How to Prepare for a Business Video Meeting

Preparing for a video meeting can be a little bit confusing. After all, there are a lot of things you need to do so you can appropriately prepare for a business meeting, especially if you’re doing it with a brand-new software. If you’re worried about how to prepare for a business video meeting, not to worry – there are some best practices you can utilize for your next business video meeting.

1. Familiarize Yourself With Your Software

First and foremost, take some time to get used to the business video software you’re going to be using. Every software has different features and capabilities, and you’re going to use them in different ways. Find out how to mute and unmute yourself, how to screenshare with the other people in the call, how to enable meeting passwords, and how to participate with and without video.

Additionally, you can browse through the help topics for the software so you can see what the software advertises itself for. Are there certain special additions, like the ability to call in with a phone number or the ability to share two screens at once? These can be incredibly helpful for business software users.

2. Test Your Video and Audio Settings Before the Call

The last thing you want is to get onto the call and waste 5 or 10 precious minutes just trying to make sure everyone can see and hear you. Additionally, if you end up being on the call for a long time, you might have a harder time than if the call only lasts 10-15 minutes. You need to test everything to make sure it works before you hop on.

For example, you’ll want to check your lighting situation so that everyone can see you on the camera. You should also have a backup audio option just in case – if your headphones stop working halfway through the call, you need some way to continue participating.

3. Reduce Background Noise

Background noise can be incredibly distracting both to yourself and to anyone you’re on a call with. Plus, in a business setting, you typically want to be as professional as possible, and background noise often betrays a level of unprofessionalism. The good news is that there are a number of ways to reduce background noise in your calls.

First and foremost, if you can, ask anyone else who will be nearby for quiet. Even if they have to be in the same room, they can stay quiet during your call times. You can also move pets to other rooms, move to a more isolated area in your home, and close doors and windows.

Conclusion

It can feel scary doing your first-ever business call on a new software, but as you familiarize yourself with video calling, it will get less difficult over time. Just make sure you find a great software for yourself and your coworkers, so you can learn how to use that specific piece of software in the best way possible. This way, you’ll be able to maximize your business calls, so you don’t feel like you’re scrambling once you get into the call.