Tips for a Successful Zoom Meeting

We’re certainly all familiar with Zoom by now, whether using it for work meetings or social gatherings with friends and loved ones. Because not everyone is always on the same page when it comes to Zoom meeting etiquette, the communications technology company has shared some tips for a pleasant attendee experience:

1. Introduce everyone at the start of the meeting.

If it’s not a reoccurring internal meeting with the same team members, it’s worth taking the time to have everyone introduce themselves. You’d do it in person, so be sure to also do it when meeting virtually!

2. Consider your background.

Though not everyone has the privilege of having an extra space to be their home office, be sure your meeting background isn’t super distracting for others on the call. Try to avoid bright windows or too much movement like high traffic areas or televisions, and focus instead on something solid and clean. Or, if appropriate, choose a fun Zoom background.

3. Be mindful of your audio and visual settings.

If you’re hosting a large meeting, ask those who aren’t speaking at the moment to mute their microphones—because even small background noise can easily be picked up and cause distractions. If you’d rather not ask, you can manage the settings of how people join your meetings and automatically mute them from the start, if needed.

4. If you’re the host, don’t be the first to bail.

Stick around for a while after the meeting has ended, especially if a conversation is still going on. It’s simply good manners.

5. Stay focused.

Try to stay on topic and help others stay focused by silencing other notification alerts and sounds, if possible.

Written by Sarah Suydam, Staff Writer for Teach & Travel.