As many companies have been transitioning to working remotely and working from home, virtual meetings have replaced most of our usual face to face time in the office. With meetings on Zoom, Join.me, and many other platforms increasing at an immense pace, we’re all navigating this new, completely remote world together. In an effort to make the best of our remote meetings we have some tips from our staff.
Visual
In the first 3 seconds of visually appearing on other users’ screens, the first thing a remote viewer will scan is your personal appearance.
Are you dressed appropriately? Is your personal appearance up to business standards?
Can people see you? Your device should be set at least at desk level in height.
You’ll want to avoid the under-chin camera angle, so try to get your computer a little higher where the camera is about even with your face. This is also helpful with the strain on your neck as you work, so you won’t be looking down all day at a low computer screen.
Camera placed too low
Camera at a good height
To alleviate a cropped-out or chopped head look, try adjusting your screen or monitor up or down to capture your full face.
Camera not centered on your face
Camera with your face centered
Identify where the camera is located on your device. When addressing the remote users in your meeting, you should try and make direct eye contact with your camera as you would with a person.
Avoid having a bright background like windows if possible. Your device camera may attempt to expose to the brightest source leaving you the subject dark in the foreground.
Background too bright
Background light just right
Keep your available lighting soft and balanced on your face. Try to use multiple lighting sources rather than a single lighting source from only one side of the room. This will prevent an uneven or overly dramatic look on your face.
Lighting on only one side
Well balanced lighting
Audio
It’s important to
have good audio quality. You will hear better and others will hear you
better.
A better alternative to using the speakers and mic on your computer is to use headphones with a mic on them like the ones that you would use for your phone or use an external mic and speaker you can plug in to your computer.
Test your mic and speakers prior to the call to ensure you can hear others and they can hear you.
You can also use your phone to call in, but if you’re calling from your cell phone be sure you have good reception in your area to avoid call drops.
These are just a few simple ways to make the best of your remote meetings with colleagues and clients. If you have any questions or you’d like to learn more about other meeting options, including meeting platforms or high-quality webcasts please give us a call or contact us here.
