Zoom Cocktail Party Etiquette

Who doesn’t love a good cocktail party? It’s an opportunity to catch up with friends and meet new people. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has put a halt to large gatherings and close one to one interaction with people other than our immediate family. But there is a viable alternative, a Zoom cocktail party. I’m sharing some etiquette tips to keep you looking your best.

Be a Polite Party Host

 Just like you would at an in-person cocktail party,  introduce your guests to each other. It will make it easier if there is anyone in the group who is not familiar with the other guests. It’s your job to make your guests feel comfortable so you have to keep the ball rolling by being prepared with lively conversation topics in case there is a lull.

Use Your Video Camera as a Name Tag

Don’t opt out and use a  profile picture, or worse yet, the profile “egg” instead of being there live and in person. Some people are nervous or don’t want to be seen for one reason or the other, but it is distracting and forms a barrier.

In-person people can use name tags when they are not familiar or forget a name, you little square box is your identification.

Dress for the Party

Sure, you could stay in your pj’s or old t-shirt but it’s a cocktail party and why not make it festive? Wear something that will be appealing or eye-catching to make a great impression and start a conversation.

Give Other People a Chance to Talk

You may think you are the life of the party, but if you monopolize the conversation, you won’t be invited back. The role of a good guest is to make your host glad she or he asked you to join, so let others join the conversation.

Familiarize Yourself with the Mute Button

Distractions such as barking dogs, buzzing kitchen blenders, flushing toilets and people talking in the background all make for unwelcome distractions. Know where the mute button is so you aren’t scrambling for it at the last minute.

Don’t Go Overboard on Your Guest List

Remember that you are not in your large living room with people roaming around, mixing and mingling. You want a guest list that is conducive to everyone interacting with each other. Too many people at the virtual party means some guests will probably feel left out, especially the introverts who are already uncomfortable. They will not feel good about interrupting or jumping in. This is a new platform so everyone is getting used to how to interact – both extroverts and introverts.

Be Present at the Party

Now is not the time to multitask. If you have something else to do, like file your nails or email for work, put it off a few minutes until the cocktail party is over. People will notice that you are looking down and out of the conversation.

Don’t Slip Out the Back Door

Just like you wouldn’t disappear at a house party before thanking your host, let the host know if you will be leaving early and when you do, make sure and say goodbye to fellow guests before jumping off the call. It would be rude to leave the party without thanking the host and properly saying goodbye.

Set an End Time

Don’t make the cocktail party too long. It’s better to have a lively, fun, entertaining short visit than a long, overdrawn, endless affair. People are busy and will be more prone to do it again if you make the occasion special and not bite into too much of their personal time. There are still kids to feed, work to do and Netflix movies to watch!

You may also like Virtual Meeting Etiquette. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest,  Instagram and Twitter.

Have you always dreamed of fine-tuning your personal skills or honing your professional skills? Now is our opportunity. I am offering virtual training where I will work with you in a private session. This is a limited time offer, click here for more details.