Ways To Connect With Clients Over Video Calls

I might get hate mail for this: Appearances and first impressions still matter—big time. Zoom calls and remote work culture erupted over the past decade, and somewhere along the way, we stopped caring about the 'little things'. Salespeople, missing the details = lighting cash on fire 🔥. 💰 Every call on your calendar costs your marketing team a few thousand dollars. Each meeting could be thousands in commission for you. That CMO you’re meeting with? Her 30 minutes is worth $500. When she brings her team, they spend $3k in salary just showing up. So, why do we show up like we don’t give a sh*t? Sweating the details can often be a waste of time, other times it's worth the effort. 💡 Here are 6 details you should never skip: 1) Do your research.  Asking where they live or what their company does—things you could Google in 5 seconds—doesn’t build rapport; it just makes you look unprepared. Instead, come in with a point of view on something you've already researched. 2) Use a good webcam & mic.  Who would you rather spend 30 minutes with in the screenshot below? You don’t need to break the bank—a solid cam/mic setup costs under $100. 3) Get your lighting right.  Clear the shadow from your face. Sit in front of good lighting. A $20 ring light can do wonders. 4) Dress like you care.  Would you rather be over-dressed or under-dressed when you're presenting to the C-suite of a $2billion dollar company? Toss the wrinkly T-shirt and baseball cap. Throw on a button-up or polo. Maybe even take a morning shower and comb your hair. 5) Send a follow-up the same day.  Buyers appreciate a quick recap they can share internally. Tools like WINN.AI, Gong, or Sybill can automate this, so you can get the email out in minutes instead of hours. 6) Send a pre-meeting brief.  An engaged audience = a better meeting. Prime their brains before the call. *Bonus tip: Send personalized messages to each stakeholder - this takes more effort, but it's worth it. A CMO has different interests/problems than a Sales Manager. Make it clear that you took the time to curate messages for each person. These details might seem trivial, but it's worth it if they make you even 1% more engaging. I get it—some of you will think I'm an old-fashioned grandpa. (Probably true.) Some will think, "it’s 2025, and this stuff doesn’t matter anymore." 🎲 But are you willing to gamble your company's hard-earned pipeline (and your own commission) on that? Deals are won or lost by tiny margins. Skimp a little here, skimp a little there, and watch your win rates suffer. (Legit, I had a rep almost lose a deal because he presented a deck using the customer's outdated logo <- the CMO was not smiling about it. We did damage control for 2 weeks.) ⚖️ My stance: obsess over the details. Alone, they might seem minor, but together, they will tip the scales and split success from failure. Would love to hear what details you swear by? 

What do I do with my hands? You know that weird, slightly awkward feeling when you’re on a dance floor, getting your picture taken, or standing at a bar without holding a drink? What about on a Zoom meeting? Honestly, I wasn't thinking about them at all. I’d just cling to my coffee mug or awkwardly rest my hands on the keyboard. Then I listened to a podcast about body language on video calls... and down the rabbit hole I went. Here are a few interesting things I've learned and started implementing on calls: - Show your hands right away. Once a meeting starts, do a quick wave, hold your coffee cup between your hands, or even just rest them visibly. When we can’t see someone’s hands, our brain unconsciously registers that as a potential threat or that they're hiding something. - Back it up. Sitting too close to the camera creates the “floating head” effect. Sit about an arm’s length away so your gestures feel natural, not cramped. -  Facial expressions matter more on camera. What looks neutral in person can come off as flat or checked out on Zoom. Smile slightly more. Use head tilts. Nod when you’re listening. Stay visually present (even when you’re on mute). There are so many other good tips I could share. No one ever taught me how important body language is when selling remotely. But in a competitive market, I want to stand out. Not just with what I say, but how I show up on screen. Little things like hand placement, facial expressions, and posture can shape how I’m perceived and how well I connect. Do you have any go-to nonverbal cues you use on video calls? Sorry if this post made you suddenly hyper-aware of your hands and body on calls! I know that’s exactly what happened to me when I first learned about all this!

Want to break the ice on Zoom? This works for me every time… Invest in your background…REAL…not virtual. Let your background break the ice naturally and be the conversation starter. My background gives people a glimpse into who I am. Instantly breaking down the awkward beginning of a Zoom call. The majority of my video calls involve at least one question about an item in my background: - Do you surf on that board? - What stadium is that pic of? - How are you an Honorary Member of the Magnolia Grand Brass Band? -How long did you coach travel softball? -What years did you compete in Ironman? The point is, be human, share a little bit about yourself on video calls and your presentations turn into natural conversations. People enjoy working with relatable people…