Turning your cameras off is turning your customers off...

Let's start with this statement. Working from home is a luxury and a privilege. We have some amazing resources on how to do it right. I've even written a few ditty's on best practices. There are countless blogs and video's on manners, creating better online experiences, interviewing on zoom, collaboration on teams, communication best practices, etc.

Yet, I continue to attend call after call where people don't have their camera's on and folks, it's just rude.

I get ribbed a little because I am always "camera ready." For me, it's more a part of a necessary routine to get ready for my day, be dressed, prepared - it's the transitional ritual (as Erica Keswin calls it) that I need to be effective and focused for my day...

However - it is turning into a differentiator I NEVER anticipated.

Here is how I look at it and maybe you can too before it's too late!

I look at zoom calls like real life face to face meetings. You scheduled a call, much like you would schedule an appointment face to face. You wouldn't show up with a bag over your head would you?

Now now - before you justify your bad behavior, I know there are SOME circumstances, like bad bandwidth where it's "acceptable." However, I think it's now used as an excuse to be lazy. There is no reason you can't begin the call face to face and if connections fail, you move to camera off mode.

More recently, I have talked to a few of my customers who are now setting making buying decisions based on zoom behavior, here is what a handful of my customers told me first hand so you understand how it can make a potential customer, current customer feel when they can't see who they are talking to:

• "I will politely ask them to turn on their camera, and if they don't, I quietly take note and discontinue doing business with them."
• "I feel completely disconnected to the person on the other end of the conversation, it's exceedingly difficult to create a relationship when I can't see someone's face."
• "It's a first impression you can't overcome once you've done it."
• "It feels like they showed up and turned their camera's on when they wanted my business, then when they got it - they stopped caring to show up."

I think the last one hit me the hardest when I heard it. Turning your camera off is equivalent to not showing up. We work too darn hard to get our candidates, customers, partners, etc...the simple act of turning off a camera could simply "turn them off." I'm unwilling to make someone feel like that...

How bout' you? Off or on?