Zoom Mastery in 14 Steps

Ready to level up in your online meetings?

Over the years, I’ve gathered a bag of tricks that I teach in training sessions for a wide range of CEOs, celebrities, innovators, and others to help prepare them for interviews, speeches, and presentations, both online and IRL. 

Some of these are fundamentals. Others are more in the pro-tips category. Don’t get overwhelmed, though. If you can adopt even a few of these best practices, you’ll be way ahead of the game.

To begin with:

1. OK, yes, obviously, keep your pants on, haha. We’re going to go a notch above that level here.

2. But, really, visuals are important. So set up your stage. Camera lens should be at eye level. Take a screenshot or use PhotoBooth beforehand to ensure your background is clear and you’re the focus of attention. Neutral or blank is better than an unnerving tableau of your favorite tchotchkes. Eyes should be on you, not your Victorian-era porcelain doll collection.

3. No matter how important or brilliant you may be, try not to look too much like Slavoj Žižek. Wash and brush your hair. If you must wear a t-shirt because you’re the CEO at a tech company, pick one from the hamper that’s not wrinkled. Sit up straight.

Get your tech tight:

4. Step into your spotlight. The very best lighting is when you’re directly facing a window on an overcast or foggy day, or with sunlight streaming through a sheer drape. Buy a ring light if you don’t have access to a window, and for use after sunset. Make sure more light is on your face than on the wall behind you. Even better if the wall is an off-white.

5. Don’t be that person who sounds like a scratchy, warbling Victrola. Check your sound. Do a test Zoom with a friend to make sure you’re coming through loud and (crystal) clear. If you’ve got a Mac, I find my EarPods work quite well. Otherwise, there are plenty of USB mics you can buy at a reasonable price and then write off as a business expense.

6. Make sure you’ve got a strong internet connection that won’t be impeded by a lot of open programs and apps. In fact, take the time in advance to quit all nonessential items and restart your computer to get rid of that junk running in the background that might be a drag on your bandwidth. Pro tip: Yell at the kids to turn off Netflix.

When it’s your thing:

7. If you’re the one presenting, whether for colleagues, a board or investors meeting, or a sales pitch with a new prospect, reconsider your standard approach. First of all, that great powerpoint you’ve worked on is not the meeting. If it were, then you could just email your deck or send them a video. The purpose of a meeting, even a virtual one, is to get a desired outcome via human engagement. Think about what you can do to get off script and prompt interaction.

8. To reinforce that you’re not just reading a script, mix things up. Make it a living experience that couldn’t happen except in real time. Flip to a digital whiteboard to sketch an idea (Note: a pen tool is much better than your trackpad, which tends to produce kindergarten scribbles). Shift your position when you’re on camera, move closer or lean back or stand up to make a point, you can even walk offscreen for a second to bring back something to show. In the middle of a powerpoint, switch it off, appearing again face-to-face to talk through a section, to float a question, or — better yet — to tell a quick story that makes the next point. As much as possible, choreograph and practice these dynamic adjustments beforehand to ensure it all plays smoothly. Too much jumping around and they’ll think you had one too many lattes. In sum, presenting is like jazz: an artful blend of improv and structure.

9. When you get a question, it should never feel like an interruption. Instead, jump on it with relish. This is really Sales 101, but it’s even more important in a teleconference, when so many of the cues to our audience’s interest and reaction are lost. Questions present a golden opportunity to shift gears, home in on a critical point, or simply cut to the chase.

10. Keep it short. An hour is an arbitrary standard for a meeting. Just because you have the time calendared, doesn’t mean you should use it all. Be considerate: Do you really need to suck up every one of those minutes of someone else’s precious life? Also, be warned that people have limited attention for anything that doesn’t clearly deliver value. Be efficient: Sort out what you can send before or after, rather than wasting group time running through lists or delving into non-essential elaboration. Be disciplined: Ruthlessly cut as much of the powerpoint as you can (But keep those extra slides at hand in case the topics arise). Stop an hour meeting 15 minutes early, and people will think you’re efficient. Wrap it in 30, and they’ll bless you.

So you want to be a teleconference star?

11. Once you’ve checked that your stage is set and you’re wearing pants, close your email, close Facebook, stop texting. Be totally present. If there’s one thing your colleagues will appreciate in this hyper-distracted multitasking era is your full attention. Perk: It’ll save you some dignity when suddenly asked a direct question and everyone suspects you were busy arguing with a villager in AnimalCrossing when you lie, “Er, you broke up a bit just now, Olivia, I think I missed part of what you were raising there.”

12. Look into the camera. Stick a post-it note next to the little camera lens to remind yourself. Eye contact in Zoom is not something that comes naturally, because the lens is offset from the individual display frames. So if you’re looking right in their eyes on Zoom, it actually appears to them like you’re looking down at your notes, or at their stomach. And who wants people staring at their belly, especially these days? And stop looking at your own face onscreen. If you’re like most people on Zoom, you’re probably glancing at yourself frequently without even being aware. Hide your display image from yourself (here’s how), and that’ll solve it.

13. Here’s another secret to the power of your eyes. Keep looking into the camera, even when you’re just thinking. When you’re in mid-sentence and pause to mull an idea, without realizing it your eyes often lift up to the ceiling or glance to one side. This takes you away for a moment, it makes people sense you are only half with them. Instead, for that moment of reflection aim your eyes right at the lens. People will see the gears turning. They’ll feel the tug of your personal power. Strangely enough, they’ll actually feel a bit more ownership in the ideas you then voice. Try it, it’s kind of a Jedi mind trick!

14. Smile. This is so simple, but it’s also one of the most powerful tactics you can deploy to level up your Zoom game. In my media trainings for television interviews, I always make sure to teach the power of smiling. On TV, a frown or flat affect is amplified, it’s like ugly juice. A smile, on the other hand, makes you look confident and more attractive. Same goes for video conferencing — and it’s worth another post-it note in your line of sight to remind yourself, SMILE. When you’re smiling, people will better enjoy their time with you… and in fact will be more persuaded by your ideas. This is peer-reviewed science, folks! Caution, though, bigger is not always better. Oh, and smiling makes you feel nice, releasing magic chemicals that will give you a boost of well-being and even benefit your health.

Most importantly, smiling can be contagious. And that’s just the kind of plague we all need right now.

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