Video calling is a great way to continue collaborating with your clients and colleagues when you can’t meet in person, such as during the current 'Corona crisis'. Still, we must remain aware of the things that can go wrong. In this blog, I describe the five pitfalls of video calling, based on my own frequent experiences. I’ll also share tips on how to best avoid them.
Especially since the 'Corona crisis', remote working has become fully accepted by both employers and employees. Due to the pandemic and the intelligent lockdown, we were literally forced to work from home overnight—except for some professions where this simply wasn’t possible. We’ve now grown used to connecting with our clients and colleagues through a video screen. And let’s be honest: it works quite well! Although we should stay aware of the things that can go wrong during video calls.
Pacing while on the phone
Let me get straight to the point: I’ve never really been a fan of video calling. The main reason is that I like to walk around while talking on the phone. For some reason, I enjoy pacing back and forth (or in circles) during business calls. And I’m sure I’m not the only one! I often see people pacing—outside of zoos, too. Why is that? Well, I read somewhere that walking during calls is a natural response to the lack of certain stimuli that you do get when speaking face-to-face. To compensate for those missing stimuli, our bodies apparently start to move automatically. Unfortunately, it’s hard to pace around during video calls. Although I’ve seen plenty of people recently doing just that using their phones or tablets. But it still looks a bit awkward. So we’ll just have to wait for smart drones that can follow us around during our walking meetings.
Security issues
I also read many articles warning us about the security issues that come with video calling. That’s why it’s important to always use a tool that is up-to-date and secure—and to always use your common sense.
The five pitfalls of video calling:
1. Less preparation
Do you recognize this? If your meeting is nearby, you’re usually late. But if it’s far away and you have to travel, you tend to arrive way too early. When I have a ‘normal’ appointment, I always prepare for it at home. I do some online research and jot down practical details like the address, company info, and who I’ll be meeting. On the drive there, I listen to a nice podcast or some relaxing music. Meanwhile, I mentally prepare for the meeting: what I want to find out, and what I want to share. By the time I arrive, I feel ready for the conversation. A video call is like a meeting that takes place extremely close by. The travel time is zero. As a result, I miss a large part of the preparation process. One way to fix this is to set an alarm 30 minutes before the meeting starts. That’s when I force myself to prepare mentally—just like I would normally do.
2. No small talk
During video calls, I often tend to skip the small talk and dive straight into the main topic. It’s not intentional, but I think this happens automatically in business video calls. We simply don’t get the opportunity to chat informally or joke around while shaking hands (remember that?), grabbing coffee, or riding the elevator and finding the right meeting room. With video calls, we skip all that and go straight to the point. That’s why it’s important to begin your video calls with 5 to 10 minutes of chit chat or small talk. Get to know each other informally and break the ice. For example, start with a virtual cup of coffee before transitioning into the business part of the conversation.
3. Technical issues
It doesn’t matter how advanced or user-friendly your video calling app is—something will always go wrong. You can’t hear yourself, or you can’t see your conversation partner(s). Or the screen freezes—right at that crucial moment. There’s always a technical glitch that ruins the flow. Which then causes frustration and wastes valuable time. It’s a bit of a cliché, but: to minimize the chance of technical issues, test everything shortly before your meeting. And lock up the cat before it walks across your keyboard. That way, your call won’t leave you with a hangover—just a productive meeting.
4. You miss body language
In video calls, you can see and hear each other—but you miss the subtle nuances. Body language is very important in conversations. How people enter a room, shake hands, sit down, and look at you. In video calls, most of those key nuances are lost. It’s a tough problem to solve but will hopefully improve as we get more accustomed to video calling. Maybe we’ll adapt and our brains will get better at picking up (perhaps different?) nuances that emerge during video conversations—like camera angles or what’s visible (or audible) in the background?
5. Experienced video callers have a big advantage
People who are comfortable speaking in front of a camera have a huge advantage over those who aren’t. Someone who looks relaxed and speaks naturally on camera will likely get the most out of a conversation. While someone nervously staring into the lens might just want the call to be over as soon as possible. If you’re not an experienced vlogger, I suggest filming yourself now and then using your phone camera—while telling a short story or doing a pitch. Watch it back and learn from your mistakes. But more importantly, learn from your strong moments! That way, you’ll gradually become more comfortable in front of the camera. Good luck! Want to post a vacancy on DataJobs.nl too? Click here. Want to spotlight your organization as an ‘attractive employer for data specialists’? Then create a Company Data Page with us. Raymond te Veldhuis DataJobs.nl