8 Tips to Foolproof Your Next Zoom Meeting
A few weeks ago, I attended a poorly executed presentation, in which the presenter’s voice sounded staticky and her screen kept freezing. We asked a tech-savvy millennial next to her whether there was something we could do about it, and he said it had something to do with her connection. We found out the internet provider was a big company that I also used (with zero issues). During the break, I casually asked the poor presenter about what device she was using. She said that she was using her laptop, but because she was not at her office, she used her smartphone’s tethered internet connection for her laptop. Gotcha! That was the problem.
The first step to any virtual meeting is ensuring you have good and reliable internet connection. In her situation, she’d be better off connecting through her phone rather than tethering its internet connection to another device. Let’s start with our top 8 Zoom tip list, if you’d like to see:
- Ensure you have fast and reliable internet connection. We recommend using an ethernet cable rather than wireless connection (way faster and reliable). It’s a small investment that reaps so many benefits.
- If you are working at a new place, considering bringing a portable wifi to ensure reliable internet connection. This device is also great for connecting a few devices at once. You’d make sure everyone on your team would be effortlessly connected. Best Zoom team of the month? Definitely!
NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Router
3. Ensure you’ve downloaded the latest version of the video teleconferencing software program you’re using. For Zoom, click here. We’d also recommend you to install a browser extension or an app for your phone. If one device failed, you’d have a plan B. If you’d like to go further, a plan C is always welcome.
4. Have a Zoom background ready, in case your actual background is not presentable. We suggest a plain, light to medium solid colored background. You’d look a lot more professional than zooming in front of a messy bookcase with 100 cat pictures (although we love cats!)
5. Prepare your material or supporting documents in another device or in printed form. Your Zoom camera will turn off if you leave the app to open a PDF or write some notes (in Apple devices). This is a limitation of iOS software and will also occur when you split the screen on your iPad.
6. Familiarize yourself with the software setup and how-to’s. Click here for Zoom help section. If you’re a presenter or a main contributor, you’d eliminate a lot of hurdles (not to mention embarrassment) if you understood the basics of the program. Or, if you rather prefer to have someone more tech-savvy to help you out, have that person attend the meeting next to you. I once attended a Zoom meeting where a presenter kept asking his Echo Dot device to sync microphones. I’m not sure why he needed to do that, since a better solution is available (no 7 below)
7. Use a headset with attached mic, preferably like this or this. Desktop or device mics could pick up background noises. I’m sure you’d prefer nobody knows that a garbage truck is picking up your trash outside. With a professional headset, you’ll get better sound quality and give clearer, sharper speech. In other words, a lot more efficient and effective.
8. Remember to mute yourself when it’s not your turn to talk. We’d also recommend this genius invention — a webcam cover — to protect your privacy and avoid serious mishaps when the camera is on accidentally.
Webcam Cover
We hope we could help you achieve better productivity in your next virtual meeting, and most importantly, overcome most Zoom hurdles. Remember that a smooth meeting is a productive one. Happy Zooming!
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