Virtual Culture Presents a Chance to Enhance Your “Messenger”
By Steve Johnson
For so many of us, our business world has mutated to a Zoom Economy at breakneck speed. Everyone is now familiar with video conferencing on a daily basis. You’ve probably even played with the customizable backgrounds. You've also likely thought about what you are telling people about yourself through your visual and vocal presentation.
Everything I counsel to points back to the “net impression.” That is the collective of signals delivered during any engagement – visual, vocal and verbal. The verbal is the message – that actual content delivered. The visual and the vocal are the messenger – who you are as a communicator. The new world of persistent video conferencing has brought the latter to the foreground.
No matter your message, to deliver a strong net impression, present a strong "messenger" to your audience.
Being an effective communicator in virtual meetings has always been a part of our communications coaching. During media coaching, we practice for the remote interview where are you have is an earpiece, a lavalier mic, and the camera. The host is in another building or city or country. About six years ago, many media outlets became comfortable with Skype interviews. So, we added “laptop communications” best practices to our coaching.
After all, when the objective is to connect, more than 90 percent of efficacy comes from who you are as a communicator – your visual and vocal tools. HOW we communicate is more important than ever now that we have more filters for our message.
What’s easy is that most of the "rules" are parallel whether you're in the same room as your audience or on a different continent.
• Make your background interesting, but not busy. Err on the side of boring. Some platforms now give the option of blurred backgrounds to minimize distractions. If you’re in a more casual setting with familiar team faces, feel free to play with the customized backgrounds. Lots of colleges are pushing wallpapers for video conferencing.
• Eliminate shadows with balanced lighting from in front of you. Face the window, versus having it behind you. Use lamps or clip-on laptop lights. Bad lighting is not only a distraction, it eliminates communicating through facial expression.
• Ensure your camera is eye level. No one wants to see your ceiling while you give off a "staring into a well" vibe.
• Set yourself at a good distance so your shoulders are in the shot. Your face shouldn’t take up the screen, but you shouldn’t be so far away we can’t see you.
• When speaking, look into the camera. Outside of touch (which is both a workplace no-no and impossible on video calls), eye contact is the most effective way to connect with other human beings. A 2019 MacEwan University (Canada) study showed increased skin conductance when eye contact is made.
• Wear appropriate attire. First of all, get out of your pajamas! The age of the conference call is over. We can see you! Also, plaids and tight patterns are enemies of video screens.
• Using your laptop, but not video? MAKE SURE YOUR CAMERA IS OFF! Save everyone a lot of embarrassment.
• Use mic'd headphones to give your voice its best chance. Too often the computer speakers create a feedback loop or a reverb echo that is both distracting and a barrier.
• KNOW WHERE YOUR MUTE BUTTON IS! Be a pro at quickly muting and unmuting your sound.
That net impression is fluid. Every time your team or external partners or professional groups connect with you, they take in a collection of signals. Show yourself as the expert you are. No matter your message, present a strong "messenger.”