From business meetings to school presentations, video conferencing is an excellent tool for communicating with several people in more than one location. With the aid of the Internet and a phone line, you can now attend a class in Ohio from your living room in Texas, or make a sales pitch from your Los Angeles office to potential clients in Berlin. This cuts down on travel time, expenses, and inconveniences. Blue Jeans can provide the software and venue for a technically flawless video conferencing session. However, for your video conferencing to be a success, you need to know how to present information through this new method of communication.

The intricacies of face-to-face and oral communication must be blended with an awareness of how you, your surroundings, and your information materials appear through the lens of your web camera.

Step 1: Tech Check

In order to set up a video conference, you must make sure that all parties involved in the conference have access to the necessary equipment and internet connection to attend a meeting. Obtain a service like Blue Jeans video conferencing and set up the date and time for your conference, inviting each party via e-mail. On the day of the conference, each member should set up their computer, tablet, or smartphone early and check that their Internet connection, camera, and headset (if using one) are functioning properly.

Checking your tech in advance is a simple way to help avoid any embarrassing hiccoughs during a conference: like being too loud, off-centered, or having an unflattering camera angle.

Step 2: Your Appearance

One big step in boosting both your video conferencing confidence, and your overall success, is to prepare your person for being on camera. For mean, this means combing your hair and choosing a shirt that will not cause glare when on camera. President Kennedy started the tradition of wearing a light blue button down shirt as the color is both appealing and not likely to cause glare.

For women, choose a shirt that frames your face well, without being too low or too open. A rounded, squared, or v-neck top works best on camera. You should avoid sleeveless or wide necklines that cannot be seen in the camera’s field of vision. Also, for women, be sure to don and blend your makeup well as your face will be a focal point during your conference.

Step 3: Background and Lighting

Having the appropriate background for your video conference can help make you look polished and professional and decrease any distractions that might take away from your presentation. To reduce distracting glare or shadows, close blinds, remove mirrors and reflective glass over artwork, and reduce noise distractions by closing doors so you will be in a quiet, uninterrupted place.

AnyMeeting.com notes that if you plan to stand at a podium or in front of a projector screen, check the viewing area of your camera and be sure that if you move around you know where the boundaries of the viewing area are so that you do not walk out of sight of the camera. Angle lights so that they either come from above your or behind the camera – lights that originate from behind you will put your face in a shadow and obscure the view.

Step 4: Presentation Materials

Ohio University’s Communications Department explains that PowerPoint presentations work well with video conferences and help to keep speakers on track. You can either use a projector screen or link the PowerPoint to your Blue Jeans conference. Another useful tool is to get all parties connected via an instant messenger chat box so that no one talks over the speaker and points can be clarified amongst participants without interrupting the course of the meeting.

You can also e-mail presentation documents to participants so that they can follow along with graphs, etc. as needed.
Presentation Process explains that presentations should be comprehensive and concise, making effective use of space and time. When creating a PowerPoint, the general rule of thumb is a six by six presentation. Slides look best and work most effectively with six lines of text, each line having approximately six words. Overcrowding a slide can make it hard to read. If your presentation materials are set up in an effective manner you can have confidence in your ability to relay the information you need to get across to other parties.

Preparing for a video conference presentation is the best way to boost your confidence. Knowing how to make yourself look aesthetically appealing and professional on camera and ensuring that your equipment works well is a good way to set you off on the right foot before you even start talking. In addition, being well organized and preparing a concise yet comprehensive presentation materials will help you to stay on track and be confident in your ability to express the information you need to convey to your audience.