{"id":10256,"date":"2020-04-09T17:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T07:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smithink.stackedsite.com\/?p=10256"},"modified":"2020-04-09T18:08:41","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T08:08:41","slug":"watch-that-little-red-dot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smithink.com\/2020\/04\/09\/watch-that-little-red-dot\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch that little red dot (reprise)"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago I wrote this piece about the need to develop new skills to be able to present effectively to a camera. In this time when so many are working remotely, the skill is even more important than ever. It\u2019s worth another read\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you dread the request to have a video Zoom, Teams, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts Video or some other video session with a client? Many don\u2019t feel comfortable with the medium. Talking to a camera is like talking to a dead fish. It\u2019s also complicated by the fact that the technology often doesn\u2019t meet its promise. Sometimes video quality can often be poor due to connectivity issues and audio can also be impacted as video chews up the available bandwidth.<\/p>\n

Well the news is both good and bad.<\/p>\n

The good news is that we\u2019re going to see over time a collision of technologies that will significantly enhance the video calling experience. Imagine:<\/p>\n\n\n

  1. Your workstation or office wall becomes a 3D (without glasses) Ultra High Definition screen equipped with high fidelity sound.<\/li>
  2. You are connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN) delivering gigabit connections. Yes, you will get it one day! <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    All of a sudden video communications takes on broadcast TV quality as good as sitting across a table from someone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That brings me to the bad news – once this happens it is likely that its use will explode. I suspect business travel may reduce as a result. (Of course COVID-19 has changed the game with an explosive increase in use and the death of business travel. The question for the post COVID-19 era will be whether or not these changes will be permanent). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now many will be saying\u2026.no way. I still need to meet face to face and to a point that is true. Depending on what you read, 60% or more of human communication is non-verbal (eye contact, facial expression, posture & gestures etc). So meeting face to face is more powerful as you\u2019re more able to pick up these nonverbal cues. This is all very well until like now with COVID-19 you have no choice. Now the question is – how do I get the most from these remote communications technologies). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, with technology delivering much greater clarity this will surely change. Communicating with someone in 3D in ultra high definition with high fidelity sound you will be able you to pick up these nonverbal signals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now the really bad news is – not only will you be able to pick up these nonverbal signals so will the person you\u2019re communicating with will too as they look at you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So now comes the challenge. It will be a requirement that everyone in business becomes comfortable with this medium and can ensure they are effectively communicating and conveying the right impression. These skills need to be learnt. Talking to a camera is very different from talking to a person. There\u2019s no reason why you shouldn\u2019t start now. (in fact with COVID-19 you have no choice<\/em>). Consider the following. Firstly the technology:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Have you got a place that is free of background noise? This noise can be very distracting and make it hard to hear.<\/li>
    2. Do you have a high-quality microphone? Lapel microphones are best. You want the sound to be as clear as possible. The further you are away from the microphone the more likely there will be an echo or lower quality of sound.<\/li>
    3. What about your webcam? Built-in webcams are often fairly low quality. Higher quality webcams are high definition and can auto-adjust for lighting conditions. <\/li>
    4. Have you considered lighting? Buying some video lights doesn\u2019t cost a lot but can make a big difference. Shadows across the face or being generally dark is not a good look. Make sure you don\u2019t have something bright behind you as that darkens your image as the camera adjusts for the light. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Secondly, consider how you\u2019re presenting. Consider the non-verbal cues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Eye contact. The common mistake is to look at the person on your screen. You actually need to be looking at the camera. It requires practice but when you\u2019re talking looking down the barrel of the camera it gives the impression that you\u2019re looking at the other person. Equally when they\u2019re talking try to focus on the camera rather than their face on the screen. <\/li>
      2. Posture and gestures. Set your chair and find a comfortable position where you\u2019re sitting straight. Sitting with one leg forward and one back can straighten you up. Be careful with gestures. Big expansive gestures don\u2019t really cut it in the video world. If you\u2019re like me you may need to scale it down a bit.<\/li>
      3. Facial expressions. Try to be as natural a possible. Visualise that the camera is the other person sitting across the table. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Then practice makes perfect. You\u2019ll then be ready for communicating in this COVID-19 world<\/em> and the rest of that 21st century as you keep your eye on that little red dot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Do you receive our monthly newsletter? If not,\u00a0enter your details here<\/a>\u00a0and be the first to receive our monthly updates on the accounting industry.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        A few years ago I wrote this piece about the need to develop new skills to be able to present effectively to a camera. In this time when so many are working remotely, the skill is even more important than ever. It\u2019s worth another read\u2026 Do you dread the request to have a video Zoom,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":963,"featured_media":10982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[32,33,34],"yoast_head":"\nWatch that little red dot (reprise) - Smithink<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smithink.com\/2020\/04\/09\/watch-that-little-red-dot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Watch that little red dot (reprise) - Smithink\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A few years ago I wrote this piece about the need to develop new skills to be able to present effectively to a camera. 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