Before hosting any meeting, it helps to have an outline together that can help you effectively manage everyone's time. This will  increase productivity as well as reinforce a professional image of yourself to others. 

Once you have an agenda, it is important to share it! You can use a simple word document that you send beforehand, or you can use one of the great services available like Docket or Hugo. This will increase engagement in your calls and helps you manage expectations, keeping you in the driver seat. 

Whether at home or office, make sure to dress appropriately for each meeting. Virtual calls already have less impact than an in-person meeting, so make sure you do your part to rise above the occasion. 

Make sure you are sitting up! Don't hunch over, pull those shoulders back, and keep your head up. People notice your posture and it helps contribute towards their perception. 

This is an important one! Did you know that even over the phone you can tell when someone is talking while smiling? On video, this is even more obvious, but the point is that it creates a positive perception that helps your virtual presence. All of us would rather be on the beach, so at least pretend like you are having a good time 🙂

Do yourself a favor and get a set of external speakers for your video calls. It's never a good look to wear headphones during a video call, and sometimes laptop/computer audio just doesn't cut it. There are some great solutions such as the Pebble Speakers which are perfect for call audio and easily connect to your device. 

Unfortunately, laptop microphones aren't great. And just like speakers, ideally you don't want to be using a headset on a video call. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Yeti Mic, the people on your calls will thank you later. 

Body positioning in the camera view is important. If you are sitting at a normal desk, chances are you have to tilt the laptop screen back in order to feel like you are in frame. Instead, elevate the camera to your eye level so that you can elevate your virtual presence and first impressions. 

While laptop cameras have come a long way, most laptops in use don't have the quality of a webcam or DSLR. If you are serious about increasing your professional appearance, invest in a webcam. This Logitech is a great choice. If you are really serious, then check out the Sony a5100.

Lighting is an important aspect of your appearance on a video call. For starters, make sure that you aren't sitting in the dark, or that there isn't a big glare on your screen. If you are home, place a lap in a favorable location, or sit in a place that gets good light. If you are interested, photography key lights like this one can be great to help control light and temperature.

Before your end the meeting, you should confirm the actionable steps that need to be taken. This helps keep everyone and the same page, and helps you portray a positive, professional appearance in making sure everyone understands what is expected of them moving forward. 

Just like the pre-meeting agenda, you should send your meeting notes to everyone involved. This ensures everyone is running off the same baseline agenda which limits questions, prevents wasted time, and increases productivity. If you have any questions, concerns, or follow-up comments, then they should be included.