COVID-19 brought with it changes to how we interact with others. Greeting each other with a handshake or a hug is a think of the past. Not only have businesses switched to on-line meetings to replace many face-to-face meetings, but family and friends are seeking to connect on-line as lockdowns and travel restrictions limit our ability to see each other in person.

Since COVID-19 restrictions started, the number of suicides and incidents of domestic violence have increased. And it’s not surprising. Our world has been turned up-side down at the same time as many of our usual coping strategies have been denied us.

We turn to video conferencing as our best option for maintaining a sense of connectivity and belonging.  Yet for many video conferencing leaves them feeling unfulfilled. It lacks the energy and vitality of a face-to-face meeting.

With Melbourne at the start of its second lockdown, how do we change the way we video conference to better maintain a sense of connectivity?

In this article, we start at the beginning with video conference basics.

Being Seen

It might seem obvious, but I have been on a number of video conferences where the person at the other end was difficult to see.

There are three key elements to being seen:

• Lighting

• Framing

• Background

The three need to be considered together so that in fixing one, you don’t cause a problem with the others.

Lighting

You want to ensure that there is light on your face. You want to have the light in front of you rather than behind you, and you may need to supplement natural light or room lights with a standard or desk light that focuses on your face.

Framing

Framing is looking at what other people see in the camera. If you have multiple people at your end of the video conference you want to make sure that they are all in the frame. You want to be able to look directly at the camera without having to look up or down. If you are engaging socially, you may want to frame enough space for you to move around in. Ideally you show all at least your torso and your hands.

Studies have shown that people will trust you less if your hands aren’t showing.

If you talk with your hands, you need to ensure that they show when you are talking with them.

Background

When thinking about your background there are a couple of things to look at:

• Is it appropriate for the type of video conference?

• Is it distracting?

A plain wall is often the best option for a professional video conference, but look for simple things from light patterns to odd perturbations that can be distracting.

While showing your bottle of wine might be completely appropriate for a social conference, it is not appropriate for a professional conference unless you work in the wine industry.

Being Engaging

Ok, so now you have your computer set up just the way you want, and everyone can see you, but unfortunately this isn’t enough for you to achieve a realconnection. Video conferencing takes your engaging 3-D self and replacing it with a series of 2-D still images. It might look like you, but this process takes energy out of your engagements even when you have a good connection. In a face-to-face meeting, the way we walk, the way we greet people, the way we sit and who we interact with first in a room all have a big impact on how we are perceived.  When all other people can see is a torso, the amount of body language and other social cues that people can see is limited, so we need to work harder to get the type of connection we want.

Here are 3 techniques to adding energy back into your video conference:

• Watch your Body Language

• Wear Colour

• Avoid Small Patterns

• Up Your Makeup

• Talk with the visible parts of your body

Watch Your Body Language

Nothing says that you are not interesting in a video conference more that being distracted and having poor body language.

Look at the camera, smile, keep your back upright and your hands on the table or in your lap when not talking with them.

Avoid fidgeting with papers, pens, hair, ears, lips, beards or moustaches.

Wear Colour

There are loads of benefits to wearing slightly brighter colour on a video conference. Start by choosing colours that stand out from the background. I remember watching a professional video clip where the speaker was almost invisible against the background apart from their hair. It was very distracting.

If you are on a professional video conference with lots of other people who are wearing neutrals - the traditional dark suit and white shirt, wearing colour can help you stand out from everyone else - even when you have a bad connection.

If you are using a green screen and the background replacement feature in zoom, avoid wearing clothes or patterns using a similar green - unless you want your background to appear on it. I remember watching a weather presenter on the TV once where the map moved all over his tie as he moved around to give the weather for different cities. It was very distracting and the cause of much amusement.

If you have coloured eyes, a top or topper in the colour of your eyes is an excellent choice as it help focus attention on your eyes, and plenty of studies have shown the importance of eye contact when public speaking.

Avoid Patterns

Avoid patterns when video conferencing. Small patterns are particularly bad as the can distort and swim - remember that even if they are fine in person become even smaller when video conferencing. Avoid herringbone, small dots, fine stripes and checks are particularly bad.

Highlight Your Eyes and Mouth

Video conferencing seems to sap colour, so the aim here is to make is easier to focus on your eyes and mouth so that by making them stand out a little from your face.

The most obvious way to do this is by upping your makeup, but wearing a the right pair of glasses will also draw attention to your eyes.

If you don’t normally wear any makeup, adding just mascara or lip gloss will make it easier for people to focus on your face.

If you normally wear a lot of makeup, just add an extra coat of mascara or eyeliner, and choose a slightly brighter shade of lipstick than normal - but not too bright.

Talk with Your Hands

When we set up your camera we make sure that your hands showed. Now is the time to use them.

Being Polite

There is a different form of social etiquette in video conferencing, particularly when doing it for work.

Here are the most important things to remember, particularly for a professional conference calls

• Log on a couple of minutes early if the call is at a prescheduled time

• Mute you mike when not talking. This stops the video conference call from switching attention to you if you make a noise turning pages or if you need to clear your throat.

• Limit background noise and distractions - turn off the TV, radio and dishwasher and keep small kids and pets in another room unless they are meant to be part of the conference call. My husband got caught out the other day when the cat climbed all over him and the keyboard sending repeated messages to his work colleagues and interrupting the call. 

• Give the conference call your full attention and remember to turn off your video if you need to leave for any reason. There are plenty of stories on the internet of people who forgot they weren’t wearing trousers and then there is the case of the Brazilian minister who showered during a video conference.

Being Professional, Social or Intimate

When adding the final touches on your outfit, think about the purpose of the meeting. Is it professional, social or intimate?

For a video conference where you want to appear professional, such as a meeting with a bank or in a work setting, you want people to focus on your eyes and the area around them.

For a social meeting, you want people to focus on you face and the area between your lips and eyes.

For an intimate conference anything goes.

Appropriate wear for the professional and social conferences depends on how you are framed. When people can see your full body a statement necklace or necktie draws attention up from your feet to your face.  When people can only see your torso or less, then that same statement necklace or necktie draws attention down away from your lips and eyes.

• Necklaces,  scarves and ties should match eye colour.  As people only see you from the chest up, wearing a statement necklace, scarf or tie is the equivalent of wearing statement shoes in the office; it draws the viewers eye away from your face.

• Wearing a top in the colour of your eyes will also help draw attention to you eye region.

The next photo show a more social version of the outfit pictured above. They two images were taken on the same day. The only difference is the glasses and the earrings.

The longer earrings in the image below attention lower on my face. As they are the same colour as my eyes, attention can move freely between my lips and eyes, which is perfect for a social video conference.

The smaller earrings in the same colour don’t draw attention down as much, and the glasses frame my eyes drawing more attention to them and as they match my hair colour, they keep the focus on the top of my face.

This differences would be even more apparent if I had to closely frame my image due to space constraints.

Final Words

I hope you found something useful in these tips. If you have a great tip for video conferencing, I would love to hear it.

Before I go, here is one final tip from me.

• Avoid yellow and orange tops and accessories if you want to be taken more seriously than creatively.  Be careful with red that you don’t seem too aggressive.

References

24 Video Conference Tips,  Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols , Z D Net

5 Body Language Tips for Better Video Conferences, High Five

7 Essentials for Looking Your Best in Video Conference Calls, Jaqueline Whitmore, The Entrepreneur Asia Pacific

How to Look Good on a Video Call, Imogen Lamport, Inside Out Style

The Do’s and Don’t of Video Conferencing, Aliya Chaudhry, the Verge