A video conference is a wonderful tool to save money, or quickly and easily bring far flung employees together on a regular basis. At its most basic, all you need is for everyone to have a computer, a webcam, and internet connection. That is the minimum, but you probably want to have a great video conference, not just a mediocre one. Here are some tips to make that happen.
You and your participants should watch their backs, literally. What will people see behind you during the video conference? If you have lower bandwidth, a neutral background is best. Other than that, try not to have a lot of clutter in view. You want your people to look at you, not at what's behind you.
When they look at you, what do they see? Dressing for the occasion is important for a video conference. Even if you are at home, for a business conference, you should look professional. During the call, sit with good posture and maintain eye contact with your webcam lens. It gives a sincere and personable appearance.
During the conference, utilize all the features of your video service. If you have them available, put out polls to get current input, or throw up a graph, chart, or graphic. Remember that there is a lot of activity on your participant's screens, so make the visuals Spartan, with large text.
The key part of a video conference is that it is visual. Act like you would in a meeting room. Gesture with your hands, or hold up a report. Hold a ball while you're talking and when it's time for someone else to talk, name that person and toss your ball off screen. They should pick up their own ball and hold it while they speak. This is a great attention grabber, but also serves to designate whose turn it is to talk. Of course, you need to make sure that all the speakers have a ball.
Finally, there is nothing that can guarantee a good video conference more than a quick practice run. This is the time to trip over all of the technological bugs and snafus. It also gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the controls and features. When the time comes for the real conference, you'll be ready!
