{"id":7234,"date":"2020-09-23T21:27:47","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T17:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=7234"},"modified":"2025-01-30T03:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T23:36:08","slug":"video-conference-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/video-conference-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Best Practices for Video Conference Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Video conference calls have gone from a convenient tool to a lifeline for people around the globe. According to a <\/span>report by App Annie<\/span>, in just <\/span>one <\/span><\/i>week in March 2020, business apps (including video conferencing) reached 62 million downloads worldwide\u2014a 90% increase over the 2019 weekly average.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point, most of us have surpassed the phase of fumbling to find the mute button and figuring out when <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>to speak over someone\u2014but there\u2019s still room for improvement. Whether you use Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, <\/span>Webex<\/span><\/a>, or something else, here are some best practices for video conference calls that will make your next meeting a breeze.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Designate a meeting leader beforehand.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s face it: Video calls can be confusing and awkward. The more participants, the trickier it is to know when it\u2019s your turn to talk. Rather than making it a free-for-all, designate a meeting leader who can call on people or even mute everyone and selectively unmute them when it\u2019s their turn to take the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some video conferencing apps even have a \u201craise your hand\u201d feature. But if yours doesn\u2019t, participants can simply send a chat message or raise their actual hand to indicate that they\u2019d like to speak.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whichever method you choose, your meeting leader can keep things from getting chaotic; think of them as a crossing guard who manages the flow of traffic, letting you know when it\u2019s your turn to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t wait until the last minute to review the meeting details.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Perhaps this sounds familiar: There are 30 seconds until the call starts and you\u2019re digging for the link in your inbox, or trying to figure out where to enter the password, or discovering that you have to install software before you can launch the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid that mess by reviewing how to join the meeting at least a couple of hours in advance. That way, if you can\u2019t remember where to find the link or you\u2019re having issues with installation, you\u2019ll have plenty of time to troubleshoot.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Use a headset or earbuds with a built-in microphone.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Any sort of <\/span>headset<\/span><\/a> or earbud microphone will almost always sound better than using your laptop\u2019s onboard mic. I tested this out recently on a Skype call with a friend; I used the earbuds that came with my iPhone, while she used a headset that came with her language learning software. We were astounded at how much clearer our voices sounded just by using these inexpensive microphones.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Eliminate as many noise sources as possible.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Remember that there are many more noises on a video conference call than in an in-person meeting because remote participants are joining from different places\u2014and each has their own microphone. This can make it difficult to hear whoever\u2019s speaking. To combat this, eliminate as many noise sources as possible, whether that\u2019s a loud fan by your computer, the air conditioner on full blast, or a TV playing in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, think about the exterior of your home. For example, if you know that the landscaping crew comes every Tuesday morning, avoid holding conference calls during that time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Filter out the rest with a noise-cancelling app.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Despite your best efforts, you can\u2019t always rid your environment of <\/span>every<\/span><\/i> distracting noise. Babies will cry, dogs will bark, and outside traffic will honk. That\u2019s why there\u2019s <\/span>Krisp<\/span><\/a>. Krisp cancels out any noise coming from your microphone <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>the other participants\u2019 microphones.<\/span><\/p>\n

[demo]<\/p>\n

Plus, it supports more than 800 apps, including <\/span>Zoom<\/span><\/a>, Meet, and Teams. At the click of a button, Krisp quietly works its magic in the background, making your meetings as noise-free as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Dress appropriately\u2014and assume everyone can see you.<\/span><\/h2>\n

By now, you\u2019ve probably seen one of those viral quarantine videos where a hapless meeting participant gets caught with their pants down (or not on at all). There was the time ABC reporter Will Reeve did a live shot from his home without pants on, and the time a woman took her laptop to the bathroom during a video call, without realizing her camera was on and her colleagues could see her.<\/span><\/p>\n

The moral of these stories is this: Yes, we\u2019re all getting a little lax with our outfits and behaviors as we work from home, but even if you <\/span>think <\/span><\/i>you\u2019ve framed your shot just right or turned off your camera\u2014play it safe, and don\u2019t do anything during a call that you wouldn\u2019t want your colleagues to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Choose your background wisely.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t fret over creating an elaborate background. Just make sure there\u2019s nothing distracting back there. If something behind you is moving\u2014for example, people walking by or your cute cat playing\u2014it will draw viewers\u2019 attention away from the meeting. Your safest bet for a static background is to have a wall directly behind you.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Make the most of lighting and camera angle.<\/span><\/h2>\n

You don\u2019t need a fancy camera and a studio to look presentable in video conference calls. You just need to learn the magic of lighting and camera angles.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to make the most of lighting:<\/span><\/p>\n