I had the honor of being the interviewer for a virtual summit. I had attended this in-person event as a guest in previous years so I was thrilled to be involved in the online event. The guest I interviewed was a respected, credentialed academic expert. He sent me the answers to his questions in advance and we had a quick 10 minute conversation before the interview. So far so good.
We scheduled an hour to do a 25 minute Zoom interview. I was tasked with making the interview interesting, creating excitement about his book without overselling, and staying on time.
When he arrived, I realized I hadn’t adequately prepared him. Yes, the content and timing were fine. But I never prepped him about staging. His office was a mess. There was a large spinning ceiling fan that was distracting. I asked him to lower the lid of his laptop. That eliminated the fan from view. Next, I asked him to move closer to the screen and to center himself so he was framed by the laptop. Lastly, we did an audio check until his voice projection was effective.
The video interview went well. It was an interesting and conversational dialogue. He was relaxed and comfortable and was pleased at how I positioned his book. After watching the recording I agreed that it was a good interview. But I couldn’t get past the messy background.
The backdrop is part of your branding. When the background isn’t right it can compete with your message. Don’t leave this to chance. Organize your room the way you would if you had a visiting guest to your home.
If your office or home isn’t adequate, buy a green screen and project your desired image. You can also purchase a folding screen or room divider so you can always hide a messy room. Your environment communicates a message. Be sure that it enhances your brand. Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage.” But today, All the world’s a screen.