Nail Your Mobile Video Conference

Cross-platforming, in terms of technology, refers to any time software or hardware is compatible with multiple platforms. It has become a standard of some of the most depended on software on the market today, promising access whether a customer is using a PC, a Mac or a mobile phone. There are obvious advantages to software providers choosing to make their applications cross-platform compatible; the more people that have access to and can use an application on their existing system, the more likely they are to invest in it.
Communication applications have bridged the gap between office powerhouse PCs and portable mobile phones in recent years, offering options to work while you’re on the go, whether that’s sending email, editing a proposal or attending an important meeting.

But as with all new technology, mobile operations come with suggested best practices and etiquette to ensure you’re respectful of others that you’re likely collaborating with and getting the most out of the technology at your fingertips or in the palm of your hand. Like any other cross-platform application, Blue Jeans mobile video conferencing comes with a set of considerations that you should keep in mind before logging in. We’ll go over a few of the practices that Blue Jeans suggests will keep you looking professional and making a good impression.

Perfect Your Practice

Have you ever stood in front of a mirror or commandeered a friend or coworker’s time to practice before you made a big presentation or pitched an idea before your department heads? Practicing helps smooth out all the kinks and lets you appear that much more calm, collected and in control when you go in front of the VIPs, regardless of the purpose.

Practicing before you log in to a video conference has the same end result and general purpose but the results are more varied than how you’ll look in front of your captive audience. Before you log on a mobile conference, you should practice using the application that’s going to connect you and you should check all settings, your reception (on location if possible), volume and video transmission. Nothing looks less professional than struggling with your technology when you should already be connected to your meeting and presenting your work.

Ensure that your phone can handle the application with a live test if possible and make sure to take into consideration issues like your battery life and whether you’ll have a quiet location to conduct your portion of business from. When you practice, you can work out all the logistics so that when the time comes for the actual meeting, you don’t have to worry about those things anymore.

Look the Part

Being able to log into a video conference from anywhere means that there will always be someone that thinks it’s alright to do in less than their best dress. When you’re participating in a mobile video conference, you should treat it the same way you would if you were attending a conference in person. Dressing to the code of conduct for your office, ensuring you’re neat and presentable and being in an environment that’s free of clutter, personal effects or other people are important details to manage.

Another thing to consider is how the video will handle the outfit you’ve selected. Best practice when attending any sort of video conference is to be wary of black, white and red colors dominating your outfit; that’s because these can come across hard, glaring or lacking in contrast on video. Likewise, stripes can sometimes create a strobe affect to someone watching you through video and are a good idea to stay away from.
Other tips include focusing light on your face, avoiding back light and using a cradle to hold your mobile phone so the video feed doesn’t weave and bob, making it difficult to focus on your face. Always sit up straight and smile to portray a sense of engagement, which can sometimes be forgotten or feel lacking during a video conference.

Multitask with Care

One beautiful thing about video conferencing, regardless of where you utilize it, is the ability to attend a meeting and still get other work down at the same time. Especially when connecting via a mobile device, you can literally take your meeting with you if you need to run an errand or go to the mailbox.

Just because you can do these sorts of things while attending a mobile conference, however, doesn’t always mean you should. Your level of attention is keenly obvious to other participants and indicators like the click of the mouse, the rhythm of typing or just where your eyes are focused can be frustrating, annoying or seem downright rude to others.

To ensure you create the best impression of yourself during your time in the conference, make sure you minimize multitasking and try to focus only on things that are important to the topic at hand. If you need to send off a quick email to someone with a question or request about your meeting topic, you have that ability, but sending Instant Messages to a friend or coworker, browsing the web or drumming a beat on your desk are unadvised.

Look at the camera when you are speaking as this will transmit to other participants as eye contact. When you’re not speaking anymore and to clearly indicate you’re done with your turn, lower or move your eyes to the screen so you can look at the other participants. These specific focuses will convey your attentiveness and save you from looking vacant or bored while others are speaking.

In Conclusion

This may seem like a great deal of things to take into consideration before participating in a mobile video conference but in truth, many of these suggestions are ones you already practice in person. Tailoring your attention and reactions to your new, virtual audience ensures you put your best foot forward.