The new reality of working from home long-term means continuing to use video as a way to communicate with clients, potential prospects, and employees. Google recently announced that it will be keeping their employees home until at least July of 2021. And Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.
So how do you continue to put your best foot forward when your new workspace may be a cramped home office or your kitchen table?
Below are four tips on how to make your next B2B webinar, client meeting, or presentation super polished — even from the confines of home.
1. Your Camera Needs to Be at Eye Level
Take a look at the picture below and you will see why this is such an important video faux pas to fix. How do you feel when someone is talking to you and looking down at you?
Also, how does that person look? Tiny head, big body— you may even be able to see inside someone’s nostrils. Ewww.
Don’t worry, this is an easy fix. Simply lift your laptop or camera. Many of us are using the camera provided on our laptop. If this is the case use a computer stand or a pile of books to lift your computer/camera. The camera’s lens should be at eye level. This gives the viewer the impression that you are engaged and speaking directly to them.
Read more: Why bridging the gap with Sales and Marketing is now more important than ever.
2. Good Lighting
Lighting is a HUGE deal. It can drastically alter what you look like for better or worse. Harsh light or being backlit can cause heavy shadows and make you look unprofessional. It also doesn’t help that the light coming off our computer screens is blue light. Blue light can make things look harsh and unnatural.
So how do you fix bad lighting? Below are some ideas to help you get warm and/or natural light into the picture.
Face a window. Find a spot in your house across from a window. You’ll want diffused, evenly dispersed, and soft light.
Create fill lighting. Set a lamp with a warm hue directly in front of you (off screen of course)— this will help fill-in any shadows and darkness.
If you are willing to invest a little money, there are a ton of lighting options intended just for video conferencing and webinars. These lights either clip to your computer or sit in front of you and have multiple light brightness options, and hue settings to help you create movie star lighting.
Read more: How to use interactive B2B web design to connect with clients and proscpects during social distancing.
3. Quality Sound
Barking dogs, kids yelling, car sirens, people talking. These are all noises that we don’t want in our B2B video conference or webinar. If you are currently only using your computer’s internal microphone for sound, listeners may be hearing a lot of background noise.
Consider using an external component to aid in quality sound. Something as simple as ear buds will reduce how much background noise is being picked up by your computer’s microphone. A headset or a lavalier lapel microphone are the next step up in creating clear, uninterrupted sound. You want people to notice you, not the vacuum running in the hallway.
Read more: Looking for a new B2B marketing agency? Ask these questions.
4. Manage Your Background
See that unmade bed and messy closet in the picture below! That is not the picture of organization and success. Your background is a reflection of you. Make sure things are clean, tidy and professional.
Having a nice piece of art or furniture in the background is always good as long as it’s not distracting. And if you can’t find a nice backdrop or don’t want people to see inside your private space—you can always create a virtual background.
During the pandemic we’ve created custom and branded backgrounds for our B2B marketing clients so that employees have a consistent look and feel when greeting clients.
Using the tips above will help your B2B business look more professional, more competent and in turn build stronger relationships, and garner trust—leading to more leads and sales.
Contact us today for ideas on how to create polished digital presence for your B2B brand.
Read more: Tips for businesses to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic.
