How on earth could your webcam affect your success?
How could knowing how to correctly set up your webcam help you out? Let’s have a look.
We all know that first impressions are very important in any area. We tend to remember most what we saw first and last in any sequence of events.
Unfortunately it is rare that we get the chance to correct a negative first impression. And we know that positive first impressions will lead to a good social experience and a negative one will lead to prejudice and discord.
When we’re out and about in the world, intent on meeting people at meetings or events we tend to have much higher standards on our personal appearance. We also focus more on our initial greeting and introductions. And there are many courses and even coaches out there with the sole focus on teaching you the art of the best first impression possible.
How could knowing how to correctly set up your webcam help with this?! Let’s have a look.
The webcam, another tool under your belt.
Many factors influenced the rise and need for a good webcam, most recently the worldwide pandemic which has us all working from home. But overall there has been a global rise in online meetings, due to remote working and an increase in international teams.
I can’t say what the ratio is between in-person and online meetings is nowadays but online meetings have definitely seen a large increase. Even amazon were out of stock for webcams for a while… Speaking of stocks have you seen the price of a Zoom stock recently?!
Now, at a face to face meeting you have many things to use to analyse the situation, body language, postures, agitation. It is easier to get a sense of the other person and an overall feeling of how the meeting is going. At an online meeting however, it is hard to read these social cues and so, other factors tend to affect how we perceive others and how we are perceived.
Who likes to struggle to understand what the other person is saying or having a conversation with a block of pixels or an obscure shadow man?
Why does your webcam set up matter?
Imagine you’re meeting someone for a job interview online, or you’re trying to sell a product to prospective clients. What do you think they will appreciate more? A bright clear image of you, well lit, in focus and in a professional looking environment. Or a dark blurry block of pixels…
It might not seem like much but it makes a difference in that crucial first impression. As well as making the whole meeting a much more pleasant experience, where the people in attendance are not internally irritated every time you speak as they cannot understand or see you properly.
How to correctly set up your webcam?
Lights!
First things first and most important of all. Lighting. Just a difference in lighting can have a huge impact, all the rest can be perfect but if the lighting is wrong it will ruin the whole thing.
Ideally you want a diffuse natural light source coming from in front of you slightly to one side. A window to the outside world is perfect for that. Just avoid any direct sunlight to avoid harsh shadows and for your own comfort. It doesn’t need to be sunny for this to work and often an overcast sky works better.
It does however need to be day time. If it is night time then consider finding some additional lights. This could be your bedside lamp that you bounce of a white wall in front of you. Or you could buy some lights for this purpose, like these LED Lights that are quick and easy to setup and use.
Camera!
Nowadays most of you will be using an inbuilt webcam in your laptop or have a pretty decent one anyway, and you will see that if you correctly set up your webcam you don’t need a better webcam. If I’m wrong and you’re still using an old potato to film yourself then go buy one of these logitech webcams, Here or Here.
Then it’s often a case of framing it right, make sure you have a full shot of your Head & Shoulders and that your camera is facing you at eye level. Yes, you might need to stack a few books under your laptop but trust me it’s worth it. Or buy a laptop stand. Make sure that you have enough space to move around a bit. If you’re presenting and love to move your hands a lot don’t hesitate to back up a bit to get more of you in the shot.
And then lastly, clean up your background. Make sure it is clear of clutter and that it’s not too distracting. Not necessarily saying to just be in front of a white wall but maybe plants or something simple. It’s time to bust out those succulents on a shelf!
Now that’s mostly it on how to correctly set up your webcam but let’s have a look at some other bonus tips that go hand in hand with your webcam.
What else is needed once you know how to correctly set up your webcam?
Sound!
What about your sound? Can you point out right now where and what is your microphone? If you can, good job and you’re probably a step ahead. If you can’t, well you might have been lucky with your sound, or maybe nobody dares to tell you otherwise. Microphones come in many shapes and sizes and often the on that comes with you laptop is well… Not that great.
Now before I suggest going to buy one, obviously test yours, record yourself and speak as you normally would when you’re on camera or ask someone to give you an honest opinion or feedback. If they start with “Well… It’s not that bad” you might want to look into it deeper. Depends on your budget but these are some good quality options. This microphone from Rode , and, this microphone from Blue yeti. A bit on the expensive side but they work, don’t take my word for it. Check the ratings!
And still on the sound side, might as well make it nicer for yourself as well and limit any chances of feedback between your speakers and your microphone. Wear your headphones! I’m sure you have a nice pair of noise-cancelling headphones or even some in-ear headphones if you don’t like the bulky look. You can even go for the full on Apple look if that’s your thing.
Internet!
Last but not least check your computer has everything it needs to perform it’s best. Background apps & notifications closed or muted. No pending updates, that your camera is actually good enough and that your camera is charged. Most important of all… Check your Internet connection, It’s not all about download speed, check your upload speed and use a wired connection if you can. Not a good start if you are having connectivity issues during a job interview.
Now go and try it out!
Action!
Trust me, it makes a huge difference. And at the very least if you don’t believe me, can it make it worse to follow at least some of these tips? Probably not, so take 5 minutes now, take a screenshot before and after you’ve tried and let me know in the comments how it looks & if you have any other tips on this matter or just get in touch using the contact form.
If you want to learn even more, of course, feel free to check out my course on Virtual Events!
Nearly finished off with a “smash the thumbs up button”… Too much time on Youtube!
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