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Tips for Online Meetings

Dylan Cohan
  • Updated
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Here are some tips I assembled that can make your online meeting more engaging.
 

  • Camera and Placement

    • Consider adding a webcam to your setup.  Perch it atop your external monitor.  This will allow for a better camera angle, slightly above your eyes.
    • Push your laptop so that the camera is three feet away from.  A laptop stand can help with this angle.  Your eyes should appear a third of the way down from the top of your screen and your arms and hands should be visible as you gesture.  This helps to create the feel of a more natural, across-the-table conversation.  

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  • Lighting

    • Assess the lighting in your room.  Open any blinds to natural light.
    • Option: add a desk lamp or light kit like a Lumecube or Elgato Key Light Air, to balance the light on your face, especially during early morning or late evening sessions when you don’t have the benefit of natural light.  Use the “adjust for low light” Zoom setting to help brighten your face as well.
    • Be aware of the color of the light from a lamp. Adjust the bulb type to make you look your best.
    • Best practice is to be lit from the front, instead of from behind or above. Avoid witness protection mode with all back lighting.

 

  • Keyboard and Mouse

    • Use a keyboard and a mouse to make typing easier now that your laptop is further away.  These are more comfortable, too.

 

  • Audio

    • To headphone, or not is up to you. An echo, static, or low volume can disrupt a webinar.
    • Consider a noise canceling microphone. These can eliminate all kinds of beeps and wooshes that distract from the message.

 

  • Background

    • One option is to ‘Blur your Background’ to not have to worry about a crude wall.
    • You may also curate the space behind you by adding conversation starters like family photos, artwork, or objects related to your interests. Avoid items that create a disruption.
    • For some webinars, you may want to use a background that reflects the brand, or at least include a logo.

 

  • Software Settings

    • Use “speaker view” for better eye contact and try using the video grid tool to bring the small thumbnail videos together and into the middle of your screen. 
    • Always talk to the image closest to your camera for best eye contact.
    • Use the “background noise suppression” Zoom setting, set to high.
    • Hide your self-view to combat Zoom fatigue and avoid distraction.
    • Set your full name in your Zoom/Teams profile. Additionally, add a professional headshot for your profile picture.
    • In Zoom, check the ‘Touch Up My Appearance’ in Video Settings.

 

  • Appearance and Dress

    • Avoid busy patterns in dress that fights with the video. Logo shirts may work well.
    • Be mindful of what you are wearing below the screen and turn off your video before standing.
    • Keep any snacks off screen. Mute and turn off your video when attending to any ‘off screen’ personal items like the bathroom.

 

  • Test your setting.

    • Before the meeting, turn on and test a meeting with a colleague.
      • Know which screens are visible to clients when sharing.
      • Know how to swap windows, use power point, audio, and the whiteboard.

Here’s to looking and sounding your best in the online space.

 

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