May 4, 2020The Secret to Looking Good on Zoom

On Zoom what people really want from you, isn’t perfection; it’s consistency. This holds true before, during, and after a pandemic.

Your team wants to consistently see you as the leader they know and desperately need. Your clients want to see that you can deliver what they trust you do for them, even in the middle of a pandemic. And others in your industry are watching to see how you’ll maintain the positioning you’re branding already has.

Let me preface the remainder of this by saying I realize in many of our houses consistency doesn’t exist right now. In my house sometimes none of my pre-staged, brand-aligned Zoom areas are available due to the number of people working and doing school from the house. Some days you just have to make it work.

However, I share the perspective that for someone who is a leader, consistency is a very powerful tool right now that on most days we can all use.

What does consistency actually look like on Zoom?

1. Show up as your best self. Consistently remind yourself and others that you are someone to watch as you day-by-day figure out “the next right thing.” Get dressed, top AND bottom. Does that mean you wear a suit? A dress? A t-shirt? Depends on you and your business. Do your hair. Put on make up. Create a consistent image with what the people you normally interface with expect and admire you for. Creating a good outfit has never had so much power. Don’t leave that power just hanging in the closet. Put it on and use it to make an impact, feel more like you, and truly be the awesome leader you are.

2. Pay attention to the details. You consistently maintain a certain cleanliness and brand aesthetic in your physical office, so find a background in your home that can mimic that as best you can. Move the furniture. Stage the walls. Clear the shelves. Ensure that your environment presents itself consistently with the image you actually want. Your bed, piles of clothes, and stacks of random books undermine whatever you’re saying, no matter how much you tell yourself, “It’s okay, we’re all at home.” If you’re using a Zoom background just check in with why. If you’re hiding something, fix what you’re hiding. If you think they are fun and are consistent with your brand then rock on!

3. Properly position yourself. Literally. Position your camera so your Zoommates aren’t staring up your nose or at your ceiling fan. If you’re using a laptop find a box to put under your computer to change your camera angle. A good rule of thumb is to have the camera level with your eyes or even a touch higher. Get on Zoom and play with it. This will help you create a standard of where your camera should sit. If you have to Zoom in multiple locations throughout your house test them ahead of time for the camera angle and light source.

4. Have a discussion on Zoom with your team about the image you want the business to put forth while everyone is at home in their virtual office. Lead them through this by reminding your team of your core values. If one of your values is, “We care,” then hopping on Zoom with a client in a wrinkled casual shirt or a messy background sends a contradicting message. Remember this is not about looking perfect; it’s about running the thread of consistency through your new virtual image to ensure you are as strategic as possible with this new client interface. The key to this piece is having a conversation. Don’t send an email. Get on Zoom and practice what you preach as you remind your team what you guys are truly doing together to service your clientele.

5. Do YOU. This is not a game of pretend perfection. This is your opportunity to be strategic about how you want to feel and how you want others to perceive you and your business. Your 10 am Zoom meeting is simply a part of the positioning you are creating for where you want your brand to be today, tomorrow, and 6 months from now.

Now the question is, how do you feel about your business image on Zoom? Do you know how your team is showing up with a client? Are you leading by putting your best self out there, or at least trying to look like your best self? If you want help looking good on Zoom, message me. We’ll find some fun ways to ensure the brand message you’ve worked to build in your physical office shows up behind the screen.