Professional Video Calls – Rock On, 90/10 Rule!

Elisaveta Wrangell
20 October 2020

Since Covid, video calls have become the norm for many of us. There are so many how-to guides and video tutorials out there on how to engage in these calls professionally, that the burning question for me is, Why are so many people still not crushing this??

Quick aside: people notice what you do...

I'll be brief, but first I need to vent just a bit. I am an interview junkie. Not only do I need to stay on top of what works and what doesn't work professionally, but also I just enjoy them. A lot.

What makes one person so engaging, charming, endearing, funny, or otherwise worth listening to, and another a total put-off from the outset for whatever reasons?

Of course the late night talk show hosts are a great resource for interviews. Also Graham Norton, my favorite modern talk-show host, from the UK. And the wealth of marvelous old Dick Cavett shows.

For the record, here's one immediate turn-off: when a guest comes out on Stephen Colbert, Jon Batiste and his band will play some sort of homage that is significant to that person. If that guest blows off Jon Batiste and gives no acknowledgment of the gesture, I've basically already written him or her off. Stay tuned for Tip # 5.

That all may seem like a digression or a lapse of memory as to what I'm supposed to be writing about, as the point is nailing video calls by applying the 90/10 rule, but I promise it's connected.

Since the lockdown, with remote meetings and interviews becoming the norm, I've been paying extra attention to what people do during them—both my clients and the pros (who you'd think would have this down by now even if awakening from a coma—alas, no for a surprising number).

Putting the 90/10 rule to work

The 90% of the effort is installing your platform of choice or necessity, learning how to navigate the various essentials, setting up your gear, and showing up.

The 10% is what will really make you stand out. So here goes.

1 Put on something professional looking at least from the waist up.

And if this is the route you're taking, don't stand up. And comb your hair. Mostly we don't have to wear business attire, but every guy has a button-down shirt, and every woman knows how to upgrade from a t-shirt without going overboard.

2 Raise your device so that you are looking straight ahead or slightly upward.

Use a stack of books, or a box, or hoist a foot stool onto the surface where your device is. It's a fair dupe for a face-to-face conversation. You are not looking down into a well to see if there's any water in it.

3 Look at the camera when you're speaking, not at the screen.

This one's tough and requires some practice. I've taped hand-drawn eyes on either side of my laptop's camera. It helps me to focus since we all really want to be looking at the screen, as that's where the other humans are. Making “eye contact” with the cold camera will help people establish the illusion that you're looking directly at them rather than somewhere in the region of their newly larger tummies, thanks to the lockdown.

4 Turn off your microphone when you're not talking.

If you live with others, or have a noisy pet, or are in a room where loud delivery vans or scooters sometimes hover outside your window, this will create a lot of distracting and annoying clamor for your fellow call participants. Yes, it's a pain, but as with all learning curves, you'll manage eventually.

5 Acknowledge the other people in the call.

This goes back to Jon Batiste and his band. If someone has made a comment, acknowledge it. If someone seems to be shy about engaging, perhaps you can think of a good question to get that person active in the conversation. If you are that person who has a hard time engaging, prepare a relevant comment or question before the meeting starts. Let people know who you are!

Seeing ourselves on camera makes a lot of us really self-conscious, so we end up spending wayyy too much time thinking about how we look, rather than paying attention to the other people in the discussion.

6 Do a background check.

Avoid having lots of space or succeeding rooms in your background. It's distracting and a little off-putting, and makes people feel like they're watching Russian Ark. It also takes their attention away from you and what you're saying. Try to set up somewhere with a wall or shelves behind you. It creates more intimacy.

That's it. None of it is overly complicated or requires any special equipment, and by putting in that extra 10%, you'll shine!