How To Look Your Best in an Online Meeting

Do you feel like you spend your days in one virtual meeting or another? You may just have a few weekly meetings, but these video calls can make you feel unsure of yourself. First, you shouldn’t worry about your appearance on your calls, but you can do a few things to make yourself feel more confident.

Make Sure You Are Camera Ready

As a remote worker, do you work any part of your day in your pajamas or comfortable clothes? You can feel more focused and productive if you follow the morning routine you had when you worked in person. Put on a nice shirt, add a bit of makeup if you wear it, and run a brush through your hair.

Then, whether you have a scheduled virtual meeting or have to jump on unexpectedly, you always look great. It may take a few minutes to comb your hair, check your face, and straighten your shirt, but it won’t take long. You should also pull your hair out of the way of your microphone if you wear a headset.

Colors To Wear & Avoid

Another of the tips for virtual meetings involves what you wear. Choose flattering, professional clothing. You don’t need to wear a three-piece suit, but a nice shirt in a color that flatters your complexion. If your skin tone is dark, choose lighter, brighter colors. Consider deeper tones, such as black, grey, deep blue, and purple, if your skin is light-colored.

You should also wear colors that contrast with your background. You don’t want to blend into your walls and look like a floating head. Consider wearing a shirt with one or two colors, and avoid busy patterns. These clothing items can distract your call attendees. You should also consider choosing colors and clothing items that support your brand.

Ensure You Have Good Lighting

Use lighting to highlight you correctly. Natural light is always best, so position your desk facing out a window so the light shines back on you and is behind the camera. If you cannot position your desk in front of a window, you should create flattering lighting.

Avoid positioning lights behind you and in front of the camera. This washes you out and can distort your face and body. Avoid only using an overhead light because this can cast shadows down onto you. You should have two points of light, one on the ceiling and a desk lamp positioned behind your camera. However, two lights behind the camera shining on your face would be better.

Invest in a Professional Virtual Background

Another of the virtual meeting tips includes investing in a professional virtual background. First, you don’t have to worry about your office's appearance, and try to clean up before virtual meetings if you have a professional background. You can also invest in a background that reflects, reinforces, and promotes your brand. These investments also impress your attendees and demonstrate your professionalism.

A virtual background also creates consistency among you and your team. They encourage your audience to focus on you rather than the items behind you in your office. These backgrounds are also easy to install. Virtual background investments pay for themselves.

Avoid Clutter & a Noisy Space

After you learn how to look your best in a Zoom meeting, ensure your environment looks its best. Choose a background without a lot of noise and clutter. It should be simple. You can choose a background that looks like an actual office or something simpler with your logo on a single color or blurred pattern. You don’t want your audience to focus on your background instead of you.

When you follow these tips, you will look your best during your virtual meetings. Take a little time and invest in yourself and your business.