Are You Camera Ready for Zoom?

If you’ve been on any Zoomtype meetings over the past 18 months or so, you may have experienced some less-than-professional meetings. Noise. Interruptions. Barking dogs. Crying kids. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

I don’t recall getting so many complaints about how people appear and act on Zoom in a very long time, and after taking some time to listen and evaluate, I am not sure we are heading in the right direction.

Like it or not, the word is out, virtual meetings are here to stay, no matter how much we gather in person and onsite. It’s a newfound way to communicate and is well-engrained in the business and social world. Rather than fight it, let’s maintain a measure of decorum. Here are only a few of many guidelines to help improve your conversations on a Zoom, Teams or whatever you use.

Camera Ready Tip #1

SMILE – There are some folks who feel you can’t hear a smile. That’s not true, and there’s also no way to not be smiling on camera and still look good. No way. Everyone can see if you’re smiling or not smiling; and yes, they can even ‘hear’ it. Show me a picture of yourself you don’t like, and I’ll show you a picture where you’re not smiling. Having a difficult situation? You don’t need to have a geek smile on your face; however, you can keep a slight uprise of your mouth. Not smiling makes you look older and it also makes you not look good! No one looks good when they’re not smiling. It’s that simple.

Camera Ready Tip #2

YOU’RE ON TV – You’re on the air! Sit up straight! Don’t slump. No one looks good when they’re slouching or slumping. That’s very unflattering. Keep your hands away from your face. Don’t lean into your face with your palm. Again, very unflattering. And watch some of your nervous habits. We all have them, but often we’re not aware we’re doing them. Some folks play with their hair constantly. Some folks bite their nails. Others do some really odd things. Be aware. Be aware you can go on Zoom anhour ahead of the meeting and check yourself out. It’s a great idea to do that. Hair ok? Makeup? Background?Leave nothing to chance.

Camera Ready Tip#3

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! – Ahead of time. Practice with a friend or a home companion or even by yourself. Check out all the screen options available to you. This way when you’re on the meeting, you won’t be the one yelling out, “Where is this?” or “How do I do that?” or “I can’t find the mute,” and more. Don’t let a business meeting on Zoom be your first time on camera. You can and should rehearse. Be familiar with the screen and its options; there’s not an actor around who doesn’t have rehearsals. And trust me, do it more than just one time. It’s your protection to be better!

Camera Ready Tip #4

YOUR NAME – Your name will automatically appear on your picture. You can change it to read your company name, or you can add your email address or whatever you’d like. The point is you can change it. You can customize that part as you sign on. Place the curser over your name and you will be able to change what it says. Simply look for the 3 little dots in the upper right on the screen. It has a ‘change name’ option. Again, only if you want to. But it’s a nice thing to know about, before you go on.

Camera Ready Tip #5

BE CREATIVE – It’s obvious if you use the same word over and over and over. Often some folks start with the same word every time they’re called on. They start with “so” (“so this” and “so that”). We don’t need the word “so” starting every sentence. “Well,” is another often-used word to start every sentence. Be mindful, too, of how often you come out with an “umm.” The word “umm” is used as a crutch and not really needed.

Camera Ready Tip #6

MEALS ON CAMERA – No meals. I’ll just be blunt. Don’t eat meals on Zoom or camera during a business meeting. Especially crunchy things: potato chips or anything chomping on loud things. It’s not appetizing to anyone. Loud noises sound 10 times louder when there is a microphone involved. Sometimes even that simple bottle of water makes a big sound. Feel free to use your mute button when you’re drinking. And absolutely no gum. So there!

Camera Ready Tip #7

DOGS & KIDS – Yes, they’re cute – to you. But they are a true annoyance to a meeting. Never fun on any phone call let alone a TV appearance like Zoom. Be prepared. You normally know when you’re going to have a Zoom meeting. Get the dog in another area of the house if you can. And kids – yes, they need attention. Consider trying to get your meetings while they nap or before they get up or after they’re asleep. Most of the barking, crying and extraneous noises are not appreciated.

Camera Ready Tip #8

BACKGROUNDS – Be authentic. Keep it real. Fake is fake. And I’m pretty sure people don’t really believe you’re in Venice or at the beach. Some of the backgrounds can be fun; but in truth, they’re distracting – especially when you try and be funny and keep changing them every five or 10 minutes. Wherever your computer and camera are is normally fine. Remember they can only see what is behind you. So, if your place is a mess in front of you - who cares? Most of the folks who zoom are calling from home and we’re all pretty much in the same boat.

Camera Ready Tip #9

GOOD LIGHTING – Uber important. Keep the best possible lighting in front 9of you. That’s key. You know how when you’re outside, if you’re facing the sun, the picture turns out much better than if the sun is behind you? The faces usually look much darker and difficult to see when the sun is behind you. Same thing on Zoom. Keep good lighting in front of you. You can get a $12.95 LED light on Amazon. Or even most of the ring lights with a camera work great.

Friedman is a popular speaker in the franchise industry and a highly respected customer service expert. Email: Nancyf@telephonedoctor.com. During COVID, call her cell at 314-276-1012 or office: 314-291-1012 (central time) and visit www.nancyfriedman.com. Need a company Zoom meeting? Or a 30-minute RX Shot in the Arm for your team? We’d love to share our tips, ideas, skills and techniques with you and your team.