We would take your money, Miss Manners in a different job would abhor some of the virtual meeting manners that are rampant on video chat and meeting software today. Slovenly appearance. Messy background. Video and audio distractions. And the list of other infractions is too long to enumerate.
Please, do not be that person ruining the meeting for everyone else. Maintain virtual meeting etiquette at all times.
Table of Contents
Here are a few tips for more effective meetings: these tips can help you look your best — whether as host or attending so the whole virtual meeting process yields the greatest results.
1) Carry Yourself As If In Person
You would not be receiving a phone call or eating a plate of fajitas during the presenter’s talk if you were in an in-person meeting. Just as you wouldn’t go without pants or in workout clothes, so too should you exclude your pets and/or kids from the scene.
The gold rule for virtual meeting etiquette, you should act like you were in an actual live meeting with potential investors or the CEO.
We know this list contains a few tips about virtual meeting etiquette, but we are certain you can find more through rereading the above sentence, putting yourself in that mindset, and executing.
2) Monitor Your Mute Status
This is where it should be obvious, but even with the virtual meetings being the order of the day muting and unmuting at the right time remains a challenge.
When someone else is speaking, especially if you are not talking or making a comment, mute your microphone. Mute your microphone first if it is your turn to speak. After you finish talking, turn your microphone back off so that you don’t disrupt the next speaker.
3) If You Need To Leave And Walk Away, Mute Your Video
We have emergencies — life happens and you need to take a break sometimes (that very unplanned bathroom break right there).
A virtual meeting is pretty much insisting you off your video prior to getting up and sorting that in those situations.
Then, when you come back to the meeting (only before your video is active once more), make sure that you are sitting in front of the camera as you sat prior to heading off.
You are much less disruptive to other participants in the meeting and it allows a far smoother transit than dashing out of frame and back into view again while still shooting your video.
4) Minimize Distractions
Like we said above, surprises happen — that’s the reality. But it does not mean that you need to let those interruptions derail the meeting.
Practice top-notch virtual meeting etiquette by keeping on-camera and on-microphone distractions to a minimum as much as you can. Alert anyone in your household that you are in a meeting and not to be interrupted except for emergencies.
All pets and pet noise should remain away from your computer (nothing — and we mean nothing — clears people’s attention from the speaker more than a cute kitty or puppy head appearing onscreen, or walking across the back of the couch).
5) Maintain a Clean Background — Professional
Another good virtual meeting etiquette that we should all follow is to keep what will be behind us neat, clear and professional.
That means not setting up in a coffee shop, with patrons cycling in and out behind you. Which means pointing your camera at a clean, nicely-decorated (or empty) wall whenever you can.
Of course, the blank wall is not available at all times and your camera will pick up other furniture, a closet, a door to another room and even the floor. Otherwise, turn your camera on early and make sure to scope out what everybody else is going to see.
Close closet doors, and doors to other rooms, make your bed (if it’s in the shot), tidy the bookcases & by all means don’t have piles of clothes/boxes etc on the floor and flat surfaces where they can be seen on camera.
Clean the part of the room that your camera will see (this is much easier than cleaning all of it — which you should not do, anyway) to make your background as work-like and professional looking as possible;
6) Dress And Groom Appropriately
While working from home, it is quite easy to rise five minutes before the meeting starts, put on a shirt, comb through your hair with your fingers and another one in front of your computer or mobile.
This is not only completely detrimental to our own brains, but also allows or encourages others to turn their attention away from a virtual meeting – as we are hurting our team without whitehostings.org even realizing it. Dress and groom as if you are meeting the CEO of your firm or investors who may fund your venture for the next year.
Good dress/ grooming does matter whether you are a host or an attendee.
That will for most people mean putting clean business clothing on — or business casual if that is your culture in the company and hair styled as though going to work.
7) Get A Good Microphone To Work Your Virtual Meeting Etiquette
Work from home and virtual meetings are permanent (at least for a while). Buy yourself a proper microphone, or for your phone, tablet, laptop or even desktop computer — I recommend it to you and your distributed team.
The built-in microphones — regardless of being on laptops or mobile devices, or external webcams etc. Also, those options usually have you quite a distance from the mic itself.
In that situation, the mic might stop working while you are speaking or just be challenging to hear by other participants. That being said, you don’t have to blow money on a studio quality microphone or the most expensive one.
A twenty-dollar desktop or headset mic that plugs into your computer headphone jack is also light years ahead of the built-in mics these devices ship with today.
8) Silence Phones And Other Forms Of Noise
An aspect of etiquette — turn any phones and other noise-producing devices off that might go off and distract from the proceedings.
You probably pay no attention to these sounds during the normal course of working from home, but they can be distracting enough when you are on video or a voice call with others in your meeting so that all those in attendance forget what you or speaker said.
Hit these things muting your:
- Mobile phone
- Landline phone
- TV
- Radio
- Computer notifications
- Clock alarms
If you work in shared spaces within the house or apartment, then you may be required to consider noise from the dishwasher, washing machine & doorbell as well.
Not every noise can be muted, but do your best for the sake of other virtual meeting attendees.
9) Learn The Software Controls
You should not be a master but take this virtual meeting etiquette tip seriously and get comfortable using the basic controls of the meeting program.
If keyboard shortcuts exist, they are typically quicker and easier than the mouse or trackpad would allow; but as long as you can do a few basic things that enable participation in any virtual meeting, great!
These basics include:
- Join the meeting
- If you have flexibility to your screen name
- Mute/unmute your mic
- Turn your video on and off
- Raise your hand
- Leave the meeting
If you are the one hosting the virtual meeting, you also need to know how to share your screen and computer sound (for videos), admit participants into the meeting, remove participants from a meeting, create breakout rooms, lower all hands and mute all mics.
Master Your Virtual Meeting Presence — AI Journal News
AI Journal News can help you refine your virtual meeting etiquette and always put forth a professional appearance. AI Journal News has flexible, private office space that can accommodate any size team from 1 – 100+ — with meeting rooms across all our locations large enough to host your entire company.
Go to the workplace that is right for your situation whether a digital nomad, solopreneur, startup entrepreneur, small company or large corporation. Bring your laptop along, and we will take care of the rest.
And because all our spaces are carefully decorated with a view to ensuring your business looks its best, you can be sure that whether you run an online interview, face-to-face interview, or virtual meeting with investors will paint the image of professionalism.
We cannot help you remember to UNMUTE your mic before speaking or wear the best outfit and look well groomed, but we can make what is behind you look like a million bucks.
Tuning into your face-to-face communication is a huge factor in mastering virtual meeting etiquette.
Walk into almost anyone of AI Journal News face to final destinations on the east shore, including collaborations in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Illinois and up-and-coming offices and workspaces in Southern spaces like Tennessee and Texas. Or get in touch today to learn more about everything we have to offer.
While you are at it, book yourself a tour where you will get to experience and see how the boutique coworking environments of AI Journal News can bring great benefits for your business.
