It can feel a little strange to know the right things to do or say in a virtual meeting. Whether you should be professional or more relaxed, or if you should wear a suit or a t-shirt, or if you should make small talk first or dive right into the task at hand might be questions you ask.

Naturally, the answers to these questions will differ a little for everyone. That said, however, there are virtual meeting etiquette that everyone should follow. These will enable you to have a more productive, professional, and friendly meetings. With these tips, you can make sure you’re following the virtual meeting etiquette to the letter.

CONTROL YOUR OWN NOISE

Audio is one of the most important factors you should consider when participating in a virtual meeting. If you want to follow the unwritten ground rules for virtual meetings, you need to consider what other people can — and can’t — hear. 

Don’t be afraid to ask if people can hear you well. Finding the right speaking volume is key to having a productive meeting. You should also try to mute your microphone whenever you’re not speaking. This prevents any unexpected background noise from causing a distraction.

You must also ensure that you have a quiet area in which to conduct or participate in a virtual meeting. If you have dogs barking in the background, it can be extremely distracting. It may not bother you, but others in your meeting almost certainly will be.

LOOK AND DRESS THE PART

In most cases, it’s expected that you can dress a little more casually in online meetings than you would in a face-to-face meeting. That said, it’s always better to overdress than underdress.

Make sure that you look tidy in your appearance. Ensuring that your hair is tidy and your general appearance matches the tone and nature of the meeting. You can improve your appearance by using an adequate light source. If possible, try to use natural lighting and an angle that keeps your entire face in full view.

LET PEOPLE PARTICIPATE

If your virtual meeting is more of a conversation between colleagues, you need to ensure that everyone gets the chance to ask and answer questions. It is the responsibility of the meeting host to make sure that nobody monopolizes the meeting or takes valuable time away from others.

To prevent this situation, you can politely insert yourself into the conversation to ask someone a question. This ensures that they can speak and don’t feel left out of the conversation. You can also kick things off with a few virtual ice breakers to make everyone feel more comfortable and engaged.

MANAGE THE TIME

Nobody likes to feel stuck in a never-ending virtual meeting. It’s fine if you’re not sure how long a meeting will take, but be respectful of other people’s time. When you need to address a lot of topics, make sure that you dive right into the work so that people can get back to their lives as soon as possible.

The best way to properly manage time is to create an agenda before the meeting starts. You should also make an estimate of how long each topic or task will take. This way, you can keep an eye on the clock as you go, maintaining a comfortable pace and ensuring that the meeting can finish in a reasonable amount of time.

Enhance your virtual meetings by following these rules. The reality is that virtual meeting etiquette will help you be productive and create a more comfortable environment for all your virtual meeting participants. While being kind and patient are both standard ways to improve the experience, you should also follow the rules above to get the most out of every meeting.