How To Make a Powerful Impression On Video Calls!
Do You Have E-Charisma on Zoom?
Two weeks or maybe six. That is how long I thought this would last. This lockdown thing. I was wrong. Obviously. 16 months ago everything stopped. On that Monday in March 2020, life as we knew it - ended. Only we didn't know it then.
So how do you work from home, work out, talk to your parents, connect with your friends, see your doctor (I was 5 months pregnant at the time), celebrate a birthday and make sure your son stays connected to his friends and sees his teachers - all while in a pandemic?
The most common answer to all the above was: Zoom.
Within days everyone stumbled onto this platform that went from “good to have for a few work purposes” to “cannot live without it” in practically no time. It was mayhem while everyone tried their best at getting an idea on how it works, figuring out what can be done with it and most of all how to mute and when to unmute and where the hell the button for that even was.
It was the wild wild web west of the Zoom-Universe. We all had to learn a whole new skill: how to be authentic, present, funny, eloquent and charismatic through a friggin’ webcam.
Everyone handled it differently. My son would just leave the room when he was bored by a call with his class and left me to do the arts and crafts assignments. I got pretty good at making an easter basket out of a sheet of paper. Just saying. My son could not have cared less. He was three at the time - so he got away with it. For the rest of us - we had to stay on. And make it work.
“It is just Zoom, come on, nobody does it perfect” - was what we told each other. And that was true, in the beginning. I mean even the professional TV people messed it up without a crew setting up their cameras and lights properly to make their living room look awesome, and their bookshelves beautiful. So who were we to even try to look great and own this video call thing, right?
Right. For a hot minute. Then it was time to catch up and get on it. Ring Lights, Tripots, portable Laptop Desks suddenly became the IT pieces of the hour.
We have the tools, but how do we get the most important ingredient right, the one thing I can not buy on Amazon? How do we make a powerful impression - virtually? How do you boost your charisma on Zoom?
The good and bad news is, that In-person Charisma does not help on video. That is bad for all of those who were used to dominating a room by their sheer presence, their booming voice or engaging character.
E-Charisma can be learned!
It is good news for all those who felt they never had a shot at that because they were more on the introverted or shy side. With the end or at least the major change in the in-person meeting era we started with a blank page so to say. Because E-charisma can be learned by everyone. We are all the same in front of that little camera. So use this chance wisely.
There are a ton of little tricks and hacks on how to make it work - on how to be zoomazing. Enough to create a mini course about it :).
You can get it here.
For those in a rush and desperate need:
Here are my Top 3 hacks to keep in mind for any call!
- Preparation is key. The time you will have to say your piece will be short. And even if no one is stopping you and you can talk forever, chances are you will ramble and bore everyone to death. Or just as bad - your message or important point will get drowned in all the talk. If you walk into this with no concept or list of bullet points you will tank on every level. So: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Know what you want to say and put the most important thing first.
- Be Present & Mindful. Once on the call make sure to sit straight and keep your face in the middle of the screen. You are on the call - not your bookshelf, living room, or ceiling fan. Be aware of the backdrop - the calmer it is, the more everyone will focus on you and what you are saying. Try to look into the camera as much as you can, that will make everyone feel like you are speaking directly to them and will make the whole thing a lot more relatable!
- Know the Rules. After a year of video calls we should all know the etiquette, but it seems some are still not playing nice. So here it goes again: a.) Mute yourself the moment you come on. b.) Keep your camera on as much as possible. People will wonder what you are up to, and it is rude to the person talking if he only stares at black boxes. c.) Do not multitask while on the call. People can tell when you are typing away or posting on Insta while the rest is working. Be present please.
Yes, it does feel like a whole new set of skills we have to learn. But it also means we can get a meeting done from our kitchen table and have more time for everything else.
And most of all, we can't help it anyways, right? So we might as well make the best out of it - and ourselves - on those calls.
I am currently training several entrepreneurs in topics surrounding video work, camera confidence and the ideal storytelling. From Facebook Lives and Instagram Reels to course videos and image films - there is no limit to what you can do with your smartphone by the way. As long as you do it! 2020 taught us a lot of things, one thing being - if you have something to sell, a product or yourself - you need to be on video. It is the best way to get your message out, gain followers and promote your brand. And yes, you are a brand the moment you go on instagram hoping to get more followers. So make sure you get on camera and put yourself out there.
And if you feel like you need some help with that - feel free to reach out. I am happy to jump on a free strategy session to figure out how I could serve you and your goals.
So go out there and zoom, film, reel and TikTok on. It is what we do in 2021.
And you can do it too!
