5 ways to look great on Zoom

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It's clear that virtual meetings are here to stay.

So…here are 5 ways to look your best on Zoom.💻

(…or on Teams, Meet, or whatever virtual platform you prefer!)

⚡ 1. Lighting is your friend!

If you’ve ever noticed during a virtual meeting that one of your colleagues looks like they’re in witness protection - that likely means that they are back-lit.

Their light source (lamp or daylight) is behind them.

If you are not hiding from the authorities, put your lighting in front of you, facing you.

You can use a lamp or if you have a window in front of you, you can be lit by natural light. (The only downside is that when the sun sets, you're out of luck.)

I love my ring light.

I have control over my lighting if I'm in a coaching session at night.

And I bring it with me when I travel.

This way I'm well lit when I'm in that make-shift office in my friend's spare bedroom next to the Barbie DreamHouse.

⚡ 2. When you look at yourself in the frame, notice how much headspace there is between the top of your head and the top of the frame.

If there's too much space, you look less powerful.

I aim to have my head about 80% towards the top.

⚡ 3. Do the Goldilocks test on your background.

Is there too much stuff everywhere?

Is there too little going on so that it’s boring and meh?

What would look "just right"? (a plant? a colorful picture?)

⚡ 4. Make your audience feel like you are looking them in the eyes. 👀

Looking people in the eyes is counterintuitive in the world of virtual meetings.

Remember that when you look directly at your camera (if the angle is right), the person on the other end will feel like you are looking right at them.

If you actually look them in the eye on your screen, to them it will usually look like you are looking down.

(Unless you pin that person's frame close to your camera.)

To create a sense of connection, I try to look at my camera when:

💻 People are logging on

💻 I am making key points

💻 Someone is speaking for a while

💻 I’m saying goodbye

⚡ 5. Invest in a quality webcam.

I'm partial to the Logitech Brio. (I'm not an affiliate. Just love it!)

The quality is awesome - very professional.

Enjoy! Experiment with these tips!