Do You Know Your Zooming Etiquette?

ZOOM,ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR, FREE, VIDEO-CONFERENCING TOOLS WORLDWIDE, IS TURNING IN-PERSON EVENTS INTO VIRTUAL GATHERINGS WITH IT’S OWNRULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND ETIQUETTE. LEARN FROM THE PROFESSIONALS WHOSUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THE NEW COMMUNICATION LANDSCAPE EVERY DAY.THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHOLEHEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE AND KEESEE MOTORS IN CORTEZ.I’M WENDY GRAHAMSETTLE. ZOOM, A SOFTWARE APPLICATION USED FOR GLOBAL TELECOMMUTING, DISTANCE EDUCATION, AND SOCIALRELATIONSHIPS, IS TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM.  ZOOM GAINED MORETHAN 2 MILLION USERS IN THE FIRST 2 MONTHS OF 2020, THE ZOOM APP WASDOWNLOADED 343,000 TIMES ON ONE DAY ALONE IN MARCH, WITH 18 PERCENTOF THOSE DOWNLOADS ORIGINATING IN THE UNITED STATES. ON AVERAGE, 200MILLION PEOPLE LOGGED ON TO ZOOM EVERY DAY IN MARCH. ZOOM APPEARS TOBE THE “PEOPLE’S CHOICE” BECAUSE USERS SAY IT’S MORE RELIABLEAND USER-FRIENDLY THAN COMPETING SOFTWARE. WE ASKED LOCAL BUSINESSPROFESSIONALS WHO ZOOM NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY TO SHARE THEIRTHEIR ZOOMER DO’S AND DON’TS TIPS. GINGER JENKS IS C E O OF MAGELLANENTERPRISES. SHE IS A MASTER CERTIFIED COACH, AND Y P O CERTIFIEDFORUM AND MENTORING FACILITATOR, AND HAS  25 YEARS OF VIRTUALMEETING EXPERIENCE: 

SOFIRST OFF, EVERYTHING ON VIDEO IS AMPLIFIED. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU’RETHINKING YOU’RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, NOT A GREAT DAY HAIRWISE ANDWHATNOT, BRUSH YOUR TEETH, DO YOUR MAKEUP, YOU’LL BE SORRY IF YOUDON’T, YOU KNOW. YOU CAN CHECK YOUR APPEARANCE BEFOREHAND BY GOING TOZOOM AND CLICKING NEW, NEW MEETING, AND IT’LL BE JUST YOU IN THEMEETING, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW YOU’RE GOING TO SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN.AND AGAIN, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE LIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, ANDYOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS KIND OF CLEAN.

SOMEOTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER INCLUDE: SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA:YOUR VIDEO MAY START WHEN YOU JOIN THE MEETING, SO REMEMBER THATEVERYONE CAN SEE “EVERYTHING” YOU’RE DOING. KNOW HOW TO MUTEYOURSELF, PAUSE YOUR VIDEO, USE THE CHAT FEATURE, AND TOGGLE BETWEENTHE VARIOUS “VIEW” SETTINGS. PREPARE YOUR SPACE AHEAD OF TIME:PUT YOUR PHONE ON SILENT. ASK OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSE TO STAY OUT OFYOUR BACKGROUND. AVOID TALKING OVER PEOPLE. FINALLY,  BE AWAREAND STAY ENGAGED. PRACTICE AND PREPARATION CAN HELP TAKE YOUR ZOOMMEETING FROM GOOD TO GREAT. JENKS PRACTICES WITH FRIENDS BEFOREHAND,AND WHEN IT COMES TO A BUSINESS MEETING WHERE FIRST IMPRESSIONSCOUNT, BE SURE TO ADJUST YOUR SETTINGS FOR THE NEEDS OF THE CALL.WHEN THE MEETING STARTS, SET THE GROUND RULES AND GO OVERHOUSEKEEPING DETAILS. ASK PARTICIPANTS TO PRACTICE USING THEFEATURES, SUCH AS RAISING THEIR HANDS TO SPEAK. HOSTS SHOULD KNOW HOWTO EASILY MUTE EVERYONE WHEN NEEDED. IF YOU CAN YOU GIVE PARTICIPANTSA SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TIME OF WHAT TO EXPECT, THAT’S REALLY HELPFUL,AND IF FOLKS ARE MUTED, BE CLEAR ABOUT WHEN IT WILL BE TIME FORINTERACTION AND Q&A. TURN OFF ALL YOUR OTHER PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLYTHOSE THAT “PING.” PUT A DO NOT DISTURB SIGN ON THE DOOR. AND,AVOID ZOOM “BOMBERS” BY USING A WAITING ROOM TO HAVE CONTROL OVERWHO IS ALLOWED IN TO THE MEETING. MOST IMPORTANTLY: DON’T FEEL LIKEYOU NEED TO GO IT ALONE. ASK OTHERS TO HELP MONITOR CHAT AND REQUESTSTO SPEAK, MODERATE THE DISCUSSION, GRANT ENTRY TO THE MEETING, ORSHARE DOCUMENTS AND VIDEOS. 

DON’TBE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. IF YOU’RE FACILITATING A LARGE MEETING,YOU WANT TO HAVE COHOST AND ZOOM ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE CO-HOSTS. SO ASSOON AS THEY COME IN, YOU CAN CLICK ON THEIR PARTICIPANT NAME ANDTHEN MAKE THEM A COHOST. AND THEN FROM THERE THEY CAN START LOOKINGAT THE CHAT ROOM. THEY CAN START INVITING, GETTING PEOPLE ANDALLOWING PEOPLE INTO THE MEETING SO THAT YOU’RE NOT DOING IT ALLYOURSELF. SO HAVE HELPERS. UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE SOMEBODY TOHELP YOU. YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY WAVING THEIR HAND AND YOU’VEGOT 50 PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN AND YOU MIGHT NOT NOTICE IT, YOU KNOW,HAVE SOMEBODY THEN COME IN AND GO, HEY, WE’VE GOT SO-AND-SO THAT HASA QUESTION. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ASK ‘EM HAVE THEIR NAMES STATEDAND THEN LET THEM ASK A QUESTION. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ASK FOR HELPWHEN YOU NEED IT. UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY’REDOING AND THAT CAN, THAT CAN ASSIST YOU WITH THIS AND MAKE IT RUN SOMUCH EASIER SO THAT YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU’RE TRYING TO RUN FIVETHINGS AT ONCE ON A SCREEN.

OURLOCAL EXPERTS ENCOURAGE HOSTS TO HELP THEIR AUDIENCE STAY ENGAGED ANDAVOID MULTI-TASKING BY INTRODUCING A LITTLE FUN WHEN APPROPRIATE: 

THINGSLIKE THIS ARE FUN IN, LIKE, BUSINESS AFTER HOURS. IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TOEXPRESS THEMSELVES EVEN THROUGH A MEDIUM LIKE THIS. A LITTLE BIT OFTHEIR PERSONALITY COMES OUT. AND IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO RELAX A LITTLEBIT AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FUN. IT’S SOCIALIZING, AND THAT’S WHATCHAMBERS REALLY DO.

EXPERIENCEDPROFESSIONALS SAY THAT VIDEO-CONFERENCING MAY BECOME THE NORM FORCONDUCTING BUSINESS AS THE COVID-19 THREAT SUBSIDES.

ANDSO MY BELIEF IS THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE VIDEOCONFERENCING EVEN AFTER THINGS GET BACK TO NORMAL, AND IT WILL BECOMEA COMPETENCY THAT PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE.

FORMORE INFORMATION, VISIT ZOOM’S HELP CENTER AT SUPPORT.ZOOM.USTHANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, CREATED LOCALLY,DELIVERED LOCALLY AND SUPPORTED BY LOCAL BUSINESSES. I’M WENDY GRAHAMSETTLE

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