Business Connections by Adams

F A L L 2 0 2 0 7 BUSINESS connections Connect with Microsoft Teams Your business has video conferencing options including Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts Meet, join.me, and Microsoft Teams. They’re all easy to use and help create online meetings that replicate much of the energy and productivity of in-person ones. You’ve probably participated in video conferences using several of these options. Since Microsoft Teams is a feature of Office 365, it’s a convenient choice for many. With Microsoft Teams, you can: • Chat – Share your opinion and your personality. Send gifs, stickers, and emojis in a group chat or in one-to-one messages. • Meet – Instantly go from group chat to video conference with the touch of a button. Teams of two or 10,000 can meet in one place, no matter how many places they’re in. • Call – Make and receive calls with internal and external groups using Microsoft Teams Calling, Phone System, Calling Plan, or Direct Routing. • Collaborate – Easily find, share, and edit files in real time using familiar apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel in Teams. Adams is a Microsoft Office 365 Partner and Reseller. Call Adams Business Sales and Support at 217-214-8708 for more information. Take a critical look at your surroundings. This tip is primarily for people who join a video conference from home. Remember that your wall art or decorations must be work appropriate and your surroundings clean. You don’t want the other participants to see an unprofessional environment or a desk covered with dirty dishes or trash. Mute your microphone whenever you’re not speaking. This applies even if you’re alone in the room. Background noise can be an annoying distraction and disrupt any meeting’s flow. But don’t forget to unmute your microphone before you answer a question or bring up an issue for discussion. Look into the camera. Resist the temptation to look at yourself on your computer or tablet screen. When you look into the camera, it helps others in the conference feel like you’re 100 percent engaged and present. Don’t check emails or do any other work while on the video conference. Other participants can often tell you aren’t fully focused and present, which reflects poorly on you and your business. Adams offers a variety of conferencing services for businesses. To learn more, visit www.adams.net or call 217-214-8708.