Zoom Tips and Tricks: Like a Pro

Whether you have been working from home for a long time or been forced to do your work remotely from the comfort of your home, chances are you have needed to use video teleconferencing apps to communicate with your boss, clients, or colleagues at work. One such app is Zoom. It is one of the best video teleconferencing applications used for remote work meetings and presentations. Zoom is quick and easy to use and with some know-how, you can even enhance your Zoom experience.

The following tips will not only get the best out of Zoom but will make your life online a whole lot easier.

Tips and Tricks Before A Zoom Meeting

Here are six tips and tricks to keep in mind before joining a business Zoom meeting:

1. Test Your Equipment:

   Ensure that your audio and video equipment, such as your microphone, camera, and speakers, are working properly before the meeting. Conduct a test call or use Zoom's test features to verify their functionality.

2. Check Your Internet Connection:

   Make sure you have a stable internet connection to avoid interruptions or lag during the meeting. Consider using a wired connection or positioning yourself closer to your Wi-Fi router for a stronger signal.

3. Dress Professionally:

   Even though you might be attending the meeting from the comfort of your home, it's essential to dress professionally to maintain a business-like atmosphere. Dress as you would for an in-person meeting to show respect and professionalism.

4. Prepare Your Environment:

   Choose a quiet and well-lit location for the meeting. Minimize background noise and distractions to ensure a focused and professional environment. Consider using headphones or a headset with a microphone for better audio quality.

5. Familiarize Yourself with Zoom Features:

   Take some time to familiarize yourself with Zoom's features, such as screen sharing, chat, and muting/unmuting. This will help you participate more effectively during the meeting and avoid any technical difficulties.

6. Have Relevant Materials Ready:

   If there are any documents, presentations, or files that might be discussed during the meeting, have them prepared and easily accessible on your device. Being prepared will enable you to follow along seamlessly and contribute to the discussion.

Tips and Tricks During A Zoom Meeting

Here are five tips and tricks to keep in mind during a business Zoom meeting:

1. Active Engagement:

   Stay actively engaged throughout the meeting by participating in discussions, asking questions, and providing input when appropriate. Show your attentiveness and interest to contribute positively to the meeting's objectives.

2. Mute and Unmute:

   When you're not speaking, keep your microphone muted to minimize background noise and distractions. Unmute yourself when you need to speak or contribute to the conversation. Remember to test your audio beforehand to ensure others can hear you clearly.

3. Utilize Video and Non-verbal Communication:

   If the meeting allows for it, keep your video turned on to create a more engaging and personal connection. Non-verbal cues like nodding, smiling, and using appropriate facial expressions can enhance communication and show your active participation.

4. Utilize Chat and Hand Raise Features:

   Take advantage of Zoom's chat feature to share quick comments, questions, or relevant links during the meeting. Additionally, use the hand raise feature when you want to speak or have a question, ensuring you have the opportunity to contribute without interrupting others.

5. Practice Professional Etiquette:

   Treat a Zoom meeting as you would an in-person business meeting. Be punctual, attentive, and respectful of others' opinions and perspectives. Avoid multitasking or engaging in unrelated activities during the meeting, as it can be distracting and disrespectful to others.

Tips and Tricks After A Zoom Meeting 

Here are four tips and tricks to follow after a business Zoom meeting:

1. Recap and Take Notes:

   Shortly after the meeting concludes, take a few minutes to recap the key discussion points, decisions, and action items. Jot down notes to ensure you have a clear record of what was discussed and what tasks or responsibilities you have moving forward.

2. Follow Up on Action Items:

   If there were any action items assigned to you or others during the meeting, make sure to promptly follow up on them. This demonstrates your accountability and commitment to fulfilling your responsibilities. Reach out to relevant team members or stakeholders to discuss next steps or provide any necessary updates.

3. Share Meeting Minutes or Recap:

   Consider sharing meeting minutes or a brief recap with all participants. This can be done via email or through a collaborative platform to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of what was discussed, decisions made, and any outstanding tasks. It helps maintain transparency, alignment, and accountability among the team.

4. Provide Feedback:

   If appropriate, offer constructive feedback about the meeting. This could include suggestions for improvement, highlighting positive aspects, or addressing any challenges faced during the session. Providing feedback contributes to continuous improvement and ensures that future meetings are more effective and efficient.

Meeting ID

You can easily schedule meetings using Zoom. All you need to do is enter a few details about your meeting and then you’re done. However, Zoom also gives you the option to use Meeting IDs instead. The great thing about Meeting IDs is that people can use them multiple times without having to schedule and set up a new meeting room every single time. Participants can save the Meeting ID and use it for every planned meeting - making it easy and convenient for both the host and the participants.

What Should You Not Do on Zoom?

While in a Zoom meeting, there are a few things you should avoid doing to maintain professionalism and ensure a productive meeting environment. First, avoid multitasking or engaging in unrelated activities during the meeting. It's essential to give your full attention to the discussion and actively participate. Secondly, refrain from interrupting or speaking over others. Wait for your turn to speak and practice active listening.

Additionally, avoid using inappropriate or distracting backgrounds, gestures, or facial expressions that could undermine the professionalism of the meeting. Lastly, be mindful of your appearance and attire. Dress appropriately and maintain a professional demeanor throughout the meeting. By avoiding these actions, you can create a respectful and focused atmosphere that promotes effective communication and collaboration during the Zoom meeting.

Chats

Another great feature of Zoom is the chat function. Meeting participants can share comments or feedback in the chat room while the meeting is ongoing. This helps lessen distraction while someone is speaking. A participant can chat with everyone in the meeting or privately with one participant. The chat section also allows transferring of files, images and even screen captures.

Host Control Options

Zoom also allows the host to control different aspects of the meeting. These include controlling the audio, video and screen sharing capabilities of all the participants in the room. The host can mute all participants from speaking to manage distractions. This feature minimizes distractions and prevents long and drawn-out meetings. While participants can still change their preferences, the host can easily change them giving more control to the host and allows them to manage their video conference better.

Simultaneous Screen Share

This feature is pretty nifty and fairly unique. While other video teleconferencing apps allow for one screen to be shared, Zoom takes it to the next level by allowing multiple screens to be shared. This means people can collaborate even online and compare each other’s work so that it can be done seamlessly and more efficiently. Multiple documents can be shared onscreen or even have multiple presentations running at the same time.

Active Speaker View

The active speaker view allows the conference to focus on the person speaking automatically. The technology detects the person speaking then focuses on the screen of that person. If there are too many people speaking, this feature can be disabled easily by simply selecting the person’s screen that you want to focus on. You can also switch to gallery mode instead and see up to 25 people on-screen at the same time.

Virtual Background

One cool feature of Zoom is the Virtual Background. Imagine this, you are in your room reporting to your boss and when they look past behind you, they see a pile of garbage or a messy room. What to do? Easy! Turn on the virtual background. You can choose a background for yourself from the available backgrounds or by uploading an image file and Zoom automatically generates the background on your behalf. No need for a green screen or other ways to enhance the look of your background because Zoom does it for you.

Zoom is definitely a cut above the rest of the apps of similar nature and with these great tips, you can enhance your Zoom experience and truly get your money’s worth.

Smart VAs is always available to help you grow your business and make everything easy for you, book a call here to know more about us!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make myself look better on Zoom?

In Zoom meetings, it is possible to make subtle adjustments to enhance your appearance and present yourself in a more polished manner. By ensuring good lighting, positioning yourself appropriately, and using the virtual background feature if desired, you can create a more visually appealing presence. Additionally, paying attention to personal grooming, dressing professionally, and having a clean and uncluttered background can help you look your best. 

What is the best position for a Zoom camera?

The best possible angle of a camera during a business Zoom meeting is at eye level or slightly above. Positioning the camera at eye level helps create a more natural and engaging visual connection with other participants. It allows for direct eye contact and fosters a sense of professionalism. Avoid angling the camera too low, as it can create unflattering perspectives. It's recommended to position the camera slightly above eye level, such as by using a laptop stand or raising the device, to achieve a more flattering and balanced view. By ensuring an optimal camera angle, you can present yourself confidently and maintain a professional appearance throughout the meeting.