Be A Virtual Hit - Part 1

Suddenly more people are working remotely than ever before. If you listen to some, this can be difficult and challenging. I have been working remotely for about nine years. Yes there are challenges, however there also are some real advantages to working from home. I am eager to share what I have learned and feel that with some practice, you may never want to go back to the office again.

DO

Ensure that you have a consistent top notch internet connection. We have all been on a smooth running VC, when along comes "Bob". His audio is cutting in and out, his face is frozen in an awkward expression- any chance for Bob to exude gravitas is out the window. Now future calls involving Bob are filled with a sense of dread and uncertainty. Don't be like Bob! If your connection is not strong, call your provider and ask them to troubleshoot/optimize. Often equipment needs to be upgraded and/or replaced. If they are not able to help, change providers. If VC is the vehicle of the future of office communications, your internet connection is the gas- have a lot of fuel.

Observe your VC space (how the camera sees you). Ensure that the top of your head is close to or at the top of the frame of the video screen. You should consider installing an external camera vs. laptop camera as the laptop camera often will result in an unfortunate "up your nose" angle and sometimes is too close to your face. Quality in this case counts - I am currently sporting a Logitech HD camera that is excellent and perch it above the larger widescreen monitor connected to the laptop. The monitor is on a movable platform in front of my desk. position the speaker or whatever you want to look at (multitasking) right below the camera

Think as well about what else is seen in the frame. I like to have a few rotating concert promo posters behind me. Yes, my face is wildly entertaining, however day after day even the best of mugs can wear thin.

Sneak a couple of items of curiosity onto a bookcase or your desk. They should be items that are close to you and also may inspire some interest from other participants (example, I have fly tying gear and D&D books in visual range- these items have evoked some humanizing conversations).

Lighting is important as well. Both what is in your face and behind you matters. I have a good supply of natural light coming from in front of me. Additionally I have set up overhead lighting as well as adjustable track spotlighting. Most of the time the track lighting is best as it is angled toward my face vs. coming down from the ceiling (which can create odd shadows and -in my case- an overly shiny head).

Maintain eye contact with the video camera. Be sure to have the camera as close to eye level as possible. In addition, make sure that the lighting does not put your face in a shadow, for example, by having your back to a window on a sunny day.

To show some flash you may consider some colorized lighting. I installed a Philips Hue track light strip along the back wall of my office which can be programmed to any color. I like to change it up from day to day just to communicate that I am always in motion to the viewing audience.

Sound is also important. There is little more distracting on a VC than extraneous sounds. I have heard whirring fans, keystrokes, notification chimes, barking dogs, heavy breathing, the sound of someone eating, someone ordering a drink at Starbucks, one time I even heard someone tell his kids "you need to go potty before mommy takes you to school". My point, the mute button is your friend!. Please share your most notable "Mute Fail" incident in the comments section. For sound, it is best to use an external microphone/ speaker setup. Air Pods connected to your laptop by Bluetooth work well. alternatively you may consider going big and procuring a professional mic setup. The external setup helps eliminate the keystroke sounds and other computer distractions.

DON’T

Don’t breeze through your morning grooming routine. Often a video conference will bring out even more flaws than face-to-face, so be diligent!

Don’t fall in love with your own image. If the option is available, once you have confirmed that your face is framed front and center, turn the self-view off, as it can be a distraction.

Don’t yell, unless asked to speak up. Assume others can hear you just fine.

Don’t allow occasional unexpected distractions to rattle you. We are all in this together and facing the same challenges. If a pet or child or spouse ends up slipping into the camera's view it is not a tragedy. In fact, these cases tend to serve to humanize and strengthen the perception of you. There is challenge and opportunity in this future of work. Whether you are in it for the long haul or just for short term do your best to ensure that you are set up for success. Like this article? check out Be a Virtual Hit - Part 2