On pitching over Zoom (part 2)
Next level steps to improve your look and sound over Zoom
Last time, we addressed some low-lift ways to improve your Zoom presence.
This time around, we’re looking at pro-level (but still reasonably-priced) upgrades you can make to your setup to look and sound impressive for a virtual pitch.
Aura Pros advanced tips for Zoom setups:
Upgrade to a Zoom Pro subscription. With a free Zoom account, your meetings will be limited to 40 minutes. Being cut-off can be embarrassing! If you're hosting most of your meetings, spend a little money to upgrade your Zoom account. At Palumni.VC, we use an upgraded Zoom subscription so that we can have multiple co-hosts for Zoom events.
Brand your company's Zoom landing page and meeting videos. Companies with 10 or more users can create a vanity url (like yourcompany.zoom.us), a unique landing page for their team, and brand their meeting videos with their logo. This small step makes you look more well put together, and more cohesive as a team.
Get an external camera, which can provide better picture quality and more realistic color representation. An external camera also offers you more ways to optimize your camera angle by using a monitor mount or desk tripod. Make sure you purchase a camera that is an upgrade to what your laptop offers. Logitech Streamcam Plus is great for overall value, or the Huddly Go offers a high-quality camera with a wider viewing angle.
Get an external microphone, which provides fantastic clarity and smoothness. The Shure MV5C and AKG Lyra are wonderful USB microphones with desk stands, multiple adjustments, and a direct headphone plugs. The newer Shure MV7 (based on the studio standard Shure SM7B) can be connected via USB or through an XLR output to connect to an audio interface. All of these microphones also allow for audio return headphones, like the Sennheiser HD280, to be plugged in directly.
Get a microphone stand. If using an external microphone, you may need a stand or mount. There’s a number of options for these including desktop seated stands, “clamp on” stands, a floor stands, or a desk mounted options. Using a dedicated “Boom Arm” stand will ensure that mic positioning is less contingent on your desk space and more geared towards optimal acoustics. A popular option is the clamp-on Gator Frameworks Deluxe.
Get external speakers. While headphones sound great, they can be a visual distraction. External computer speakers will provide superior return audio clarity. A great, mid-range option is the Yamaha NX-50 speakers.
Use an external audio interface, like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, which will give you control over your speaker levels and microphone (without having to adjust them in Zoom). This also allows for the use of XLR microphone and studio monitors, providing the highest level of sound quality, making you sound like a professional broadcaster. If you’re using an external audio interface, you will be able to use an XLR microphone like the Shure SM7B.
Use a secondary display. If you’d like to present content, have related notes on hand, or monitor chat windows during your pitch, your screen can quickly get cluttered. In your Zoom video settings, you can select “use dual monitors” and simply drag and drop the items listed above onto that screen. Using a 4K monitor like LG’s 24” or 32” inch format will provide an HDMI input for ease of connection.