7 Tips for a Successful Video Conference Meeting


Whether you have just scheduled your first video conference meeting or you’ve attended dozens of them, you’ll find these seven tips helpful for enhancing the experience for everyone.

Image of a woman at her computer using tips for a successful video conference meeting

Video conference meetings are a great way to bring people together from across the country and create the feel for all being in the same room. It’s far cheaper and saves way more time than flying to a meeting and it can be just as effective. It’s face-time in real-time. To ensure you get the most out of your video conference meeting follow these useful guidelines…

1. The Greeting
Take an opportunity to let everyone that is present at the video conference meeting say hello. If it is someone’s first time partaking then go around and have everyone introduce themselves.

2. Posture
Many people have a tendency to slouch in their chair. This is not the time for that. Sit up. Straight back. Look attentive and engaged rather than emitting a poor presence. Plus, it’s easier to see you and you can project your voice better during the video conference meeting. Need help with good sitting posture? Check this guide out.

3. Stay Focused
Don’t be looking around the room, messing with your phone, or whispering to others off-screen. Not only is it a distraction to others but it signals that they are not your priority. Keep your eyes on the screen when others are talking and look into the camera when you take your turn to speak.

4. Be Self Aware
Keep your gestures concise and minimal. Giant sweeping hand motions often won’t even stay in frame. People want to see your face and eyes. Accent that with small gestures if needed, but otherwise refrain from flailing around. Also, be mindful of what you are wearing. Sure, you might not need pants for a video conference meeting, but don’t get too flashy with whatever you choose to wear. Business casual is generally a safe bet.

5. Wait a Moment
Pause a second before speaking. There might be a small delay in the video feed, so take a deep breath before chiming in to make sure you don’t end up talking over others.

6. No Snacking
This might seem like a no brainer, but a video conference meeting is no time to eat. Yet if you partake in enough of them, someone will always try to sneak a snack in there. It’s rude, unprofessional, and distracting. Try munching something beforehand to ensure you don’t get hungry during the meeting. And don’t forget to check your teeth for any lingering food particles.

7. Wrap It Up
Don’t let video conference meetings drag on too long. Stick to the scheduled allotment of time and don’t deviate from the agenda. Once you’re done, provide a brief summary, make sure everyone knows what they need to do, establish any followup that might be necessary, thank everyone for their time, and end the session.

If you stick to these seven tips for a video conference then you’ll surely have a successful meeting. We often conduct video conference meetings with staff that works from remote locations and we have found these guidelines to be super helpful in conducting efficient and effective sessions. Good luck!

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