Do you want your video conferences to be more productive? How about establishing effective channels of communication? With these practical 9 video conference call etiquette tips, you can!
Many companies struggle with video conferences and end up decreasing their productivity. Without the right approach and tools, it’s challenging to harness the real power of video calls for businesses. With that in mind, we’ve gathered 9 video conference call etiquette tips that can help you make them work by improving communication and productivity.
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The power of productive video conferences
When businesses don’t get the expected results with video calls, they either keep going anyway or give up on them. Both scenarios are far from ideal. Video conference calls can have a phenomenal impact on any business when you tap into their full potential.
With successful video conference calls, you can:
- Establish effective communication within your business
- Increase productivity among teams
- Strengthen relationships between employees and clients
- Expand your business with remote hires and directions
Check out our Remote Work Guide: How to work effectively from home to learn more about working from home.
9 Video Conference Call Etiquette Tips
#1 What time is it over there?
The video conference call etiquette starts way before the call itself. During the setup of an online meeting, it’s vital to take into account different time zones and schedules. It’s not easy to find the perfect time slot that fits everyone’s lives, but you can get as close to it as possible if you try.
Not only can your schedule impact the attendance rate but also the effectiveness of the meeting. For instance, choosing “ business rush hours” could mean that attendees won’t be as focused as they would otherwise be. If they even show up at all. The key is finding common ground among the majority of participants.
#2 Why are we here?
A great tip on video conference call etiquette to keep in mind is how valuable everyone’s time is. In other words, your video conference should be to the point. Another advantage of short meetings, in general, is that it’s easier for attendees to retain the information and take action accordingly.
Before your meeting, make sure you outline its goals. Think about what you want to achieve with this video conference and if necessary, send all participants the topics so they can prepare too. This simple strategy before each video call can help you increase communication effectiveness.
#3 Are you ready?
Every chance we get to talk about live videos, whether it’s about video calls, presentations, or live streams, we must talk about preparation. Many video conferences don’t work because there’s a lack of preparation.
Being prepared means all your equipment has been tested, and it’s ready to go. It also means preparing materials and having all the resources you might need at arm’s length or, if you can, click’s length. One of the best ways to be prepared for your video conferences or broadcasts is to have checklists. For example, you could have a live video equipment checklist and tick things off before each meeting.
#4 We are waiting on Paul to get started
The best video conference call etiquette related to attendance isn’t to be on time. It’s to be early. Unlike other meetings, where you come to a room, sit, and you’re ready, video conferences require some tech usage.
If you want to make sure you’ll be there, ready, on time, you’ll have to be there earlier. That will give you time to test all the equipment on the platform and make any necessary adjustments before the video call.
#5 Do all attendees know what to do?
Something many businesses take for granted but can be the difference between successful video conference calls and messy ones is having a video call protocol. With a step-by-step protocol in place, you can make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to using video calling equipment.
In fact, you can create your own video conference call etiquette guidelines and share it within the company to maximize your video calls’ efficiency.
#6 Is everyone still there?
Another video conference call etiquette tip is to check in with attendees, so no one is left behind. Throughout the meeting, you can engage with participants and make sure they are keeping up with you. Also, another way to ensure communication effectiveness is to take some time for Q&A (questions and answers).
When attendees get to ask questions and chip in, not only will they retain more information, but it will also strengthen your relationship with them.
#7 Are you in your pajamas?
As obvious as it sounds, part of the video conference call etiquette is your attire. Every company has its own rules and policies when it comes to what you should or should not wear. Even though a video call isn’t necessarily in the office, it should follow the same principles.
Simply, be mindful of what you are wearing and make sure it conforms with your company’s culture.
#8 Sorry to interrupt, but…
When it comes to video conference call etiquette, interrupting others is a big mistake. Not only it cuts through the flow of the meeting, but it also causes a ripple effect. The delay between saying something and others hearing it makes it much harder to put everyone back on track after an interruption.
Sometimes it’s inevitable, but trying to minimize interruptions will help you improve your results with video conferences.
#9 Get your earphones ASAP
Every attendee should wear earphones or, if there’s more than one person in the room, the speakers cannot be near the microphone. Otherwise, the sound from the speakers will be fed back into the mic, and everyone will get that dreaded echo effect.
This is a video conference call etiquette basic to help all attendees focus on the topics at hand, instead of some sound issue. If you start your broadcast early, you’ll be able to test the feedback yourself and fix it if needed.
Key Takeaway
These are only a few of the many video conference call etiquette tips you could implement to make your video conferences more productive. Based on your business’ culture, you can evaluate which topics are the most important and implement them according to your specific needs.
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