10 #Hacks For the Perfect Video Meeting
Zoom meeting are the new norm and dating apps are recording more action and have given users access to video chats. This is the perfect way to stay connected during COVID-19.
Here’s is How to Have the Perfect Video Meeting
1. Set the scene
It is important to look at where you will doing your video as people will judge you on your environment. Singles are notoriously judgemental, so don’t give them anything extra to judge you on! Clean up the immediate area and make sure it creates a good impression. Set the mood with lighting and for dating use music as well.
2. Camera/Laptop/Phone Position for Video
It is important to plan where you put your phone/laptop or camera when you are doing a video chat. Believe it or not, this will matter more than how you do your hair and make-up.
Lighting matters and it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Use natural lighting or get a light ring they make your videos look grab and you can purchase them relatively cheaply.
The camera angle/positioning makes a huge difference in how you look. You don’t want the camera super close, as few people look great this way. Put the camera at around eye level and move yourself a small distance away.
3. Be a Newsreader
It is important to dress up like you would for work or for a normal date, first impressions count and what you wear matters. However, when you are on camera slightly different rules will apply. Take notice of what the newsreaders/presenters wear and follow their lead. They generally wear block colours that suit them. No crazy patterns – things like spots, stripes and other patterned tops do not video well.
For a newsreader, it’s what’s above the desk that counts! However, be careful of what the camera might show! If you plan on standing up, maybe avoid the pyjama pants or shorts and thongs!
Make the effort with your hair and resist the urge to think anything is ok!
Ladies if you are going on a date your hair matters, in fact, a Match.com survey of 5000 men found the 3 most important things to men about a women’s looks were: teeth, hair and clothes (all things that can be easily changed). Ladies, avoid always tying your hair back or putting it in a bun. Men love hair and want to see it.
4. Makeup for Video
When you take a photo or are on video you will need to change your makeup accordingly. Camera has a tendency to wash people out. Maybe you aren’t a makeup person, yet on camera, you will need some. It is also important to deal with the shine that the camera will highlight. A good foundation or tinted moisture will deal with this, although make sure you blend it in especially at your jaw.
On camera everything can look flat – so focus on your eyes, cheeks and lips. Blush is a quick way to give your face definition, so will lipstick for your lips and mascara for your eyes.
5. Have a Practice Run
Check out how you look and come across on video by having a practice run. You can experiment with the best angle. You can see how your clothes and makeup look. I also recommend getting some feedback from someone of the opposite sex as we don’t always see ourselves as we actually look. In fact, don’t limit it to one practice run. Practice does make perfect. I look back at some of my early videos and cringe! Although the good thing is how I have improved.
6. Filters are your friend on Video
Zoom, Facebook and many other apps offer different filters that will soften the way you look. Play with what works best for you. You can have fun with some of the filters as they have everything from bunny ears to cat faces! Although some might not give the impression you are looking for! I would recommend steering clear of ones that make you look so unlike yourself that people wouldn’t recognise you when you do get a chance to meet.
7. Get in the mood
Get in the right mindset for your meeting by getting yourself into a good mood. This energy will come across on your video chat and create a good impression. Do something to make yourself relax, go with what works for you – maybe have a bath, dance to some music, watch something fun! I also recommend Amy Cuddy’s power poses, which are proven to make you more confident.
8. Be Creative for the Video Date
You don’t just have to sit at the computer chatting, you can be creative with your dates. I have heard of people cooking together, playing music or sharing some activity that they enjoy. It will show your personality to the other person.
9. Be Yourself
Don’t get caught up in being perfect, rather be YOU! I just finished watching The Circle on Netflix and saw how people are drawn to others you are totally themselves. Be authentic about who you are and it will come across. People like others who are real rather than perfects as it is so much more relatable.
10. Set a Timeframe
I recommend you put a timeframe on a video chat when you make the date or meeting. This makes it much easier to end the date/meeting if you don’t click. I do recommend a phone conversation before a video chat as this will show you if you can actually have a conversation with the person. Be curious about the person and be kind.
When you meet in real life it is easy enough to end your date and leave. So, what do you do on a video call to politely end it? I think it is important to treat the date just like any other date. If you are not feeling it, let them know that you have enjoyed the chat but that there just isn’t the chemistry or connection to take things any further. After all, people can be nice people but not the right person for you. It is a much nicer way of dealing with people rather than ghosting them.
If someone behaves inappropriately it is also okay to instantly end the call and even block them. You do not need to accept disrespectful or inappropriate behaviour.
Why not book in a video coaching call to get it right, book here.
Debbie xx
