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by Elia Nichols, Public Speaking and Communication Coach

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In a world where conference rooms are often replaced with zoom calls, do you find yourself struggling to connect across a computer screen?

Virtual meetings certainly facilitate business relationships. The problem is, it is very different to communicate and present to others through a screen than it is to present to real people in person!

For this reason, a lot of my clients have said that they don’t feel as effective at doing business through live video, and some have even seen a drop in sales because “online communication isn’t as effective as selling in-person.” Others just feel plain awkward doing business through live video and are desperate to figure out how to make their online meetings and presentations more effective and interactive.

Here are the 7 technical do’s and don’ts of communicating and presenting well in live video!

1. Make eye contact when you are speaking. HOW?! Look straight into the lens! If you have a built-in webcam, it is most likely located at the top of your computer where you might see a the black dot. When you look right at the camera, which absolutely feels awkward at first, the other participants in your meeting experience good eye contact. Believe me, it is uncomfortable and unnatural to look right at the camera and not at the person on the screen in front of you. But it is the only way, virtually, to give the sense that you are looking into the person’s eyes, as you would do if you were having that meeting in-person. Eye contact online = impact! To remind yourself where to look, stick a post-it note next to your webcam that says: “Look Here!”

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2. Don’t bore OR overwhelm with your background: Your background should be interesting enough that you look professional, but bland enough that it is not distracting. Don’t go for the virtual backgrounds or the “blur your background” options that Zoom gives you. They don’t always work well and do not come across as professional. Do put a plant to the left or right of you! Color is visually appealing on the screen, and hey, green looks good next to anyone!

3. Use an external microphone: In Hollywood, there is a saying that, “Good sound makes video look better”. And darn if it ain’t true. Don’t rely on the internal mic inside your computer. Your audience will hear everything around you (including your dog and the construction work going on outside) and it creates a lot of echo. Do use:

• earbuds with a cable

• wireless earbuds

• the single ear cup headset with a boom mic—who doesn’t want to be like Madonna!?

• a desk microphone with stand

4. Know where the MUTE button is!: Mute your microphone when you are not speaking. It is considered common courtesy in the virtual meeting world. When you are giving a presentation, kindly ask your “audience” to mute their microphones. If they need to comment, they can use the chat feature.

5. Light your eyes!: Light your face from the front so that your eyes sparkle. Too bright? Beauty is pain, people! Stage actors get used to bright lights in their eyes. You can too! So, if you don’t want monstrous shadows all over your face, stay away from side and back lighting. Do put a light behind your device, shining directly on your face, or sit in front of a window with nice natural lighting. The LED ring light works wonders as does my 15-year old, 10 Euro flexible Ikea lamp.

6. Center yourself: The human brain likes symmetry. To visually please your audience, frame your face in the center of the screen. Don’t cut your head off, and don’t let there be too much space above your head either. Get close enough to the screen that we see your face well, but not so close that it distorts your image.

7. Eye Level to Camera: Your eyes should be at the same height as your computer’s camera. If your computer isn’t high enough, raise your computer so that the camera is EYE LEVEL. This is much more flattering than having the camera below you looking up at your neck.

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Want a few more tips?

Love thyself!: Accept the way you look and sound on video. Why? Many things on video come across as slightly exaggerated. Your wrinkles look more obvious. Your nose looks more pronounced. Accept this and yourself, and change only the things you have control over.

Choose contacts over glasses: There is nothing more powerful than looking your audience in the eye—especially in the virtual world. Glasses reflect the lights around you and your computer screen, AND this reflection blocks your eyes. If possible, use contacts. If you have to use glasses, get non-reflective lenses.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, do a test run: Try out all the tools you’ll be using (PPT, new software, ring light, new earbuds, etc.) and work out the kinks beforehand! This will ensure you can concentrate on doing what you’re there for: communicating the best of yourself!