Why do others always seem to look better than you? Our top 5 tips for video conference success

We have been in lockdown now for quite a few weeks and you have no doubt got used to your video conference provider of choice, but is there a work colleague or regular meeting attendee who always amazes you with how professional and good they look/sound whilst on camera?

Now I am certainly not claiming to be “that person” however the last few weeks has got me thinking, so I have compiled a list of things to think about when you join a video call in the hope to set you up for success.

1. Let there be light! – Light is essential, be it natural or artificial light, make sure the room you use has as much on offer as it can provide. However, that is half the battle. You can have all the light in the world, but if that light is directly behind you, you are only going to appear as a faceless shadow on the screen. Ideally, you want to be facing the light so that your camera can pick up your face and display it to the lovely people you are speaking to. If you can manoeuvre your position to be direct the light, make this one of your first moves.
2. Camera angle – want to avoid the strange protruding chin look? try and get the camera to eye level. Use whatever you can, books/a stool/fruit bowl, or a laptop stand to get your camera up to eye level.
3. Yes, we know you can see yourself! – Try not to stare at yourself throughout your call. Use the opportunity at the start of the call to make sure you look presentable and comfortable. It is obvious when people are sat checking themselves out on the call and quite distracting for others (unless they are checking themselves out). There is the option on Zoom to hide your screen from your view. Whilst this is useful to stop you stating at yourself, there is the hidden danger you forget your on-camera and some old habits creep in…but let’s leave that there.
4. It’s behind you – If like me when your working from home you don’t have a home office and end up in your bedroom, tidy away those pyjamas you changed out of that morning! If you use zoom, you may want to check out the virtual background feature, which allows you to add in a virtual background and there are some very creative options which are fun to play with if it is not such a serious call.
5. Silence please – Mute your mic when you’re not talking. Whilst this does not apply to all situations, video conference courtesy suggests that when you are not talking, you should mute your microphone. Whilst you might think you are in quiet surroundings, you don’t know what your microphone is picking up. I would also suggest that you default for your mic to remain off when you initially join a cal
   

   The Playroom at MWS now comes wth Professional video conference facilities click image to take a virtual tour of the Playroom and Garage meeting rooms

   l. A nice little tip (which does vary for zoom/google meet) is that you can use the spacebar to mute and unmute yourself quickly within a call.

MyWorkSpot Maidenhead – Video Conference facilities now in all meeting rooms

We are a flexible office and coworking hub based in Maidenhead Berkshire offering full-time, part-time and PAYG desk and private office memberships, meeting rooms with video conference facilities (bookable by the hour) and event space. We also recently launched the option to book a private office by the day. which can also be used for video conferencing and live coaching sessions. All MyWorkSpot members (on any package) get access to the MWS Smart phone App, which allows all facilities to be checked and booked instantly. Our super flexible virtual membership starts at just £9.99 a month – check out all MWS memberships

Next Steps

• Click here to check out our video conference meeting rooms 
• Click here to read our revised Health and Safety policy – (we are actively monitoring and adhering to the latest UK Government guidelines on returning to work, please get in touch with us by info@myworkspotuk.com or 01628 613200 if you would like to discuss
• Click here to find out more about our membership options, book a tour, or download the MWS app and get access immediately.