5 Common Mistakes Speakers Make on Virtual Calls — And How to Fix Them
Virtual meetings have become a staple of modern professional life. Whether you're presenting to clients, collaborating with colleagues, or leading a team check-in, platforms like Zoom are now second nature for most of us. Yet despite all the time we've spent on video calls, the same handful of mistakes keep appearing — and they can seriously undermine your credibility as a communicator. Here are five of the most common pitfalls speakers fall into on virtual calls, along with practical tips to help you avoid every one of them.
1. Failing to Make Virtual Eye Contact
This is arguably the most widespread mistake on video calls, and it's an easy one to make. Eye contact on a virtual call means looking directly at your camera lens — that tiny dot at the top of your laptop or monitor. It feels unnatural, but it's the only way your audience experiences the sensation of you looking at them.
What most people do instead is stare at the faces on their screen, glance up at the ceiling, or gaze off to the side. While it's tempting to watch other participants' reactions, doing so makes you appear distracted or disengaged from the viewer's perspective. Train yourself to look at the camera lens when you're speaking, and you'll instantly create a stronger connection with everyone on the call.
2. The Dreaded Swivel Chair
If you're sitting in a chair that swivels or rolls, there's a good chance you're rocking side to side without even realising it. You may not feel it, but your audience absolutely sees it — and it's distracting.
The fix is simple. Be mindful of your movements while you're on camera. If you find it difficult to stay still in a swivel chair, consider switching it out for a stationary chair during important calls. A stable seat encourages better posture and keeps the focus where it belongs: on what you're saying, not on your gentle rotation.
3. Misusing the Mute Button
We've all been there. Someone launches into a passionate point only to be met with: "You're on mute!" On the flip side, we've all endured the agony of hearing someone type on their keyboard, rustle papers, or carry on a background conversation because they forgot to mute themselves.
Mastering the mute button is one of the simplest yet most impactful things you can do on a virtual call. Follow these two rules:
- Mute yourself whenever you're not speaking. Background noise — from office chatter to the sound of your fingers on a keyboard — is amplified through laptop microphones and is genuinely painful for other participants.
- Be quick to unmute when it's your turn to talk. Know exactly where the button is so you can toggle it without fumbling. Being the person who always needs to be reminded to unmute signals a lack of technical confidence you don't want to project.
4. Relying on Virtual Backgrounds
This one might be controversial, but hear it out. Virtual backgrounds — those beach scenes, cityscapes, and novelty images people place behind themselves — were fun to experiment with in the early days of widespread remote work. However, from a communication standpoint, they can actually work against you.
There's a subtle psychological effect at play. When your audience can't see your real environment, a small layer of trust erodes. Whether they're conscious of it or not, viewers may wonder what you're hiding or feel slightly disconnected from you. On top of that, virtual backgrounds often glitch: lean back too far and you might literally dissolve into the scenery, which is hardly the impression you want to make during an important presentation.
Instead, try to clean up your actual background. Even a plain wall, a tidy bookshelf, or a simple piece of art behind you is more effective and authentic than a fabricated scene. Your real environment, however modest, builds credibility.
5. Forgetting Your Core Public Speaking Skills
Just because you're sitting in front of a laptop doesn't mean the fundamentals of great communication stop applying. Too many people dial down their energy and expressiveness the moment they join a virtual meeting — and it shows.
Remember that you still have powerful tools at your disposal:
- Body language: Your hands are still visible on camera. Use purposeful gestures to emphasise key points and bring your message to life.
- Vocal variety: Vary your pace, pitch, and volume. A well-timed pause or a shift in energy can recapture wandering attention in an instant.
- Structure: Whether you're giving a formal presentation or simply sharing an update, frame your remarks with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Structured communication is always easier to follow and far more persuasive.
Every virtual meeting is an opportunity to practise and sharpen these skills. The speakers who treat video calls with the same intention they'd bring to a stage are the ones who stand out as polished, professional communicators.
Stand Out on Every Call
Virtual communication isn't going away, and the bar for what constitutes a "good" virtual presence continues to rise. The good news is that avoiding these five mistakes — poor eye contact, swivel-chair distractions, mute-button mishaps, artificial backgrounds, and neglected speaking fundamentals — doesn't require expensive equipment or hours of training. It simply requires awareness and a little intentional practice. Nail these basics, and you'll project confidence, credibility, and professionalism every time you appear on screen.