Video calls are harder than in-person meetings. The channel removes most of the physical information that human beings use to track and coordinate in conversation: peripheral body language, the spatial sense of where everyone is in a room, the ambient energy of a group. What remains is a small rectangle of face and a compressed audio signal.
For non-native English speakers, this matters more than it does for native ones. The signals that aid comprehension — full facial expression, mouth movement, spatial context — are reduced or absent. And the signals that communicate confidence and authority — posture, presence, natural movement — don't travel the same way through a screen.
Most professionals have adapted to video calls without explicitly thinking about how to use them well. Here's how to approach them intentionally.
The Technical Setup: Not Optional
A significant part of how you're received on a video call is determined before you say a word. The technical conditions under which your communication arrives set the baseline for how it's perceived.
Camera position. The camera should be at eye level or very slightly above — not below. A camera below eye level creates an unflattering angle that reads as submissive in the frame, and produces a sense of looking up at the other person even when you're speaking as an equal. Most laptops need to sit on a stack of books or a stand to achieve this. The adjustment takes two minutes and makes a noticeable difference.
Lighting. Light should come from in front of you, not from behind. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. A lamp or ring light in front illuminates your face clearly and signals professionalism. This is the single cheapest change with the highest return in video call quality.
Audio. A headset or external microphone eliminates most audio problems. Built-in laptop microphones pick up ambient noise, keyboard sounds, and room echo. Poor audio quality causes listener fatigue and produces a subtle sense of low quality that is hard to overcome with good content. If the audio is difficult, the conversation is already harder.
Background. A plain, neutral background — a wall, a bookshelf, a simple space — signals professionalism without distraction. Virtual backgrounds often have edge artefacts that are visually distracting, particularly when you move. A real neutral background is better.
These elements are not vanity. They are the technical conditions under which your language arrives. Getting them right doesn't guarantee good communication; getting them wrong actively undermines it.
Compensating for What's Lost
On a video call, you lose the full-body signals that aid both comprehension and connection. The compensating adjustments:
Slow down. Speaking more slowly than you would in person is almost always right on video calls. The audio compression and the reduced facial context mean that comprehension requires more effort from the listener. The pace that feels normal to you in person is too fast for video. Add a deliberate 10–15% reduction to your delivery speed.
Pause more deliberately. In person, turn-taking cues come from body language — leaning in, inhaling to speak, a shift in posture. These signals are reduced or absent on video. Deliberate pauses create space for turn-taking and prevent the overlap that is endemic to group video calls.
Check comprehension explicitly. "Does that make sense so far?" / "I want to make sure that's landing — any questions?" In a room you can read whether people are following from facial expression and posture. On a video call with multiple participants, you often can't. Ask directly rather than reading the thumbnail gallery.
Use more explicit structure. Transitions and signposts are more important on video because the visual context of a shared physical space — which helps orient people in in-person conversations — doesn't exist. "I want to make three points here. First..." / "Let me shift to the second thing..." These transitions are more valuable on video than they would be in person.
Managing Turn-Taking
The overlap and interruption problem is endemic to video calls. The latency, the loss of body language cues, and the gallery-view context mean that people regularly talk over each other.
For non-native speakers, this is disproportionately costly. An interruption in a second language often means losing the thread entirely, not just pausing. And waiting for a clear gap — which on a video call is harder to read — sometimes means not speaking at all.
Use the visual channel. Raise a hand, lean in visibly, make a gesture before speaking. Many people are watching the thumbnail gallery even on gallery view, and a visible physical signal to speak is readable.
Name your intent. "Let me come in here —" / "I want to add something to that." A brief spoken marker makes your entry into the conversation deliberate and legible, rather than a potential interruption.
Host or co-host when possible. Control of the meeting infrastructure — muting, calling on people, setting the agenda, managing the pace — gives you communicative advantages that are worth having. If you're hosting a meeting, use the host controls actively.
Signal completion. "I'll hand it back there" or "that's my point — over to you" makes your turn ending explicit, which reduces ambiguity and prevents people from holding back when you're done.
When You're Misheard or Misunderstood
On video calls, the social context for correcting misunderstandings is less natural than in person. People often move on rather than signal confusion, particularly in group settings where they don't want to hold things up.
The consequence is that misunderstandings can persist and accumulate in ways they wouldn't in a room. The remedy is to check comprehension more actively and correct misreadings more promptly.
If you've been misheard: "Actually what I said was [X] — let me clarify that." Direct and unremarkable. The correction is less awkward than the confusion that follows an unchallenged misunderstanding.
If you're uncertain whether you've been understood: "I want to make sure that landed clearly — can you reflect back what you're taking from this?"
This last question sounds demanding in writing but in practice, especially with counterparts you have a working relationship with, it is a sign of care and precision rather than distrust.
One-on-One vs Group Video Calls
The dynamics differ significantly.
One-on-one video calls are closer to phone calls in their demands. The comprehension and turn-taking challenges are less severe because you have continuous attention from one person and can read their signals clearly.
Group video calls are significantly harder. The signal is more complex, interruptions are more common, and the social dynamics of a multi-person meeting are all present without the spatial cues that help navigate them.
For important group video calls: prepare more, check in more frequently, and use explicit structure throughout. If you're presenting to a group, treat it more like a presentation (clear structure, deliberate signposting) and less like a conversation until you've established the rhythm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use virtual backgrounds?
In general, a real neutral background is better than a virtual one. Virtual backgrounds create edge artefacts when you move, which are visually distracting and can make you appear slightly unprofessional. If a real neutral background isn't available, a blurred background is better than a virtual scene.
What should I do when the connection quality is poor?
Name it immediately: "The connection seems to be dropping a bit on my side — let me know if I'm breaking up." Acknowledging connection problems early prevents the embarrassment of realising later that key points weren't received. If the connection is too poor for a productive call, it's better to reschedule than to proceed and have both parties leave uncertain about what was communicated.
How do I maintain energy and presence in back-to-back video calls?
The fatigue of video calls is real and documented. Between calls, step away from the screen for two to three minutes if possible. Before an important call, do a brief reset — a short walk, a change of posture, a few deep breaths. The quality of your presence on a high-stakes call is worth protecting with the margins around it.
Is it acceptable to turn off my camera sometimes?
Context-dependent. For one-on-one or small-group calls where the relationship is important, camera off reads as disengagement. For large group calls, all-hands meetings, or long sessions where you're primarily listening, camera off is acceptable and often expected. The rule of thumb: keep the camera on when your presence as a person matters to the dynamic; turn it off when you're primarily an audience member.
If any of this resonates, I run weekly sessions with founders and senior professionals on exactly this kind of thing. Free 10 minute fit call to see if it's a fit. Book here.