If you still find yourself remote working and conducting business over video, it's important that you present yourself as well as possible to your customers.
Top tips:
- Ensure your camera is at eye-line
If you don’t have a laptop stand, you can use books to prop up the camera to eye level. Looking directly at the camera will help maintain eye contact which will make the engagement feel more personal and easier for the customer to concentrate on you and your message
An example of using books to give your laptop height
- Frame yourself well
Sit at about an arm’s length away from the webcam, with your head and shoulders visible. Leave a little space between the top of your head and the top of the recording screen
An example of a good distance
- Face the sun or a light
Sitting with your back to the light will shadow your face and stop your customer from seeing you. To ensure your video is well-lit, sit facing a window, or a light if there isn't enough daylight
Face the window or light source
- Check your background
A busy background can be distracting - or, at worst, embarrassing. Check to see if your background is clear - if not, you might need to take your computer to a different room. If you can de-clutter the background, think about what you put behind you in its place. We love to put a simple plant in front of a white wall behind - it’s a great backdrop!
- Produce better audio quality without background noise
Background noise can be a pain and distract your customer from what you are saying, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Connect smartphone headphones to your computer to use their microphone to reduce background noise
Use your smartphone headphones to reduce background noise
- Ensure your video account photo is professional
Adding a professional avatar to your Google account, or whatever platform you are using, ensures that even if someone can't see your video, you'll still come across professionally
