You do all these things because you’re supposed to be a responsible adult but so many of you still look and sound terrible in every video call. I can’t tell how many times I’ve witnessed an executive level person of an AV related company or organization sound and look terrible during an industry interview or podcast. It’s so bad that it’s unusual when they do it well.
I would argue that you are tarnishing your value as a supplier, client and coworker if you don’t get the basics of sound and video correct on a personal level.
Here is a list of things that I don’t want to see or hear including my nicknames for each:
- Only one half of your face because the rest is out of frame. (Abstract Art)
- Only one side of your face because you’re not looking at the camera. (The Profile)
- A dark face because you’re poorly lit. (Witness Protection Mode)
- Way too much space above the top of your head. (Kilroy Was Here)
- Your chin. (The Uppercut)
- An empty conference table with you at the far end. (The Bowling Alley)
- Your laptop microphone. (Speakerphone Mode)
- Your videobar 25 feet away from you. (1/24 Scale)
Face it. Literally. Your laptop camera and microphone look and sound terrible. Your lighting is non-existent. Why are you using the built-in $2.00 microphone and $10.00 webcam to try and sell someone on the need to invest $100K in their conference room?
Promote the value in a quality audiovisual investment starting at your desk – convey your professionalism one-on-one.
I know this can be a vanity issue for some of us. We don’t think we look good on camera, so we turn the camera on only because it’s expected. Speaking as a lifetime member of the Introvert Club, I get it. But as a fellow coworker and introvert said to me, “Preparedness is the best medicine for nerves, so it all began with a simple thought, ‘If I upgrade my webcam, maybe I’ll feel more confident on camera.’” For him it started with a camera that’s popular with content creators. That lead to research on lighting and then what elements were in view of the camera frame. After that came the audio. He now has the best looking and sounding rig in the entire company. Plus, he and his wife started doing podcasts! He’s not even in the Pro AV division, he’s in IT. I might have the edge on him on the audio side, but he absolutely smokes me on the video side.
Lesson: If your IT person looks and sounds better than you, you seriously need to up your game.
Remind yourself that we are in Professional AV and more importantly, that we are in a relationship business. You wouldn’t visit your client in person knowing that you had bad breath so why are you practicing virtual bad breath with every video call?
Camera, lights, microphone and look up the “Rule of Thirds” for subject framing. It’s a “system” not unlike all the various components we put together for a client’s “system”. While it may be on a smaller scale it should be no less professional than the experience we’re promoting.
While we would love to work with you on your next $100K project, we’re no less interested in helping you look more professional on a personal level. This is the AV industry – we’re all in this together.
If you enjoyed this blog, check out Tom’s “Choose Quality AV” blog for more insights.
Tom Kehr
CTS-D, CTS-I, Network+, LEED Green Associate, ISF-C, ATD Master Trainer
In-House System Designer and Trainer
Supported Applications: System Design
