Participating in a video conference is a great way to get some face-to-face time with clients or employees, but if you’re not following the rules of etiquette, your call will feel exhausting. There are a few simple things that you can do in any call, not just video meetings, to make things go more smoothly and to give yourself a more professional and respectful appearance.
Let’s take a closer look at these five video conference etiquette rules so you can have more productive calls.
1. Use The Mute Button
Anyone who is in an online meeting space should become best friends with the mute button. Why? Because it’s good etiquette, but also because distractions from background noise can completely derail a productive meeting. Dogs barking, kids crying, pen tapping on the desk—we’ve all heard it. After about thirty minutes in a sales meeting, that tapping pen becomes the decibels of doom for our weary minds. You start wanting to jump through the screen and snap the pen yourself to make it stop!
The mute button is the easiest and most efficient way to both improve meeting etiquette and keep the ball rolling. Remember that even noises you don’t find distracting can be to someone else. Don’t forget that you’re also on camera, so anything you’re doing can be seen by everyone else in the call.
During the pandemic, there have been countless reports of people being caught doing *embarrassing* things on camera. You don’t want that to be you!
2. Be On Time
Why should you always be on time? You could write an entire book on the subject. From the respect it shows to the people around you to the organizational skills it improves, punctuality is truly one of the best qualities a good employee, leader, or everyday person can possess.
When you arrive late to a meeting, you’re already starting off poorly. You may have missed something important, or, if you’re the call’s leader, you could be making the attendees feel like you don’t value their time if it becomes a habit. Plus, if you’re late on company time, you’re essentially stealing time from the business (after all, time is money).
Being punctual is just a standard professional quality. It shows the people around you that you care enough to make an effort to arrive at the predetermined time, and it shows that you’re organized and professional in other aspects of your life.
3. Don’t Interrupt
Even the best video conference software can’t keep people from interrupting each other during the call. Interrupting someone when they’re talking is not only rude, it’s also obnoxious. Have you ever tried to make an important point, only to be cut off by someone who disagreed or thought they knew better than you? Did you feel disrespected?
Don’t interrupt anyone. Wait until it’s your turn to speak, and make sure you keep your mic muted when you’re not talking. This serves a twofold purpose: it eliminates background noise, and it also shows whoever is speaking that you’re being respectful of their time.
Even if you have a burning thought that you simply must share, practice self-control and wait until the speaker is finished. Sometimes, you’ll find that your “burning” thought was simply a product of emotion, and doesn’t need to be shared at all.
4. Be Organized
An unorganized caller is detrimental to the productivity of the video call, but an unorganized host is the call’s kryptonite. The host of the call should be the most organized person on the call. Have materials ready, a good agenda written out, and goals for the call to achieve. It’s important to set goals because they help keep the call on track and give everyone something to aspire to.
Organization starts with punctuality. Next, you need the right tools. Do you need agenda templates? Help setting up the call? Handle all of this before the call starts, because an unorganized call host can cause the entire meeting to fall through.
5. Show Respect
Respect is a huge component of any relationship, regardless of the professional or personal nature of that relationship. Respect can be as basic as addressing someone with a certain tone or as serious as not violating a personal boundary. At its base, respect is rooted in truth and communication.
Good communication and respect are intertwined, and each is crucial to good meetings. If someone else in the call has a different viewpoint, be respectful. Be respectful of your callers by not interrupting, muting your mic, and speaking to everyone with a calm, respectful tone. Respect can take you far in the world, and even further in the professional landscape. Good leaders are respected, not feared.
Conclusion
If you want to host better meetings, you need to start with your video conference etiquette. The main idea here is respect. From respect, you get each of these five etiquette rules. Be respectful of other people. The world sorely needs more respect among people than ever before, and you’ll find you get much further when you respect others.
