Let’s face it, turning on your camera for a video call can be an awkward experience. Where do you look? How should you dress? Can everyone see the mess in the background? For first time remote workers, it’s tempting to hide behind a blank screen. However, using your camera during conference calls is vital to a productive meeting and keeping connected when so many people are working from home in the wake of COVID-19.

There are a ton of visual cues that are lost if you can’t see someone. Video calls provide the next best thing to face-to-face meetings because it’s easier for your colleagues to see when you want to ask a question, when you’re confused about a topic, or when you’re all in agreement. Seeing everybody in the meeting can help ensure you’re all on the same page and will contribute to a remote work environment that feels more like business-as-usual.

But this doesn’t mean video collaboration won’t sometimes feel awkward and stilted, especially if you’re just starting to use it. Many remote workers are experiencing video conferencing for the first time, and there will always be growing pains. Luckily, we have a few tips to help mitigate awkwardness.

Tip 1: Use a Virtual Background

Everyone stresses out about what people can see in their background while video conferencing. Maybe your kids have made a mess you just haven’t had time to clean up yet. Or your workspace isn’t quite the organizational masterpiece your office desk is. Many video communications programs offer virtual backgrounds to spice up your online meetings and hide a messy background. Other applications have a feature that simply blurs out the background. Using these backgrounds can help clear distractions and give you the professional presentation you’re looking for.

Tip 2: Dress for Online Success

Though it may feel odd at first, taking steps like continuing to dress professionally will help with the transition between office life and working from home. Not only will it help bring a sense of normalcy to virtual meetings, it will help you stay motivated throughout the day. Many video conferencing applications offer a “preview” mode before you enter a meeting, so take a few seconds to make sure everything looks just right! In addition, try to keep your webcam at eye level and make sure your focus is on the content of the meeting.

Tip 3: Recognize You’re Not Alone

During this trying time, it’s likely others in your video call are also using video conferencing technology for the first time. Acknowledging that you’re new to this will go a long way towards getting over that initial hump of awkwardness and back to communicating like you did in your office. When the cat crawls across your laptop, it’s okay to have a quick laugh, it will make everyone feel more comfortable working through the distractions we all have in our homes.

As workers across the country adjust to remote work, video chat won’t just be a way to keep working, but also a key way to get interaction in your day-to-day life. So remember, turn that camera on, we’re all in this together.

At Legrand | AV, we are dedicated to keeping people connected no matter where they are. If you have any videoconferencing, live streaming or connectivity questions, our solutions engineers are ready to help. Email us at av.solutions@legrand.com with the details of your project. For more of the latest COVID-19 information, please access the FAQs at www.legrandav.com/COVID.