7 tips to help you stand out on Zoom

Increase your visibility

By having a personal brand at work, you are aiming to be known for various (ideally positive!) attributes such as being a good worker, being super accurate or always getting along well with site staff. Part of having that brand is being known; being visible. Making your hard work and achievements visible is as important as having them in the first place. So how do you increase your visibility? I go into detail about this subject in my online learning course called, appropriately enough, Your Brand.

However today I want to focus on Zoom meetings, given that’s how many of us are communicating these days. Here are 7 tips on how to become more visible on your monthly CRA meeting or indeed any video calls with your colleagues or stakeholders:

1. Turn your camera on

While this can require some extra effort as you need to look professional, turning your camera on is low-hanging fruit if you want to make yourself literally visible and stand out.

2. Light yourself

Make sure that you can actually be seen. A light that is directly behind your camera will work a treat. Having a window behind your computer will also work. As long as a light source is directed on your face, it should work well.

3. Choose a suitable background

Make sure your background looks professional. Ideally you ensure the physical background is neat, tidy and doesn’t distract. While virtual backgrounds are fun for personal calls, they have no place in a work call. If for whatever reason you cannot control your background, then choose the blur option only as a last resort.

4. Make yourself known when you join

When you join a meeting, make a point of saying hello, rather than joining muted or just not saying anything. Naturally this won’t be possible if the host has disabled microphones. Saying hello when you join underlines your presence and makes the call more engaging for you and other participants.

5. Look into the camera

I can’t emphasise this enough as even today I saw this mistake being made by a presenter on a Zoom call. When you speak, look directly into your camera and not your screen. It may be tempting to actually look at the video where you see the person you are speaking to, but for that moment when you speak, look in your camera.

6. Ask or answer a question or share a tip

If you don’t particularly feel like taking the stage to talk about something, it may be easier instead to simply ask a question. Try to come up with some genuine question you have before the call, so that in case nothing comes naturally, you have something prepared that you want the answer to. Either way, any reason to be heard is positive towards people knowing who you are.

7. Use your hands

Set up your camera so that your hand gestures are visible. This makes you connect better with your audience and makes the call more engaging and more “real”.

Summary

The bottom line is that to connect over Zoom you have to turn up some of your normal talking style. Things like eye contact or natural gesticulation are taken for granted in person, but on a video call you have to make a point of making sure you come across as personable and approachable as best you can. The good news is that once you put your mind to it and have a couple of practice runs, it will become second nature.

Let me know if you are already doing some of these things! I would love to hear from you.