Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased usage of video streaming technology – from both the user and producer POV. Most of the producers believe that looking good in these streams helps to lift the company’s brand.
Due to the cognitive load on the brain, it’s harder for viewers to interpret poor video production. Those working in high stake careers, such as lawyers, need to convince people using virtual means at a time like this. And how they are perceived matters a lot to them.
Majorly anyone making virtual sales calls has to portray themselves as professionals to convince clients. When your aim is to persuade people using video conferencing tools, you have to be extra clinical.
Having a professional and clear virtual presentation can make the difference for everyone. This is especially the case for those working in high stake careers.
Background
In these uncertain times, video calls have helped millions keep their jobs and connections. But just what makes it so tiring for many? Is it the long periods of staying glued on the screen? Or is it the lack of professionalism and competency in the video calls? What’s the difference with face-to-face communication?
Here’s the argument – being on a video call requires more concentration than a face-to-face interaction. According to BBC Worklife, using video chats needs one to work harder in processing non-verbal cues. Interpreting the tone, pitch, facials, and even the body language becomes a lot more challenging. Attention to these cues is energy consuming – probably the reason why it becomes so tiring.
Delays of 1.2 seconds in conferencing systems and poor video conferencing tools have made many people perceive the other person on the call as less friendly and low focused. The other huge challenge is silence.
Well, in a natural physical conversation, silence creates a normal break in the conversation. However, the opposite is true in video conferencing, as it creates anxiety and makes people uncomfortable. Breaks of silence in video conferencing normally occur due to poor connections and software/hardware problems.
We have carried out an in-depth research on these problems and created possible solutions or alternatives. Read on for more information.
Alternatives
From the brain experts’ perspective, information from an instructional material, such as in video conferencing, needs to be processed first. And a person’s working memory does this processing.
For the brain’s working memory to operate smoothly, instructions need to be simplified to reduce load. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen much during video conferences and calls. And many end up getting tired with them easily. Some of the possible things that could help include:
Improving Posture
A published research by Inc. suggests that when you slouch, you actually reduce the capacity of your lungs by up to 30 percent. This impedes the free flow of oxygen to your brain. That’s why it’s advisable to sit up straight during a video conference. It helps you think clearly, and also boosts calmness and confidence.
Improving posture can have a massive impact on how the viewer will perceive you in the video call. Get a chair that has amazing lumbar support to enhance your posture throughout the presentation.
Practicing what you want to Say
They say that practice makes perfect. And maybe this is all you need to ace that video conference. When you’re lost for words, you’re most likely going to lose your confidence. And failure to articulate your points will reduce the level of trust from the audience.
Practicing before the conference is undoubtedly the best way to improve performance. Perhaps write down a list of the things you want to say before you go on call. This even helps you to remember everything that you need to cover.
Smiling More Often
Smiling lightens up the conversation – even if it’s a serious one. It helps to create better connections and build trust/confidence. Smiling also makes the video call less awkward and reduces the tension. A warm smile is a measure of kindness in this case.
Avoiding Some Unprofessional Facials
A research by the University of Cambridge showed that nervousness makes some people indulge in unprofessional face-touching behaviors. Some of which include chewing on the lower lip, itching the nose, and smoothing eyebrows, etc.
If you’re the type that fancies such guilty pleasures, then you need to stop ASAP. They make you appear incompetent, less confident, and insecure. To some it may even appear like you’re lying.
The best way to go about this problem is to raise your eyebrows slightly to show interest, and put your best face forward. Keep the corners of your lips slightly turned up to avoid a frowny face, and nod your head periodically to indicate that you’re listening. This helps to make the conversation a lot easier for both parties.
Even though all of these seem to work well in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the video conference, there’s still something that weakens their contribution. And that’s the type of video conferencing equipment. Here are the reasons:
- People will leave a stream that has poor audio. If they can’t hear you, then they’ll definitely not want to stay.
- Poor visuals causes strain to the viewer’s eyes and brain as well.
For these two main reasons, these alternatives may not be the best solution. Yes, they can help to improve the effectiveness of the video conference, but not the quality. And people are still likely to be uncontended with your stream.
Proposed Solution
When you don’t have a quality video production, the cognitive load placed on the brain increases. This is because the brain is programmed in some way (since evolution) to interpret realistic video and audio when you’re standing next to a real person.
Trying to interpret verbal and non-verbal cues, especially when there’s poor quality of video and audio becomes even harder. And this poor quality of audio and video results from cheap and substandard video conferencing tools.
When you’re working in a high stake career, and need to convince people of your opinion, it’s crucial how your viewers perceive and understand you. Take the example of a lawyer trying to win a case for his or her client. How the plenary or virtual court proceeding sees you matters a lot.
Our proposed solution here after in-depth research is that you should invest in high quality video presentation systems. We arrived at this solution after looking at how the brain perceives information (above). And the following benefits of having quality video and audio presentation systems:
- Enhances how well you’re heard. You might be speaking confidently and displaying a good command of the language, but still fail to impress. Without being heard clearly, it’s all in vain.
- When the viewers can see who’s sharing the message with them clearly, they connect and understand better. Even the cues you use for communication will be pointless if people can’t see clearly. Otherwise, they’ll not even take you seriously.
Recommendations
Since the primary factor is to get quality video and audio conferencing tools, worry not as we have the solution. At Vibe Design Group, we will offer you some of the best equipment needed to improve your virtual conference/meeting. We pride ourselves in state of the art tools used by the biggest names in the industry.
Whether you’re a law firm, or any other high stake career, you’ll definitely benefit from using quality video conferencing tools.
