You only have moments to engage your audience and build a warm but professional rapport.

I know this well, as someone who undertook training in corporate video production back when that was a thing, worked on numerous television productions since then, coached organisational spokespeople to front mainstream media with confidence, and managed government projects through facilitating groups online. So I’ve thought more about building rapport via the screen than the average person.

For people unaccustomed to being onscreen or meeting online for professional purposes, it can feel really awkward initially. You need to strike the right balance between being overly relaxed as you might when on FaceTime with family and friends and sitting there stiffly, formally, uncomfortably and unnaturally.

If you’re not the focus of the meeting or presentation, it’s less important. However if you need people to trust in what you’re saying, you’ll want to build a strong and warm rapport with your audience quickly so they will listen with interest and remember your key points.

There are a few things you can do to help with that:

Smile

Smile frequently and genuinely (at appropriate times). There is nothing like a smile to help you engage with others. A genuine smile involves your entire face, not just your mouth, and will help your audience to relax and trust in you. It will also help you relax. It’s a great way to begin.

What you wear is critical

You need to be comfortable and look appropriate. This doesn’t mean you can wear what you would if presenting in person. Of course consider your audience and the context but screens are different to IRL so you’ll need to do things a little differently. And don’t use this opportunity to try out a new outfit - here’s why.

Do you need to wear a suit and tie to present from your home office (instead of your traditional workplace or lecture hall?). A semi-structured jacket over a quality top is likely to help build rapport more quickly as you will look less formal and more approachable. Think soft lapels in relaxed fabrics rather than stiff tailoring. Relaxed tailoring is a trend we’re seeing while people both work from home and gradually return to the workplace so you shouldn’t have a problem finding styles to suit you. But of course I can help you source good options online and in person.

Think of how much you need to move as you present and how your outfit performs as you move. Is there sufficient stretch in the fabric? Check all pieces for transparency, marks or the tendency to slip around on you as you move. Will your outfit be too revealing when you move? You certainly don’t want to alienate your audience or to distract them from your message!

Small details in your outfit are more important when you’re presenting on the screen as everything is magnified. A small brooch or any writing on your outfit will be picked up by the camera. While these can add interest and help to connect with an audience, be careful of the subliminal message your fun detail might be sending. You don’t, for example, want to be speaking on fair trade, environmentalism or worker’s rights and be sporting an outfit made by a fast fashion company.

Another little detail to consider is the shapes and lines in your outfit. We humans warm more easily to soft and rounded elements and motifs. Sharp and angular shapes literally have more of an edge to them! Think jewellery, necklines, lapels and collars. Use your lines, shapes and motifs strategically.

Even hairstyles can make a difference. Are you wearing a severely cut or pulled back style or do you have soft curls or a loose style?

Colour is crucial

If your presentation requires you to be authoritative and formal then wearing high contrasting colours such as deep charcoal and pale blue is fine. However you are less likely to develop rapport with your audience. If you want to build rapport and a friendly connection, choose colours with less contrast. Think soft to mid range colours like aqua, warm teal, rich burgundy, mid grey and spring green (examples below).

Colours that enhance your complexion will help you to look healthy and engaging. These colours are likely to be your eye colour, a colour found in your skin tone or your hair colour (if it’s natural). Regardless of whether your colouring is warm or cool, warm colours are often best as video and computer screens can make us look cool or washed out. We need to compensate for that.

Whatever your gender, even if you don’t ordinarily wear makeup, making an exception when presenting online could be beneficial. Done well, makeup helps to define your features. A word of warning however; keep it natural and matte, not shiny. Remember that things look different on screen so proceed with caution. If in doubt, seek advice.

Plain is always best for when you’re on camera or in a video conference. The camera tends to pick up things that the human eye doesn’t notice, and sometimes distorts things, so garments that are not printed and that don’t have too many embellishments are often safest. If you do like to wear prints, just ensure that it’s not a tiny, tightly spaced one as the camera can cause it to visually vibrate, annoying your viewers!

If you’d like assistance with other elements of your presentation, such as positioning, background and lighting, detailed makeup tips for appearing on screen, colour recommendations or personalised advice on your outfit, I can help with that. But if at a loss mid-sentence, smile! Your body will relax, freeing your mind to think and your audience will empathise.