Having face-to-face meetings used to require getting everyone in a room together at the same time. Now, however, video call technology has become sophisticated enough to allow people to connect with one another no matter where they might be.
According to LifeSize, 76% of individuals use video conferencing when working remotely. Essentially, this means more than three quarters of workers can participate in a virtual meeting from anywhere they choose.
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Scott Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of video conferencing service Banty Inc., believes that in order to present yourself in as professional a light as possible, these six places should never be used for video calls:
- In the car while driving: Participating in a virtual meeting while driving is incredibly unsafe and – depending on where you live – very illegal. If you join a live video chat online when behind the wheel, lives are needlessly being put at risk. If you have to get on a call like this, please pull over to the side of the road first
- Golf course: When making a video call from the golf course, you not only risk wind messing up your audio, you also risk giving associates the impression that you are not working hard enough. Furthermore, they may feel envious about you being on the greens, while they’re stuck behind a desk.
- Your child’s room: Working from home sometimes requires juggling your parental and professional responsibilities. To see that they don’t get too intermingled, avoid jumping on video calls from your child’s room. Attempting to focus on both your child and what your boss is saying is a tough ask for anyone
- Poorly lit spaces: If you are working from home or an office, each video call you participate in should feature quality lighting on your end. When you travel, or have to work from a different, unfamiliar space, be diligent when it comes to finding an online meeting area that doesn’t shroud you in darkness
- Restaurants and bars: While in-person business meetings occur at restaurants and bars, video calls should not be held there. Setting up a laptop or mobile device and conversing loudly with those in the meeting is rude, and not appetizing for other patrons
- Remote areas with poor Internet connectivity: If you are out on a camping trip, or visiting an area where Internet connectivity is weak, reschedule any video calls you have booked. No one likes it when a meeting cuts out because of a bad signal.
“While conducting yourself appropriately is important during a virtual meeting, so is where you are calling in from,” adds Scott. “When possible, always join an online meeting from a controllable environment like your place of business, or a home office. You are asking for trouble when hopping on from a random spot.”
Banty.com’s video call service offers all subscribers a custom, permanent URL, a secure, end-to-end encrypted meeting space; excellent video quality; unlimited meetings each month; and straightforward scheduling tools.
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