With Video Conferences, Do First Impressions Still Matter?

If the vast majority of people are still working from home, calling into Zoom meetings from their bedroom desk, maybe in shorts, do first impressions still matter? For many of us, the visual first impression doesn’t matter as much as it once did, but for some industries, it still does. 

If you are meeting virtually with a colleague for the first time, maybe you want to be yourself, appear approachable and human. You decide to dress casually and don’t worry if your dog runs into the room. However, what if that meeting is with a client who plans to trust you with their retirement savings account? How do you give them the impression that you will take their investments seriously and are a professional? 

You could dress nicer, but it’s not the same as meetings that were once done in-person. Meetings that required a high level of polish were often saved for in-person visits vs. virtual meetings. You could manage the whole experience from the moment they walk in the door to even modifying your body language. 

So how do you blend the past with the present? You control the first impression that clients get by seeing you and your team in a professionally filmed video prior to your first zoom meeting. 

 A Professional Video Option

A professionally filmed video is well illuminated, you are dressed well, a makeup artist addresses any blemishes, and you have the freedom to record multiple takes to get the video just right. You need to be careful to not record a stiff corporate video, but show your personality and company culture, just like you would have if a client was there in person. 

Are these videos complete recordings of your pitch to a client? No. These videos should be 1-3 minutes overview videos covering topics like your founding story, strategy, company philosophy, mission, or why you are different. Digestible enough to watch on your website and leave a prospect thinking “I like these people”. 

This first impression has no internet dropouts, wonky audio, or interrupting pets and kids. You have put your best foot forward. At a later date, you will still have a Zoom call with a prospect, but because of this positive first impression, they will be much more forgiving to the interruptions and the awkwardness of virtual meetings we have all become accustomed to.