Just because you can get a WiFi signal somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a great location for your online meeting. The location you choose should provide a stable enough internet connection so that you aren’t dropping the call and you can maintain a decent audio and video quality for the duration of the discussion.

Also, keep in mind that your microphone might be picking up distracting ambient sounds from all around you. Make sure that the place you choose to meet from isn’t subject to loud  distractions such as mechanical equipment, vehicular traffic or people talking loudly in the background.

While a cheap set of headphones, or your laptop microphone and speakers are able to pickup and transmit sound, are they really good enough for your online meeting? Consider investing in a good quality headset designed for online communication. The difference between a $10 headset and $100 headset can be staggering, and often well worth the investment. Your time is money, don’t waste it with mediocre equipment that is going to diminish your message. Make sure you have the right equipment for the job!

We know you are busy, aren’t we all! But, that’s no reason to come to your meeting un-prepared. Spend some time in advance of your meeting thinking about what you need for the call and then be sure to have it on hand. Shuffling through papers and searching for emails during your call is distracting and wastes your valuable time. Consider keeping an “old school” pen and notebook at hand to jot down your new ideas and to-do items.

If the call is scheduled for a specific time and duration, make sure you get your monies worth! Online meetings are often booked in advance at a specified rate. If you’re late to your meeting or miss it all together, you’re going to be wasting time and money. Be prompt for your meetings and if you realize in advance there is a conflict, be sure to cancel your call within the notice period to avoid being charged for nothing.

Also, make sure you block out your time for the call in the first place. While it’s often hard to predict interruptions, try to make sure everyone knows that you are going to be unavailable during your call. To get the most value from the meeting you’ll need to keep focused on the task at hand which is communicating with the person on the other end of the call.