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At the 2012 TIA Inside the Network conference in Dallas, Andrew Miller of Polycom gave an outstanding keynote address, discussing how video collaboration is becoming mission critical in businesses. It offers many benefits, with one survey of 4,700 users noting the top benefits as increased productivity and efficiency, increased impact of discussions, expedited decision-making and reduced travel.
While video conferencing is something that’s been commonly used for at least a couple of decades now, becoming a business standard throughout many industries, there are still many who aren’t quite sure how to utilize it effectively. As a business manager, you can use video conferencing for more effective communication throughout an organization. In this post, we will explain how to make your video conference meetings more productive.
Use The Right Room
Video conferences should not be held in a room with windows, and that includes both windows that look to the outside and interior windows. If that’s not an option, investing in camera-friendly cloth window blinds with limit background distractions and lighting problems while improving acoustics. Ideally, the conference room should be painted in neutral tones like blues and grays, using diffused lighting rather than direct lighting. Avoid busy artwork that can be seen within a camera’s field of view.
Arguably the most important aspect of the room is that it offers reliable, fast Internet connectivity. If you’re in an area with a slow connection, you’re going to get inconsistent audio and visual disruptions. By investing in a good business network service and IT infrastructure, your communications can happen smoothly across the internet.
Camera Placement
In the average one-screen conference room, place the camera above the display near the center. A two-screen system typically works better when the camera is placed between the displays, near the middle. If the camera position is too low or too high, it could be distracting to the other party. Install the display so that the bottom of the image is just above the height of the conference table. That will help participants who are farther away still appear as if they’re in the same room.
Understand All Of The Video Conference Features
Before hosting a video conference, be sure that you’re familiar with all of video conference features. With an understanding of how to interact with attendees, you can make your meetings more streamlined. It’s important to understand the hardware, software and connectivity you’ll be using. This way, you can have proper conference call etiquette while holding meetings. By getting familiar with them in advance it can help reduce the risk of problems during the conference.
Microphone Use
Microphones can make a big difference in the quality of a video conference, so be sure to know how to use them, and inform participants how to use them as well. For example, let them know how to mute and unmute the microphone and to make use of the feature whenever appropriate. If you only have one microphone, place it in the middle of the conference table, that way everyone’s voice will be captured equally. Eliminating background noise during the conference will also help to minimize any echo from the microphones.
In order to have a quality video conferencing experience, you will need to follow these steps. The right sized room can make a big difference in how the video conference works. Secondly, you should have good camera placement so that people in your meeting can see you and anyone else on your end. Moreover, learn how to use all the features that come with your video conferencing solution. If you know how to use all the features, the microphone can be muted or un-muted as needed. These are all useful tips to make your video conferences more effective.
