5 tips to make virtual meetings professional

Now that we have tasted what it is like to go virtual, it is hard to go back to the days of only face-to-face meetings. Indeed, virtual meetings are convenient.

We can have them any time, any place, even in the comfort of our bedrooms. However, like face-to-face meetings, how we present ourselves leaves a lasting impression on the people we're interacting with.

This makes it important for us to take steps to present ourselves professionally even during virtual meetings.

This can be challenging for some of us at home as we are unable to instantly make our space or environment suitable for working unlike our offices, and we also lack the proper video conferencing tools for meetings.

Think 'Colab'

As we face greater spatial challenges, improving our communications tools can lead to a combination of greater concentration and collaboration, both of which are being tested in new ways through these workspace changes.

Technology also offers a way to flexibly future proof your teams or business while safeguarding fundamentals like concentration and collaboration, regardless of what the future office or workspace of tomorrow looks like.

Colab tip 1: C for camera - use a good camera and maintain eye contact

When face-to-face meetings are not possible, leveraging a professional camera is vital. With the right setup, you can make your virtual meetings as good as the real thing.

● Position your camera at eye level and not pointing upwards or downwards - this will usually require placing it on top of your monitor. If you're working on a laptop, use a laptop stand to raise the camera to eye level.

● Ensure you are sitting in the centre of the screen. Sit closer or zoom in until your face fills at least 50 per cent of the height of the screen. Always leave a small space between the top of your head and the top of the screen.

● Try to look directly into the lens from time to time. This can feel a bit awkward but remember that looking at the lens means you are looking directly in the eyes of the other person. This is key since researchers have found that eye contact during video calls triggers the same kind of psychophysiological responses as face-to-face eye contact .

● If this proves too difficult or distracting, you can also focus on the content at the top of your screen. Looking at content which is positioned to the side of the camera, or at a second screen, is much more obvious, and likely to feel more impersonal than looking at a point just below the camera.

Lead by example by getting into the habit of having cameras on all the time, whenever we're in virtual meetings. We should also encourage other meeting participants to use video. You can do this by mentioning how nice it would be to see everyone's faces at the start of the meeting.

Colab tip 2: O for ourselves - Be in the right attire, posture and show your presence

A virtual meeting should be no different compared to a face-to-face meeting. You should always try to create the same professional and approachable image.

Even a few basic things can make a difference virtually:

● Attire - Think of it as a live meeting and dress as you would if you were meeting face to face. If in doubt, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. Make sure your clothes contrast well against the background; avoid white clothes against a plain white wall, or black on a dark background. Make sure you choose solid colours; loud patterns can be distracting and also appear fuzzy on screen.

● Posture - Sit upright and avoid moving in your chair. Any movement you make should be deliberate, to engage with your audience.

● Presence - Did you know? 57 per cent of people admit to doing email during virtual meetings. *It's easy to be distracted by incoming emails, or a movement in the room. Try to keep your eyes on the camera, switch off any potential distractions, and use your body language to demonstrate engagement. Maintain eye contact by looking directly into the camera. This will help you to build a connection with your audience.

Colab tip 3: L for lighting - Get a good lighting

Cameras love light. The better your lighting, the better your video quality will be. Good lighting and contrast are also vital for consistent, accurate virtual backgrounds.

● Light from the front - When you're on a call, you should be the centre of focus, everything else is a distraction. Make sure your face is well lit. If you have bright overhead lighting, it can cast shadows on your face, so you may need to add frontal lighting to balance things out.

● Natural is best - If you can use natural light from a window, do so, but make sure you are facing the window.

● Soft lighting - Use diffused lighting for softer shadows. If you have a wall in front of you, you can point the lamp at it and use it as a diffuse reflector.

Colab tip 4: A for audio - Ensure that audio is clear for you and the meeting participants

Having a clear audio allows everyone to communicate effectively and help to ensure that meetings are productive.

● Eliminate background noise - Try to conduct meetings within an enclosed space to avoid background noise from interfering with the audio that you and the meeting participants are receiving. Headsets with noise-cancelling or noise-isolating features can help reduce the background noise and allow you to focus better.

● Use a proper microphone - Many times, we rely on our laptop's microphones for easy communication. However, this may not be ideal as the microphone may not pick up our voices clearly, resulting in meeting participants asking us to project our voices louder. Depending on your preference, you may choose to use a headset with a boom-arm microphone or a speakerphone for better audio pick up.

Colab tip 5: B for background - Have a clean, uncluttered and simple background

Your background says something about you and your personality, there is no need to completely sterilize the background of your calls, but you should keep the following pointers in mind:

● Simple, uncluttered backgrounds give a clean, professional look, are less distracting, and remove the need for messy-looking virtual backgrounds and blur.

● Your home office might be a multi-purpose space, but you should still ensure that there is no fitness gear, unmade beds or children's toys visible in the background. If you want to add something to the background to create a friendly atmosphere, we suggest plants.

● If you are sitting in front of a plain white wall, you can make use of a variety of Microsoft Teams backgrounds or other custom backgrounds. Choose the most appropriate one based on your audience. If you are using one for the first time, you can do a test by setting up a Teams meeting with yourself.

Don't forget to smile. After all, you are on camera!