Life is showing signs of a return to the old normal. Commuters are starting to fill the highways in the mornings.
We are coming out of our home offices and finding our way back to the board rooms, or are we???
This pandemic has introduced a very different way of conducting business. If you are a person who has appreciated saving the money on restaurant lunches and paying to park, perhaps the home office works for you. If you are going to continue to conduct business remotely, professionally or casually, here are some good suggestions for your Zoom calls.
- Be on time.
- Mute your speaker when you are not talking
- Introduce yourself and those on the call if you can.
- Present agenda and purpose for the call.
- Try not to speak with others in the room while you are on line.
- Sit up straight and put the camera at a favorable angle.
- Create a backdrop so that others don’t see your current surrounds.
- Explain where you are in case an interruption takes place.
- Dress appropriately.
- Stay focused and engaged.
- Try not to eat or drink unless the call is designed to be a happy hour and everyone is
participating. - Host or hostess is the last to leave the call.
Following a few polite suggestions will help to ensure a favorite impression on a Zoom call. Although we have become a rather casual society, lasting impressions are still being made. It can be a bit more challenging in front of a screen. Considering those who will be attending the call and their expectations is a terrific first step.
Also see: The New Normal Etiquette training
Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash
Colleen Harding is a certified etiquette and protocol instructor and the founder of the Cleveland School of Etiquette and Corporate Protocol. Programs and packages available for children and businesses.