Currently, the world of professional videoconferencing has been massified and directly influenced by the situation we are going through with the well-known COVID19. A situation that has made it necessary to straddle the line between office work and the implementation of teleworking in many companies in our country. Some work variants that keep video calls as their basic axis of meeting, not only as something work-related, but also personal, thus maintaining contact between colleagues.

Video calls are a widely used communication tool in the business world. They bring groups of interlocutors together in an almost palpable way, turning an online meeting into something more. In something much more personal, close and interesting for the attendees. But it is a tool that not everyone controls. That's why today we bring you five tricks to take your corporate video calls to another level of communication:

1. Take care of the lighting in your room for professional videoconferences

It is especially important not only the level of lighting in your meeting room, but also the type of light used. The ideal in these cases is to use natural sunlight to illuminate the room and, if possible, that this light source is placed in front of us, i.e. behind our camera.

A poorly positioned spotlight can lead to incorrect lighting with oversized shadows or glare that could affect the quality of your professional videoconferences. If we do not have natural light in our meeting place, a neutral white light such as a fluorescent light may be the best option.

2. The importance of the plan and the chosen technology

After the quarantine period to which we have been exposed, most of us have become accustomed to seeing our acquaintances through screens, be it computer, tablet or mobile, at angles that are not too flattering. This cannot happen in professional videoconferencing. This is why it is particularly important to choose the shot we choose for our interlocutors to see us.

It is at this point that the camera used becomes especially important. A simple webcam can be enough for a video call between friends. But if what we want is quality and performance at a very reasonable price, the best option would be to buy an external webcam that ensures a much clearer and sharper image quality than the webcam built into most computers. For personal video calls Laia recommends its USB camera Laia PC Pro: FullHD webcam with USB 2.0 connection to PC.

But if what you have is a meeting room with several interlocutors on the scene. A webcam is not the best choice. In this case we recommend a PTZ or ePTZ terminal. Professional FullHD or 4K cameras, depending on the image quality you need, with a field of view capable of covering the entire room without having to move it.

In this case, depending on the size of the room in question you will need one type of camera or another. At Laia we know this, that's why we distribute our cameras according to the size of the room to be used: small, medium, large or event rooms.

3. Take care of the background of your professional videoconferences.

Just like lighting, the environment for professional video conferencing is also an aspect to be taken into account. A room with strident colors or with a background that is not very stable or with a lot of movement (such as a glass window leading to the offices) can distract our receiver. A flat, neutral background, as clean and minimalist as possible, is ideal for this type of professional videoconferencing. This type of backgrounds and decorations will make our receiver focus on what is really important in the video call: us.

But the background and the scene is not the only thing we have to take care of. It is a video call so, despite being miles apart, we must take into account our nonverbal language. In a video call, non-verbal communication is as important, if not more, as verbal communication.

On most occasions, a simple gesture, a look or an involuntary movement can mean much more than a simple word. According to studies by psychologist and researcher Albert Mehrabian, non-verbal communication can make up 93% of communication depending on the context in which we find ourselves.

4. Have your professional videoconferences organized

This is one of the most important tips that you should take into account. It is very important that before each video call you write down the topics to be discussed as well as light notes to accompany or help us during our intervention. A disorganized video call without a clear objective will cause us to waste our time and that of the users of the meeting, giving a disastrous vision of our work.

In addition, a highly recommended practice is to write down everything that was said during the meeting. Often there are so many topics to be discussed that not being clear about what has been said or the decisions that have been taken means that many of these professional videoconferences have to be repeated or, at least, some e-mails have to be sent asking for confirmation of the measures discussed. This is not at all advisable if what we want is to maximize effectiveness and efficiency in our workplace.

5. That not everything is about the image

It is true that, as they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words", but even the word video call is composed of two terms: video and call. If we leave out the first of these factors, we have the call. A concept that is little talked about but is crucial to a good understanding. In this case, factors such as the decoration of the environment or the materials used seem to be fundamental for a good acoustics of the place. good acoustics of the place.

We can achieve good acoustics with materials and details such as plants, carpets or plaster ceilings. These types of materials/complements ensure that sounds do not reverberate in the room, thus eliminating the dreaded and hated echo. Another almost indispensable element to achieve perfect sound quality during your video calls are the microphones.

This type of complements will be your best ally in medium and large rooms where the microphone of the cameras (almost always come with an integrated one) is not enough to cover the entire room. In Laia we know that each room has special characteristics and therefore requires special equipment.

Our range of professional audio for video calls is one of the most complete on the market; the first, our t-Pod WiFi, the perfect audio complement for all types of meeting rooms; the second, t-Pod Trio, the device that brings together the best of three communication solutions: hands-free, VoIP phone and a video conferencing terminal; the third, t-Pod Beamforming, the perfect conference terminal for medium to large meeting rooms with 12 internal unidirectional microphone array and beamforming technology; and the t-Pod Air Pro, our ceiling microphone capable of covering 60 m² with a single device (cascading up to 4 devices possible).