Even though your salon doors are closed, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re still in contact with your staff, your suppliers, and industry peers. And if that’s the case, chances are that you’ve found yourself creating an account for a videoconferencing site. While it used to be that you’d only ever really need a videoconferencing app if you were hosting a meeting with a remote or international colleague, the Coronavirus has meant that we’re all remote, and as such, there are some rules to bear in mind to ensure it flows smoothly, with no unfortunate mishaps along the way.
The flattering angle
Laptop cameras aren’t known for making us look our best, but there are some tricks you can employ to make the most of your on-camera meeting. Our natural “at work” seated position has us glancing downward, tilting our head, and thereby creating a double chin. Use a laptop stand, or a box, to raise your laptop about 20cm above the table for a much more flattering angle. Then, try to keep your face about 50cm from the screen. It can be tempting to lead right in, but be aware that if you’re switched to full screen mode, your face is going to appear overly enlarged.
Mic off
We know, it seems unprofessional to have yourself set to ‘mute’ while you’re in a meeting, but trust us on this one. Any background noise at your house is going to sound like a dance party to everyone else on the call. Add to that the fact that Zoom has a nifty function that switches the speaking participant to full screen, and it can be embarrassing if the reason you’re filling the whole screen of someone’s laptop is because a child is summonsing you to help them in the bathroom.
Clothes on
Speaking of bathrooms…just don’t. The internet has been awash over the last couple fo weeks with screenshots of virtual meetings, featuring a participant that didn’t realise they were being recorded. With that in mind, don’t do anything that you wouldn’t do in a face-to-face meeting. That includes being inappropriately dressed, eating, or, yes, using the bathroom.
Forget the filters
Yes, the background options are fun, but we reckon you might want to save them for your weekly family group chat, or your wine-and-chat Zoom catch-up with your besties. The work video conference isn’t the place to create the illusion of riding a unicorn or reclining in the Bahamas. Just saying.
Wait your turn
It can take some time to get used to have a remote meeting. Take into account that not everyone has the same internet quality, and it can start to feel a little disjointed and cumbersome. As a general rule, wait a couple of seconds after one person finishes speaking before you jump in. It will give everyone a chance to hear what everyone else has to say.
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