Making One-on-One Video Call Difference

When I happened across this opinion, I instantly thought two things.

They - silicon valley royalty by all accounts - are blissfully in the dark about how to make such entry-level yet fundamental videoing count. With added dollop of also believing - in keeping with much of his coding brethren - typing messages far superior.

Sadly it is precisely this dismissal of the medium that presages the underpeformance that failing to properly engage with such video calls causes. If you think that same way you are holding yourself, your results, your ambitions back.

Allow me redress this misperception.

Let's first put a flagstone in place.

A driving force behind making the most of video meetings is that overall, you can do fewer.

The above does touch on a vital facet. When you start to truly fly, you know how to match the medium to the meaning. Which is that what you want to achieve from the transaction drives the method through which that get-together occurs.

If that's a good old fashioned phone call, terrific. Pedeconferencing too, so beloved of TV procedurals from traipsing along the corridors of power through walks shared to grab lunch to evocative outdoor locale strolls, when apt can be a winner.

When first guiding (predominantly the Sales orientated but others besides) folk through making their videoing work better, one question that I've seen begins to open their eyes is;

'why is this meeting over video?'

Answers such as, 'because we're in different places' alone is not a reason.

Acceptance that you ought only convene a video meeting when its specific desired outcome is uniquely enhanced, enkindled and enabled by being over video is a key starting point.

I note upon scrolling repliers that most heartily agreed with the post. Yet was comforted some brave souls did offer the required counterweight. Hopefully I can help rebalance this ratio. Everyone will be better off.

Consider when video is the determining factor.

Why when one-to-one would live vision allow you to do or achieve something otherwise impermissible.

Some commentors refer to the human need to build rapport or establish relationship further.

Others talk of when needing to screenshare.

And there's a nod to being able to measure a reaction to something. Through body language including microexpression cues. What salespeople have long cited as the importance of seeing 'the whites of the eyes'.

I'll add this covers wanting to gauge reaction to an element of your Proposal. Like when you might first have to deliver any 'bad news' of price.

Barriers preventing two-way video take-up include the distraction of seeing your own face, inability to 'ideate', and as mentioned above preferring to 'pace' around as you speak/listen/think.

All of which are readily surmountable.

Video between two allows any collab - and yes, when you know how this definitely includes brainstorming - to sing.

When the occasion demands, starting to treat certain virtual conversations as an async forum also works wonders. When I show how to adopt the Rembrandt (or Van Gogh, if you prefer) position it often lifts a burden; ie, not forever looking at your screen/webcam, as you're writing or tapping away together. Looking up only as and when.

And there's plenty more circumstances. Such as the classic 8-min vid call to replace otherwise inevitably long lead time email threads.

Overall, if you take anything away from this, it ought be that 1-1 videoing can be a distinctive asset. Understanding how and when will guarantee to take you higher.