10 Tips for Better Zoom Calls During the Telework Season

Hello everyone, I know this is kind of week one or week two of teleworking for you and for most of us, and I've gotten a lot of people asking about zoom and wanting to learn how to use it.

I wanted to share with you ten tips to make sure that your zoom meetings are as good as possible.

Tip #1: Ensure Proper Lighting

The first one when it comes to recording online is just make sure that your lighting is good. It can be as simple as looking at the frame and seeing how you're positioned. Ideally, you want to be facing a little more towards the light if possible.

Make sure that you’re lit, and sometimes that can be as simple as turning a desk lamp on. If possible, see if there's an eye light. This is a technical term where there's a little light in your eyes, you can see the reflection. That adds a little sparkle to your conversations, and helps make sure that you are coming up well.

Tip #2: Check Your Background

The second thing is to look at your background. Take a minute before you start and look around and ensure that it’s not too disorderly. Ask yourself whether the background looks good, that it isn't too messy, and take a minute to see see what it looks like with your camera on.

Tip #3: Check Your Camera Level

Alright, so third thing is camera placement. We’ve all been in that video call where someone is looking down at us, and it’s ominous. If you’re on your laptop, try using a few books to elevate the camera so that it is at or slightly below eye level.

Tip #4: Frame Yourself Well

You want to keep your head level and centered for video calls. Ensure there’s a little bit of headspace, but not too much.

Tip #5: Good Audio

Ideally, make sure that you at least have earbuds plugged in that have a microphone. If you can, and this will really up your game, get some sort of audio device that you can plug in such as a dedicated microphone. This is especially important if you are presenting or doing most of the talking for your video calls.

Bad audio is distracting. I like to compare it to being sleepy, and you're trying to be present in a conversation or pay attention during a presentation, and it's a dimly lit room… you have to strain yourself to hear what’s being said, which means that information is being lost.

You can get decent quality USB microphones for around $50 off Amazon. Especially if you are in a room with an echo, because Zoom is able to kind of mitigate some of that, but not eliminate it entirely.

Tip #6: Get a Stable Working Surface

Alright, then the sixth tip is make sure whatever surface you’ve placed your laptop/camera on isn’t shaky. Make sure that you have a sturdy table where you can really adjust things and get the microphone pointed at your face. If you do have a microphone, make sure that it’s positioned right. 

Tip #7: Engage Your Audience Through Chat

Ensure that your engagement is suited for the group that you’re working with. So one of the mistakes I've seen is that people assume, especially if you're teaching and you're going to present in a bigger class, that it’s the same as a regular classroom setting.

In a regular classroom, you wouldn't have multiple people talking at the same time. But in this case, you can actually invite multiple people to speak at once. I would actually encourage you to talk with your audience, ask them a question, and read off the comments that come in. That helps people feel validated and heard. It lets them know that yes, this in fact is live, and not just a replay.

It helps to excite your audience when they hear your feedback echoed in, especially if you have a bigger group. Asking things like: “What's your biggest struggle during the season with zoom meetings?” And simply reading off the answers will really encourage people to participate and pay attention.

Tip #8: Record Your Zoom Calls & Upload Them

Especially if you’re in a classroom setting, make sure that you have your recording on so that you can upload it later. It's really hard to get everyone on a call at the same time, but you can always record it and post it for people to watch later.

Tip #9: Transcribe Your Calls

There are also services out there like otter.ai, which can actually translate your call if someone wants to skim through the transcription. You get around 600 minutes for free each month, so it doesn’t have to be an additional cost.

Tip #10: For Larger Webinars, Let Your Audience Ask Questions Live

If you're in a bigger video call, bring people in for questions. Take note of them, then take time to answer them live because people enjoy that experience.

I know during this season that it’s tough having to transition to everything being being virtual, but I hope you were able to take some away from these 10 tips and if you have any questions, please let me know. I'd love to help.

Keep washing your hands and hang in there.