Video Calling for Client Meetings — The Professional Setup Guide

Video calling has gone from a novelty to a necessity in a remarkably short space of time. For sole traders, it's become one of the most important ways to connect with clients, win new business, and build relationships without the time and expense of travelling to every meeting.

But here's the thing — a poorly set-up video call can actively undermine your professionalism. Grainy video, echo-laden audio, a cluttered background, or the classic nostril-cam angle can make even the most competent professional look, well, less than polished.

The good news is that looking and sounding great on video calls doesn't require expensive equipment or a home studio. A few thoughtful adjustments to your setup can make an enormous difference. Let's go through everything you need to know to present yourself professionally on camera.

Choosing Your Video Calling Platform

The platform you use depends partly on your preference and partly on what your clients expect. Here are the main options:

Zoom remains the most widely used platform for business video calls. It's reliable, well-known, and offers features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, recording, and virtual backgrounds. The free plan allows unlimited one-to-one calls and group meetings of up to forty minutes.

Google Meet is built into Google Workspace and is a natural choice if you or your clients use Gmail. It's simple, works directly in the browser (no download needed), and integrates well with Google Calendar.

Microsoft Teams is dominant in corporate environments. If you work with clients who use Microsoft 365, you'll likely end up on Teams for some calls. It's feature-rich but can be slightly more complex to navigate.

Whereby is a lesser-known option that's popular with freelancers. It offers a clean, simple interface and the ability to create a permanent meeting room with a custom URL — useful if you want clients to be able to "drop in" without you sending a new link each time.

For most sole traders, Zoom or Google Meet will cover everything you need. The important thing is to be comfortable with your chosen platform and to test it before important calls — not during them.

Getting Your Audio Right

Here's a truth that surprises many people: audio quality matters more than video quality. Clients will tolerate slightly fuzzy video, but poor audio — echoing, crackling, background noise, or your voice sounding like you're in a tin can — makes a call feel unprofessional and is genuinely tiring to listen to.

Use a dedicated microphone or a good headset. Your laptop's built-in microphone picks up everything — keyboard tapping, fan noise, the washing machine in the next room. Even a budget USB microphone (like the Fifine K669 or the Blue Snowball) will dramatically improve your audio quality. Alternatively, a good quality headset with a boom microphone works well.

If you use earphones, choose ones with an inline microphone close to your mouth. AirPods and similar earbuds are fine for casual calls, but the microphone is quite far from your mouth, which can make your voice sound distant.

Minimise background noise. Close windows if there's traffic noise. Turn off fans, radios, and anything else that creates ambient sound. If you work in a noisy environment, consider noise-cancelling headphones — many also have microphones with active noise cancellation for the caller's benefit.

Test your audio before the call. Every platform has a way to test your microphone and speakers in the settings. Do this before your first call on any new setup, and periodically afterwards.

Camera and Framing

Your camera creates the visual impression that shapes how clients perceive you. A few simple adjustments make a significant difference.

Position your camera at eye level. This is the single most impactful change most people can make. A camera looking up at you from a low laptop screen is unflattering and disorienting. A camera looking down from above makes you appear small. Eye level creates a natural, professional framing — like having a face-to-face conversation.

If you use a laptop, the simplest solution is a laptop stand or a stack of books to raise the screen. If you want a better camera, an external webcam (like the Logitech C920 or the Logitech Brio) mounted on top of your monitor gives you more control over positioning and typically better image quality.

Frame yourself centrally with appropriate headroom. Your head and shoulders should be centred in the frame, with a small amount of space above your head. Don't sit too close (just your face filling the screen feels intense) or too far away (you become a tiny figure in a sea of background).

Look at the camera, not the screen. This is tricky because your instinct is to look at the other person's face on screen. But from their perspective, you're looking slightly downward rather than making eye contact. For key moments — when you're making a point, greeting someone, or wrapping up — look directly at the camera lens. It creates a much stronger sense of connection.

Lighting

Poor lighting is the enemy of professional video calls. If your face is in shadow, if there's a bright window behind you turning you into a silhouette, or if the light is a sickly orange from a desk lamp, the effect is immediately noticeable.

Face a window. Natural light from a window in front of you (behind your screen) is the simplest and most flattering lighting you can get. It's soft, even, and free. Avoid having a window behind you — the camera will adjust for the bright background and leave your face in darkness.

If natural light isn't available (or it's dark outside), use a ring light or desk lamp. A ring light positioned behind your screen gives even, flattering illumination without harsh shadows. They're available from around £15 to £30 and make a noticeable difference. Alternatively, a desk lamp bounced off a white wall can work well.

Avoid overhead lighting as your primary light source. Ceiling lights create shadows under your eyes and nose that can look unflattering. If you have a ceiling light, supplement it with front-facing light.

Warm white light tends to look more natural than cool white or daylight bulbs in a home setting. Experiment with what you have — the difference between good and bad lighting is often just a matter of repositioning what's already in the room.

Your Background

What's behind you on a video call says more than you might think. It doesn't need to be a pristine minimalist studio, but it should look intentional rather than accidental.

A tidy, relatively neutral space works best. A plain wall, a bookshelf, a few plants — anything that looks calm and organised. Avoid clutter, laundry airers, unmade beds, or anything you wouldn't want a client to see.

Virtual backgrounds can help, but use them carefully. Zoom and other platforms offer virtual backgrounds that replace your actual background with an image. They work reasonably well with a solid-coloured background behind you, but they can look glitchy if you move a lot or if you don't have a strong contrast between you and the wall. A subtly blurred version of your real background often looks more natural than a completely fake one.

Consider your background as part of your brand. If you're a creative professional, a few pieces of interesting art or design books can reinforce that identity. If you're a consultant, a clean, professional space suggests organisation and competence. It's a small thing, but it contributes to the overall impression.

Before the Call — Your Pre-Meeting Checklist

A bit of preparation before each call prevents most of the common problems. Run through this checklist five minutes before joining:

1. Close unnecessary tabs and applications. This frees up your computer's processing power for the video call and reduces the risk of embarrassing notifications popping up.
2. Check your internet connection. If you're on Wi-Fi and the signal is weak, consider moving closer to the router or plugging in an ethernet cable. A wired connection is always more reliable for important calls.
3. Test your audio and video. Most platforms have a preview mode. Check that the right microphone and camera are selected, and that the sound level is appropriate.
4. Position your lighting and camera. Make sure you're well-lit and framed correctly.
5. Have what you need to hand. Notes, the agenda, any documents you'll reference, a glass of water.
6. Put your phone on silent. Not vibrate — silent. Vibrations on a desk are picked up by microphones surprisingly well.
7. Let household members know you're about to be on a call. Interruptions happen, but you can minimise them.

During the Call — Professional Etiquette

Technology is only part of the equation. How you conduct yourself on the call matters just as much.

Join on time. Better yet, join a minute early. Being late to a video call feels disrespectful in the same way it does in person.

Mute when you're not speaking in group calls. This prevents your background noise from disrupting others. In one-to-one calls, staying unmuted is usually fine and feels more natural.

Use your client's name. It sounds obvious, but on video calls where the social cues are slightly muted, using someone's name helps build rapport.

Don't multitask. Your eyes give you away immediately. If you're reading emails or browsing while on a call, the other person can tell. Give them your full attention.

Summarise and follow up. At the end of the call, briefly recap any actions or decisions. Follow up with a written summary by email. This demonstrates professionalism and ensures nothing is lost.

Recording Calls

Many platforms allow you to record video calls, which can be useful for reference. However, always ask for permission before recording. In the UK, recording a private call without the other party's knowledge isn't illegal per se, but it's certainly unprofessional and could breach data protection regulations if you store or share the recording.

A simple "Do you mind if I record this for my notes?" at the start of the call is all it takes. Most people are fine with it.

If you record client calls, make sure you store them securely and in compliance with GDPR. Our guide on cyber security for sole traders covers data security practices that are relevant here.

The Financial Side

If you invest in equipment for your video calling setup — a webcam, microphone, ring light, laptop stand — these are legitimate business expenses that you can claim against your tax bill, provided they're used for business purposes. Even if you also use them personally (as most people do), you can claim the business proportion.

Keeping track of these smaller purchases is easy to overlook, but they add up over time. Accounted makes it simple to log these expenses as you go, and Penny can help you categorise them correctly. For more on the tools and tech that can help your business, take a look at our guide to the best apps for sole traders in 2026.

Related reading:

• Cyber Security for Sole Traders
• Best Apps for Sole Traders in 2026
• Best Free Tools for Small Businesses in 2026

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Accounted helps UK sole traders stay on top of their bookkeeping and tax. Start your free 30-day trial at getaccounted.co.uk.

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