Is doing a virtual conference call difficult when working from home? Many remote workers aren’t aware of the etiquette when connecting with their team or an important client. This can lead to interruptions and leave everyone else frustrated. If you don’t want to obstruct the process, check our helpful tips!
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Don’t be late
According to Overheard on Conference Calls, 26 million Americans work at home. Connecting with your team and clients is very important, so you should take the video conference seriously.
As same as a physical meeting, a conference call requires you to be on time. When you work from home, it can be quite different as you have so many distractions. But, keep in mind that your absence is much more visible when doing a virtual conference call. Be sure to wake up on time, or set a reminder for your conference to make sure that you are not late.
Use mute when not active
When you don’t speak, make sure that you mute your microphone. Why? Because microphones are so sensitive, and they can pick up any unwanted background noise. Your team can listen you coughing, typing, traffic, or other noises that might distract them. So, click the mute button when you don’t speak.
Another thing that many people actually do during a video conference is typing or checking their email. This will look like you don’t pay attention, so make sure that you avoid it. Also, it can be perceived as rude because you aren’t paying attention to what others talk about.
Set up everything
Before you even start the conference call, you need to make sure that everything works properly. Check your camera, microphone, and conference software to see if it is all ready. You don’t want to be the one that is causing an interruption. Test everything with a colleague to see if it runs smoothly.
Don’t forget to set up a good camera angle. Sit up straight, while looking at the camera with your eyes. Avid placing it too high or too low, as this can produce awkward angles. Also, make sure that you remove any distractions from the background. If you can, sit in front of a blank wall. No one should see your laundry, pet, or kid toys in the background. Another thing that you should consider is lighting. Let enough natural sunlight or turn the lights on so that the people can clearly see you.
Wear proper clothing
When you work from home, it is very likely that you will stay in your sweatshirt. But, you can’t appear like that when doing a virtual conference. However, that doesn’t mean that you should suit up. Wear something that is appropriate for a formal meeting.
Look up at the camera
When you talk to someone, make sure that you face the camera. Don’t look at the screen or the keyboard, as you need to look like you want to achieve eye contact and directly speak to them and. This will look way more professional.
