Sales Intelligence AI for sales insights and conversation intelligence

What your video meeting background says about you

Share

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Copy link post URL copied
3 min read

If you’re promoting yourself as the world’s next big Marie Kondo phenomenon, it probably wouldn’t make sense to show piles of clutter and junk in the background of your video conference.

With people becoming more comfortable working from home, video meetings are quickly catching up to voice-only calls as a popular meeting option for teams that aren’t all in the same physical location.

Regardless of whether your video meeting takes place in your corner office, cubicle, or workspace part of your home, your environment can communicate a lot about who you are and how you work.

In this post, we’ll look at an element of video calls that’s sometimes overlooked: your background. We’ll delve into:


Shopping for a video conferencing tool? (Or just curious about what to look for?) Grab the free checklist to help you choose the right one for your team or business.

See what you need to do (and know) as you're deciding on a video conferencing app with this checklist!

Happy shopping!


Good background, bad background

First, let’s look at two distinct images to get a sense of what a difference the right environment can make:

1. This person has a messy backdrop behind them. They are dressed nicely, but they are surrounded by disorder:

This person has a messy backdrop behind them. They are dressed nicely, but they are surrounded by disorder.

2. This person is dressed casually, but their space is nicely laid out. It’s organized, clean, and set up for work:

This person is dressed casually, but their space is nicely laid out. It’s organized, clean, and set up for work.

 

What do your aesthetic choices say about you as a person? And what cues are you picking up about the person on the other end of your video conference call?

No matter what, your background is saying something about you. It’s worth taking a moment to look at what you want to say and the impression you want to make with the backdrops you feature during video meetings.


4 examples of video meeting backgrounds for different roles

Best of all, with RingCentral, you can choose whatever video meeting background you want!

Here are a few examples of different backgrounds that people in particular roles might want to use while they’re on video calls:

    • If you’re a project manager who prides yourself on getting stuff done efficiently and hitting all your deadlines, focus on showing how organized you are by how your space is arranged:

Organized workstation

That being said, you want to avoid a background that looks too minimalistic or sterile. You can have stuff—it just has to be in order and neat.

    • If you own a design consultancy, your clients and prospects are probably going to judge your work and style by your video call’s background. Think of it like a physical storefront—a chance to demonstrate your style and your qualifications:

Organized workstation

    • If you’re an author, your background could be a bookshelf filled with books behind you (they could be either books you’ve written or books that have inspired you):

Organized workstation with bookshelf background

    • If you’re a visual artist, you could show a workspace filled with the tools of your craft; a blank canvas sends one message, finished artworks send another:

Visual artist workspace

Learn more about the other cool features that RingCentral Video comes with!

Blank video backdrops aren’t the only professional-looking option anymore

If you have a lot of video calls on a daily basis, it’s important to take the time to curate or design your background before getting on a video call. 

Get creative! It’s what someone will be staring at (other than your face) every time they talk to you, so use it as an opportunity to add personal elements to your professional scene. Whether you’re in a rented office space, a studio, or video conferencing from your home, it’s your space, after all. 

If you’re starting to have video conference calls more regularly, take RingCentral Video for a test drive!

Here’s a look at how it works:

 

Originally published Apr 14, 2020, updated Dec 10, 2020

Up next

law firm video conferencing

Industry insights, Law, Small business

Video conferencing for lawyers: Why (and how to) use video meetings?

You’ve probably heard: our world is quickly moving online.  The legal world is no different. Video conferencing is a tool that’s changing how law is practiced by reducing the need to travel, saving money, and building relationships with clients and other legal professionals.  Essentially, it can give your firm a competitive edge by letting your ...

Share

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Copy link post URL copied

Related content