Best Practices for Vidcasting to Your Clients

Whether you are using Zoom, Skype, or another method to communicate on screen, we’ve listed what we regard as “best practices” for vidcasting. 

Seventeen years ago, Cannon started vidcasting using commercial services, then went to Skype. Because we are slowly putting our courses online, we built a network-quality production studio several years ago to give our online presentations as much polish as our in-person presentations.

Here are tips we have learned by trial and error over the years. You may find some of them useful.

1. Write down what you are going to say to your client(s). These can be the actual words or an outline. Put this where you can see it when you make your vidcast. You don’t have to hide it from your clients. It can be on a tablet, on your PC, or index cards.
2. Read it out loud to yourself. If you trip over a word or phrase,  change it. You will trip over it again.
3. Practice what you are going to say. Then practice again. Keep practicing until your talk seems spontaneous. We can say from decades of experience that it takes a lot of practice to sound spontaneous. When we put together a new program at Cannon or a custom program for an in-house client, we practice extensively, often in front of our colleagues or we videotape ourselves. We endeavor to leave nothing to chance.
4. Give your talk in front of a mirror and do this several times so you can see what you look like while you’re speaking. Try to look friendly yet serious. You don’t want to look like an undertaker, but you want to remember you are talking to clients about their money. Once you are comfortable in front of the mirror, tape yourself using your smartphone video recorder. It matters.
5. Remember, 80% of communication between people is non-verbal. Watch your body language. Don’t cross your arms across your chest;  this is a very defensive pose. Just put your forearms flat on your desk and look into the camera.
6. If you are doing it from home,  wear the clothing you would wear in the office. If your clients have always seen you in business attire, it will be jarring to them if you are dressed differently. Avoid wearing white. It reflects light and can make you look washed out. When choosing what to wear, the rule of thumb is to keep it plain and simple. You want viewers to focus on you, not your clothing.
7. Use a dark sheet to create a backdrop behind so you will stand out. Don’t use your bookcases or anything else as a backdrop since people will begin looking at what’s behind you. Same with your desk. Take most everything off of it, then use props like the Wall Street Journal or other reputable business publications. If you really wish to “up your game,” consider having a custom backdrop created that encompasses your logo.
8. Make sure you have appropriate lighting so that you don’t appear too stark or too dark. A tripod to hold a phone or tablet with a circle light that brightens your appearance can be purchased online for $100.
9. Endeavor to avoid blinking a lot. Because we often blink to lubricate our eyes, put lubricating drops in your eyes before recording.
10. If your vidcast is live, have a glass of water handy in case you start coughing, or your throat dries up. Also, there are useful products at the drugstore that can help prevent dry mouth. Try one or two.
11. Remember, your goal isn’t to appear as a professional broadcaster. You just want to come across as a serious financial services professional.
12. Finally, before recording, take a deep breath and let it out to the count of ten and repeat. This will drop your pulse and help relax you.

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Contributing Writer: Subject Matter Expert Charles McCain