Video conferencing advice from Dale Carnegie CEO Peter Handal Help! I will soon be leading a video conference. What can I do to ensure that the experience goes smoothly? Coach: Peter Handal President, Chairman and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training Always: Be prepared. It may sound obvious, but doing your homework is absolutely essential before you step in front of the cameras. Unlike an audio conference call, participants in a video conference don’t have the option to hide by hitting “mute” and only chiming into the discussion when it is necessary. In addition, people have shown to be even more self-conscious and self-aware of their behavior when participating in video conferences as opposed to face-to-face meetings. It behooves everyone involved to come to the “virtual” table looking professional, alert and 100 percent prepared with notes and potential talking points. To read more on this topic, see Seven Quick Tips for Videoconferencing Beginners Sometimes: Employ a colleague to stay off of the camera and take notes. Because participants in a video conference are visible, they need to stay more focused and engaged than if they were on an audio conference call, during which it’s common for participants to multitask. If the video conference isn’t recorded, it is often helpful to have a colleague sit in for the sole purpose of documenting the meeting. Never: Rely upon video conferences for those important meetings for which only in-person contact and interaction will do. While video conferencing is a tremendous step forward in modern technology and a great tool for staying in contact with overseas clients and colleagues, the inherent loss of eye contact can be a major detriment to a conversation and it can impede even the most compelling ideas from being relayed. Additionally, never coordinate a video conference without first testing the equipment, as all machines are subject to errors. It is extremely frustrating (and not to mention unprofessional) if a planned conference is postponed due to an unforeseen technological hiccup. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe