Web Conferencing Etiquette: Top Tips

Web meetings are becoming more popular as an alternative to in-person meetings. And at one time or another most of us have heard of or read something about "web conferencing etiquette". However, the basics are rarely practiced leading to delays or a less than stellar experience in your meeting.

A simple web search for web conferencing etiquette will produce about 155,000 results to sift through (ick!) with most sites offering repetitive "top ten tips" lists. I think the most effective tips can be summed up in five simple steps.

Here are my Top Five, I encourage you to make them your own habits:

Introduce yourself or state your name when speaking at least the first few times depending on meeting size. Don't assume that your attendees automatically recognize your voice. As with any meeting, limit side conversations. Mute your phone when you are not speaking. There is nothing worse than hearing the sound of someone typing away letting everyone know that they are only half-listening. Avoid cell phones and speakerphones when possible. However, speakerphones (such as a Polycom) designed for conferencing are acceptable. if you are using a webcam, make frequent eye contact with the camera. This will help the remote people feel more a part of the meeting. If you are not using a webcam, uploading a JPEG of yourself into a Share pod can achieve many of the same goals with less of a bandwidth requirement. As the host of the meeting, a picture can help you connect with attendees. If you are using an audio conference bridge with an announce feature when a caller enters/exits the call, you may want to disable this feature to minimize disruptions. Moderator functions often have a roll call feature. Open your web meeting 10-15 minutes early with a lobby slide or rotating lobby slides confirming the meeting details (start time, audio information, agenda, etc.). This will also give those unfamiliar with web conferencing a chance to understand the interface and interactive abilities.

If you do not want to use a webcam, uploading a JPEG of yourself in a Share pod can achieve many of the same goals.

Additionally, here are several suggestions to help ensure that you come across polished and professional in your meetings:

Give pods a descriptive name. You can rename pods in Connect Pro by double-clicking on the pod name. A friendly name will help when selecting an existing pod from the pods list and help attendees gain context. Customize and brand the meeting room. When you?re meeting with a customer or have a sponsor include their logo as a meeting background or in a Share pod. When using a webcam focus close on the speaker(s) reducing the amount of room background. Again, make eye contact and look at the camera when speaking to others on the "far side". Keep in mind how your actions/body language will translate over the web and engage your audience. If you are interesting in getting more tips and tricks for looking polished and professional in your meetings, check out this tutorial by Alistair Lee.

Renaming pods can help you stay organized and give attendees more context.

If you have any other tips to share, I encourage you to do so by commenting below.