polished way.

Ready to get set up with high definition video conferencing full spatial audio? Contact us today for a consultation!