Videoconferencing Etiquette and Meeting Tips
Compiled by Alan Hecht, Stephanie Janson, and Carol McQuiggan
Before the meeting
Supply participants with the agenda
The agenda and other pertinent meeting material should be emailed to all participants at least a day before the meeting. Other handouts should be mailed to the remote sites in advance. Web site links need to be shared so the remote sites can bookmark and access them during the meeting.
Plan to wear the right clothes
Neutral or muted colors, such as medium blues or light pastels help the camera focus more easily. Avoid wearing clothing with very intense colors – reds tend to bleed on the screen, whites may glare, and black absorbs the light. Avoid bold, complex or busy patterns like small checks or narrow stripes in clothing, scarves, or neckties – they can affect the camera’s ability to focus and lower picture clarity.
Prepare presentation materials
For the document camera, use landscaped format with a wider margin, 1 ½” on all sides, since sides will be slightly cut off and need to fit in a 3 X 4 ratio. The font should be a 24 pt. or larger simple font, such as Helvetica, for the body of text and 36 pt. bold or larger for headings. Use concise, bulleted information with simple graphics and few words.
