Look at Your Webcam When on a Zoom Phone Call
Eye contact is not easy for everyone. Now that we’ve been isolated for months, it can be difficult to remember exactly how to interact and act in the presence of other people. For now, the closest of us are work hangouts where you can get a glimpse into your coworker’s quarantine life (and home). When you’re in a group video conference (or even if it’s only one-on-one), it can be hard to remember to make digital eye contact with the other participants in the call, but it’s probably a good idea.
Hold their attention
Just like when you are presenting something or talking to someone in person, you want people to pay attention to what you are saying. While it might seem odd to look at that little circle on top of your laptop or directly into your webcam, you should do it. This will help you connect with your coworkers or audience, and get and hold their attention.
To learn more about video calling, watch the video below:
Talk with your hands (if you usually do this)
Don’t be afraid to talk with your hands, not just peer into your webcam. A recent article in Fast Company gives some tips on how to do this effectively:
Log yourself into video conferencing software to make sure your hands are saying what you think they are saying. Make sure your gestures don’t go off-screen. Move away from the camera to keep your hands in view. A good rule of thumb is your head should be 1/3 of the screen. If you’re using a virtual background, keep the gestures in front of your body, not to the sides. This will help soften the digital halo effect.
Look, the reality is that if you work remotely, you will be videoconferencing weekly (if not daily) and that won’t change anytime soon. It may seem odd to look at your webcam in an artificial attempt to mimic eye contact, but you will have plenty of time to get used to it.