V – A – N – I – T – Y is Back………..
Vanity is back according to your virtual appearance, but not in a “Hollywood” presentation kind of way. Vanity is back in a Zoom, ½ suit, touch up my appearance kind of way.
This is the definition of vanity according to Dictionary.com
I don’t know about you, but when I think of the word “vanity” I think of a piece of furniture. I grew up in a household where there was a section of the bathroom dedicated to our Mother applying her makeup and primping her hair. No one was allowed to go near the “vanity” area without severe repercussions. The piece of furniture resembled a credenza but allowed for enough drawers to house makeup, hair tools, hair brushes, etc.
I believe most generations have moved away from “vanity” being a piece of furniture to “vanity” being a state of being, a presence of mind. Hence, the “vanity” setting you can choose with @Zoom.
If you have not clicked on the “Touch Up My Appearance” setting in @Zoom take a moment to test it!.
Take a look to see the setting in real time:
Before and After Using Appearance Touch Up live on Zoom
This setting gives you a “soft” appearance which is actually beneficial for your audience. We are trying to minimize distractions during virtual meetings. With this in mind, providing the best possible appearance when you are on camera is key.
How many of you wear “fuzzy bunny slippers” to attend your virtual meetings? Take our one question poll here!
There are many other elements to consider when trying to limit distractions for virtual audiences. Here are the top 5:
- Microphone
- Headset
- Lighting
- Virtual appearance
- Background
As a professional virtual teams and virtual presentation skills coach, one of the areas of focus this year has been to discuss the fact that we are still “heading to the office” even when we are meeting virtually. More teams are now using cameras than ever before. I find there is a psychological effect on the way I present when I am dressed for work whether or not I am in person or online. Here is a quick quote from someone who agrees with me “In order to maintain consistency in the work day, I never start work without being dressed for work and I have my shoes on my feet! It does not matter if I am working virtually or not. I am still going to work.” James Keil
As a human species we distract easily. Minimizing the distractions is one simple way to increase retention rates in adult learners. If you read this article you will better understand you are competing for over 85 billion neurons in the human brain.
Please join us in the next Genius Lab for Virtual Leaders and Presenters to find out more. Sign up here
**Making lives easier ONE presentation at a time**
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