As smartphones and PCs have improved, and apps such as LINE or the built-in Teams on Windows have become commonplace, almost anyone now has access to video calls-even people who are not particularly tech savvy.
Because participants can see one another, video conferences convey far more information than text chat or voice-only calls. They enable communication that approaches an in-person meeting, giving distributed teams the potential for high productivity.
Trade travel time for preparation time
Video chat is remarkable: with hardware and an internet connection, you can meet anytime, anywhere. Eliminating the travel cost of gathering in one place is an immense benefit.
However, pre-meeting preparation becomes even more important than for in-person meetings. Without it, you waste time, damage your reputation, and hinder good communication.
Recognize that video chat trades the travel cost of real meetings for additional preparation tasks.
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Test the video platform in advance
“Can you hear me? Can you see me?”-the first enemy
This is a problem unique to video meetings. Anyone with experience probably knows what it is like.
The root cause is almost always poor preparation with the tool. Failing to test the connection or learn the controls before the meeting creates delays and costs that do not exist in other formats.
If even one participant is unprepared, everyone loses time waiting for the call to start.
The larger the group, the bigger the loss. In some ways it is more serious than showing up late.
Run a quick connection test before the meeting
Ideally, test the system with someone who already knows how to use it before the meeting day.
If you cannot, you can still run a solo test by connecting between two devices you own, such as a laptop and a phone.
Each platform offers some way to test. Please take the time to do it so the meeting itself can start smoothly.
Research core features like screen sharing
Most desktop meeting tools allow you to share your screen with other participants in real time.
This is extremely useful-it is like using slides or a whiteboard without leaving your desk.
You might think only hosts need to know about these features, but anyone may need them. Platforms such as Zoom Meetings even let participants annotate shared screens.
Screen sharing is built into most video chat systems, so be sure to learn how the basics work.
[speech_bubble name="Sato" type="std" subtype="L1" icon="sato.png"]Poll features are handy when lots of people join the call.
In part two we will cover appearance, video quality, and other tips unique to video meetings.
