Video conferencing is an essential part of the business world, especially as so many businesses have transitioned to remote work due to the pandemic. Video conferencing helps bring coworkers together to interact face-to-face, even when working from home. In fact, according to a study by Owl Labs, 96% of respondents agree that video conferencing is effective for improving the connectedness of remote team members.
While video conferencing is a great way to interact when working from home, it can also be the source of awkward moments. When the line between your work and home environment is blurred, it’s easy to make some video conferencing faux paus. We’ve all heard or experienced many of these mishaps like epic toddler meltdowns, embarrassing backgrounds or having another conversation when you think you’re on mute. We have some helpful tips to avoid those awkward video conferencing moments and to keep your virtual meetings productive.
- Enable Virtual Backgrounds
Let’s be honest – sometimes you home isn’t always organized. Maybe you have laundry stacked up or toys scattered across the floor. Virtual backgrounds can make video conferencing much more professional when working from home. The good news is you can enable virtual background and attendees in your video conferencing meeting won’t see any of it. Virtual backgrounds can make video conferencing much more professional when working from home. You’ll still get to interact on a personal level without the worrying if your coworkers will see your mess. UCx with Cisco Webex provides a variety of virtual backgrounds you can choose from. Plus, you can upload your own background image to show your personality or to create a branded meeting experience. Pro tip: video conferencing meetings are still business meetings so don’t forget to keep it professional!
- Use Your Mute Button
Interruptions while working from home are inevitable. You’ve likely been on a video conferencing meeting when the doorbell rang, dog barked or your child came running to ask a question. When you don’t use your mute button, these small interruptions can seriously derail a meeting quickly. If you’re not actively talking, use your mute button. You’ll be courteous to others, especially when on a larger video conferencing meeting, and avoid potential awkward moments in the progress.
- Lock Your Meeting
Regularly hosting back-to-back meetings can be challenging, especially when you need to discuss confidential information. I’m sure you’ve had those early bird attendees join a meeting before it actually started, inadvertently joining a meeting already in progress. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but if you’re discussing sensitive information, you need to make sure that additional ears aren’t listening in. You can do this by locking your meeting in UCx with Cisco Webex. When you lock your meeting, no one else will be able to join. For attendees who try to join an already locked meeting, they will enter a lobby where you can choose who to allow into the meeting. You can make sure your meeting stays on track and sensitive information is protected.
- Remove Background Noise
Nothing halts a meeting faster than background noise especially when your child shouts something outrageous in the background. While it may provide some comic relief for your attendees, it will also divert attention to what your meeting was about in the first place. Did you know UCx with Cisco Webex allows you to remove background noise from your audio feed? The platform will separate noise from natural human speech, so you don’t hear typing on the keyboard or the landscaping work being done outside.
- Turn Off Notifications Before Screen Sharing
The meeting is going great. You’re screen sharing a PowerPoint presentation and then a pop-up appears. You just inadvertently shared a private message with all your attendees. Don’t get caught in this situation. Turn your notifications off before your meeting starts, so when you’re screen sharing you’re not sharing email notifications and private chat messages with your coworkers.
TPx offers video conferencing plus meetings, calling, chat, screen sharing and more all from a single application. Need a better video conferencing solution? We can help. Speak to an expert to learn more about how unified communications can help your business.