Okay, I work for WebEx- Cisco-WebEx. Let me be clear that this isn’t a pitch for our tools, but rather some helpful ideas around WebCam meetings in general. Think of this as an experienced Web-presenter’s Basic Tips on Webcam Etiquette…
- Look Good – seriously, comb your hair. Put on glasses so you look “smart.” Have a collared shirt on, at least… Your audience can’t typically see you in excruciating detail (zits? No big deal!) but they CAN see your most prominent features.
- Find Your Good Side - I’m regularly on meetings with people who have bad angles… Some look like they’re on the Space Station with their awkward wide-shot cameras, some noses I can almost see UP, and some people facing an entirely different direction from their camera (perpendicular to it, usually). Look at CNN, see how hosts look are positioned towards the camera. This lets us see the person from a natural, straight-on angle as though we were meeting with them across the table in “real life”
- Get Lit- With cheap webcams or video cameras, light makes all the difference. Without exception these cameras have a slow/small aperture (F-Stop)- they’re mostly plastic lenses combined with very, very small imaging chips. That said, Logitech is my personal favorite brand. I currently use one of these and it’s a great little unit!
- Have a “Set”- Again to take a cue from our friends in cable & broadcast news (they set the appearance standards for professional meetings!) it is important to at least have a nice, clean area behind you. Notice how when lawyers are interviewed on television, they have lots of books behind them- and when reporters are sitting in the studio, there are monitors and producers in the background… It lends some credibility to the speaker. Even if you just have a nice plant, or a couple of framed pictures in the background, put something in there- and keep in mind, this is YOU that’s on display, so this will directly affect how people think of you…
- Smile!- Hey, it seems easy, but we all forget to do it. Show your customers or your colleagues that you’re a team player and you’re happy to be here! People like to see other people smile, and as corny as it sounds, breaking through to your audience with general niceness or carefully positioned humor can really give them a good impression.
- Look at the Camera- While you’re smiling, looking good in your collared shirt and sitting in your private studio (get a sweet On Air light if you work at home, so the husband/wife/kids know when to be respectful of your space) remember to actually look into/at the camera. It’s really the same as looking into your attendee’s eyes- they will think and respond as though you were really talking to them as opposed to an inanimate object that’s sitting on top of your monitor…
And, as always, have fun, and deliver good content to your audience…
