In the past few months many of us have started to use video conferencing more than ever. Instead of attending in-person interviews or conferences we are now attending Zoom meetings with many new faces.  Our white board meetings have become video chats from our desk and networking happy hours have turned into group forums on LinkedIn. Even for those who are searching for a new job, are changing to interviews via Zoom or Google Meet.

With this change many people can feel awkward or even have a bit of anxiety during the call. Cues that help us relate to the person we are speaking to such as body language, building rapport or even humor can sometimes be difficult to display through a video. In order to adapt, the team at Backwoods Promotions would like to give you some of our best tips for preparing for video meetings or interviews. Below are our best practices to use while on a video call in the work setting.

1. Upgrade Your Internet - Across Canada and the United States, internet providers widely vary. If you are noticing that your video speed and image clarity falters, or document sharing is slower than normal it may be worth a conversation to your internet provider. If you are new to working from home ask your employer if a stipend is allowed to increase your data speed. It never hurts to ask and improving your video calls will be worth it for new clients!
2. Spruce Up Your Home Office - Aside from the person we are speaking to on the video call, one of the first things we notice is the background of their office. Do they have house plants? Do they have a degree hanging on the wall? Do they have a bookshelf with framed art and books lining it? These are always ways to get to know the person you are speaking to. Organize the space behind where you have your calls, so it is organized and says something about you!
3. Manage Your Workspace - Half of the battle with multiple video calls through the day is time management. Eliminate distractions while in your dedicated work space, and also organize items in this space to work best for you. If you are often running late or going over time during your calls, set timers on your desk or phone to keep you on track. If you are forgetting time zone changes relative to those you are conferencing with, set up clocks above your desk to those respective clocks (You know, the ones in the airport with all of the world time zones? Yep those can be used at home also!) If you need a better way to keep on topic during your calls, set down legal pads or post-it notes in an easy access area of your desk so you can remember those little details you may forget. 
4. Get Acquainted With Video Platforms - An unforeseen issue many people have with video conferencing is knowing how to use the program. Set up a “faux” meeting with your coworkers or friends with each of the different platforms. Zoom and Google Meet are two of the most common video services, yet there may be another type your employer prefers. Rather than waiting until a presentation or a team meeting, get familiar with the software on your own time—and with less pressure. This will alleviate a lot of anxiety before each call!

The world around us is changing almost daily in 2020, and the team at Backwoods Promotions wants to help you with tips that have helped our own staff. We do look forward to having in-person trade shows along with in-person networking events with our clients; however we also know that right now an important key to success is adapting. If you have some ideas that have worked well for those around you please share them with us. We’d love to hear some of the successes you’ve had while working from home, or maybe some of the questions you have for improving on your own. Tag us on Instagram or LinkedIn using #BWPWorkFromHome and always know, we are in this together!