Look the Part: Video Appearance Tips for IT Pros (EP 830)

[Uncle Marv]
Hello friends, Uncle Marv here with another episode of the IT Business Podcast, the show for IT professionals and managed service providers, where we help you run your business better, smarter, and faster. This is the Wednesday live show, and folks, I want to make sure that you understand this. This is a fantastic night to be watching the show.

So I hope that you will sit back and enjoy. And let's see here, I've got a couple of news stories that we're going to go over. My guest tonight, Lisa Shorr, and we are going to be chatting about a topic I was originally going to have it titled Fix Your Face, but that's probably something that would get me canceled, so the title has been changed to something a little bit more appropriate, Looked Apart, Video Appearance Secrets for IT Business Success, and I'll talk about that in just a bit.

I do want to let everybody know that next week there will not be a live show. I will be in Orlando at IT Nation Secure, I have to remember which one it is, and that, of course, is the conference for ConnectWise's IT Nation, and I'll be doing interviews there while on site. And then the week after, I should be back in time after getting back from PAX 8 Beyond.

So that is what is going to be happening the next two weeks, you'll be getting a ton of interviews from those conferences. If you have not been paying attention to the social medias on YouTube and LinkedIn, earlier today, PAX 8 Beyond preview dropped with Rob Rae, the MSP legend. So you'll want to go and take a listen to that and get a little preview of what's going to be happening in Denver this year and did not get who the musical guest was going to be.

I tried. So let's get off, started with a couple of stories here, and I've got two, and one of them is just a quick notice that you should know in case your users ask, because I know that some of your users will do stuff, even personal at work, and a major data breach has exposed over 184 million unique login credentials, including usernames and passwords for online services such as Apple, Google, Netflix, Microsoft, and the Facebook.

And the breach is being described by cybersecurity experts as a cyber criminals dream due to the sheer volume and sensitivity of the data involved. So here's what happened. The breach was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Jeremy Fowler.

He found an unprotected, unencrypted 47 gig database containing 184,162,718 records. And basically, let's see here, it exposed credentials for all the platforms I mentioned, some of the ones I did not mention earlier, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, PayPal, Roblox, or Roblox, Discord, and some banking portals. So the reason I'm bringing this up is, like I said, your users may be dealing with this, and if they're doing it on a work computer, obviously that needs to be addressed.

So of course, what should users do? Change passwords immediately, enable MFA, use unique passwords, and not the same password for all their different accounts. And then of course, we need to help them be diligent for phishing and help them monitor their accounts.

So I'll have a link to that story a little bit later. The second story is a little bit longer. I'm only going to give you the highlights, but I am working on getting a blog out that will talk about this.

This is a much more detailed report. This is a Microsoft Windows warning. It is a critical security alert against dangerous apps targeting PC users.

And so this is a dangerous payload with a lot of the Windows computers through the apps that people are not getting from the App Store, but they're going out on the web and downloading software. And the payload will consist of Venom Rat, Storm Kitty, and Silent Trinity malware. And all of these are designed to steal passwords, digital wallet information, and maintain persistent unauthorized access to victim systems.

So I'm not going to talk about how those work, but I will tell you that one of the fake campaigns is using Bitdefender. And what it's doing is it is impersonating Bitdefender, of course, that is a well-known antivirus provider. The malicious download bitfender-download.com has been designed to closely mimic Bitdefender's official download page, complete with professional styling and convincing brand elements. When users click the download for Windows button, they unknowingly initiate a download sequence that delivers a zip file containing multiple malware components. That's just one part of it. It goes into a lot of stuff.

It mentions CCleaner as another place that is being impersonated. And then there is some other inferences that the current threat landscape is getting people to compromise remote desktop protocol. We know how much we tell our users not to run RDP naked.

So there's a lot of stuff here. I have six pages of notes that I looked at just to kind of get this story. Again, I'm going to turn this into a blog because there is a lot of information and a lot of links that will point you guys into the direction that we need to go.

And this, of course, prompts the idea that we need to have our EDR, XDR, MDR, ThreatLocker, Huntress, whatever product we have in place to help our users detect when things are happening on the network when they're not supposed to. Of course, you can do the zero trust method with ThreatLocker where you don't let things get installed unless you know what it is first. So all of those things will be in those news items as we mentioned here.

So I think that's going to do it here. Let me tell you a little bit about how we got to this topic tonight. So many of you know that I listen to other podcasts.

I don't always listen to tech podcasts. There's a reason for that. Sometimes I'm listening to other podcasters to learn how to be a better podcaster myself.

Sometimes I am listening to health and wellness podcasts. And then because the bulk of my clients are law firms, I listen to legal podcasts. And I was listening to a legal podcast and they were talking about Zoom etiquette for attorneys.

And it was a specific case, a specific type of attorney. But it was something pretty significant where they were talking about all of the things that have basically changed in our world since the year of our COVID and how people are taking video meetings for granted. And all of those things that I heard there were very similar to things that I have seen in our tech space.

I have personally witnessed, experienced all of that stuff. And I started thinking, I need to do a show on this. And what other person to have on the show to talk about appearances and branding and all that stuff than Lisa Shorr with Shorr Success.

And she will be joining us and talking about all of these things. And we'll share all of the things that we need to do with our video etiquette. So Lisa, welcome to the show.

[Lisa Shorr]
Hey, I'm so happy to be back. Thank you. That was an amazing intro.

And my MSP specializes in law firms, actually. So we've had several discussions about needing to put the camera on to connect with your clients. So I'm honored and so thrilled to be talking about this very topic.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Well, if your MSP is interested, the podcast was called Legal Fuel. So you can put that up later.

And they were talking about that etiquette. And it was funny because they talked a couple of instances. And one of them was that an attorney showed up on video in their pajamas.

And it was like, well, I'll say this. I don't know if it's going to really change our discussion. But the bottom line is, you should do video the same way that you do in person.

And of course, for an attorney, you're going to show up in court dressed a certain way, looking a certain way. But why would you do that at home?

[Lisa Shorr]
You still have that professionalism. And the legal industry is a very conservative industry. It's relaxed a little bit, certainly fashion-wise.

But most of my clients I still see in suits. And maybe they're in slacks and a nice Oxford shirt and nice shoes. They're still dressed very nicely.

So pajamas, that was so long ago. And that's enough. It's enough.

We actually had a meeting. Well, it was during COVID. But that was with a vendor of ours, an MSP vendor.

And they were in the kitchen. And they had a cup of tea on the counter. And a cat jumps up on the counter.

And so our vendor jumps up. And now, mind you, she had a nice sweater on and a pearl necklace. But then pajama pants on the bottom.

So it was really hard to refocus because she was so worried that the tea was going to fall on the cat or on the floor. It was a whole thing. But pajama pants.

And so that is not where we're at anymore. Enough is enough. This is part of our workplace.

And so let's unpack it. Let's definitely get the layers of the onion going here. So it's a critical conversation.

[Uncle Marv]
So there's two different things, at least from my perspective, that we want to make sure to address tonight. And from the tech world, there's the image that you present to your clients. Because a lot of the stuff that we're doing now are Zoom meetings, team meetings and stuff.

And so instead of trying to go to the office to sit with people for a QBR or TBR, we'll do it by Zoom. Or we'll do it by Teams. But yet, that doesn't mean that we should have a messy background or do it in the tech room and have techs behind you working on systems and stuff.

It's kind of weird like that. So that's one perspective. Then, of course, we talk about, you had mentioned employers and employees, which that kind of comes into this work from home concept that we, I don't know.

I mean, we were doing work from home before the year of our COVID. But for some reason, that is pretty much the line in the sand when all the rules just disappeared for some reason.

[Lisa Shorr]
All we wanted to do at that moment was just to stay connected somehow. We had no idea. It was a panic moment.

And but what an opportunity for IT businesses like ours to really shine and demonstrate our nimbleness, our ability to adapt to emergency situations. But this hybrid landscape that we're in now, and I think maybe we should start with the employee side. Because when we have an employee that understands the brand of the company, the mission of the company, and why it's so important to look our best.

This is nothing about vanity today. I mean, yes, we're going to be talking about appearances and stuff. But this is not a vanity conversation.

This is a conversation about connection. And having the camera on, thinking about what you're wearing, your appearance, your background. Purposely, I'm in my living room.

My office is in my living room. And you stage it and you light it and you have the microphones and you do all you can. We have to set that precedent in our own IT companies first.

Because when you have that understanding and you have that culture of connection, that will resonate to the client experience. So I think it's really critical first. And when I work with clients on the short success side, when I work with an IT company, 99% of the time it's working with their team.

The tech team with the owner involved. Because the owner sets the tone for everything. So we have to have this mindset shift that, oh, cameras are optional.

[Uncle Marv]
I was going to say, that's probably the first thing is the whole idea of people showing up to video meetings with the camera off. I had a client. So we were dealing with a whole other issue, which technically comes under employee monitoring.

And the attorneys wanting to know that if the people at home are logged in, does that really mean that they're working? And we actually have software on there that will track usage of programs and stuff. But they know, hey, you just jiggle the mouse a little bit every few seconds or every few minutes and you don't have to worry about it.

So they talked about the idea of everybody signing into Teams with their camera on. And I said, all day? And that was one of their thoughts is, yes, we need to find out if you're actually sitting at your desk and working.

And that was a whole discussion. I won't go into much, much more of that. But the fact that that was a thought was interesting.

[Lisa Shorr]
So that's a whole other discussion from tonight, meaning there is a trust issue there. Or there is a conversation to be had about leader and employee trust.

[Uncle Marv]
Right. But the topic that actually came up is, the manager was like, well, if I'm home and in my bedroom and maybe not dressed appropriately, I don't want people to see me. And so that started that road of where people keep the camera off because they don't want to dress up or they don't want to clean their room.

They don't want to make their bed.

[Lisa Shorr]
Yeah. You know what a leader needs to set. So when I have conversations with clients, with prospects.

So there was a couple of situations. I can think of two prospect meetings this year that really stood out to me that didn't become clients because they wouldn't, first of all, they wouldn't turn the camera on. So I had no idea what they looked like.

I had no idea what, you know, when I'm taking on a client as a coach, it's really critical because it's like a one-on-one situation. I need to know who I'm dealing with. So rule number one for me is to turn your camera on.

And if they weren't willing to do that from the get-go, regardless of their background, their appearance, that's where we would work our magic together. That's where we would have that coaching conversation. But that also sent the message to me that most likely he's not encouraging his team to turn their cameras on either.

So what kind of connections are they making? So I think what I want people, listeners, to really start with and start really opening their mind to is really, and I said it earlier, I know, but is that connection. How do you want to be perceived by others, by your clients, by your team first so that your team understands what your position is, what your mission is and, you know, the alignment of the corporate brand so that then they understand that piece and then they can start to understand their role within the connection process and start making it part of the culture.

It's got to be part of the culture. When COVID happened in my own MSP, we were literally pulling our own cameras. We always had cameras.

So it was always the conversation. We had to establish, not a mandate, but we had to establish a culture in my MSP that all meetings require cameras unless, of course, you're driving and it's detrimental to your safety, which I don't want you on camera anyway and I want you to be careful. So that's fine.

And then really if there's an extenuating circumstance that the camera cannot be on. Otherwise, there has to be a camera. During COVID, we were like taking cameras off of our desks and giving them to clients just to keep them connected.

But that's not where we are anymore. There's cameras out there to be purchased. There is laptop camera.

My camera that I'm using right now is in my Mac, which is a very clear, very nice camera. I have a Logitech Stream Cam camera as well for different situations. But we all have that ability to turn on our camera and think about that connection.

And if we don't have that establishment with our team, it won't happen. It won't happen.

[Uncle Marv]
So first, turn on the camera. Second, be presentable.

[Lisa Shorr]
Oh, yes.

[Uncle Marv]
Third, be attentive.

[Lisa Shorr]
Be attentive. Our nonverbal behavior sends a loud message of, you know, this is all about just other people's perceptions. It might not be the right perception and your intention might be to be present.

Your intention might be to be. But people are reading and you don't have it. So in my book, I say that virtual meetings are like a bunch of one-on-one meetings.

You have to consider it as a one-on-one, even if you're like in a Zoom room or whatever. It's a one-on-one where you have the opportunity, this much space. This is all you get is this little square to make a first impression.

And so people make judgments. It's not catty. It's not.

It's just human nature. It's just human nature to make perception judgments. And if your camera's not on or if it's on and then you look unkempt, if you look, you're looking away, people can tell when you're reading email on another computer, people can tell, you know, they can tell when you're looking down on your phone or checking other email, people can tell.

And so how does it make? So what I'm, what I would like you to imagine you're on a call. So this is for the listener.

Imagine you're on a call and people, the perception is, is people aren't listening to you. You've prepared a cloud migration or you've prepared a new contract renewal with a client and you're talking about price increases or you're introducing a new product. And the people are looking away.

Maybe it's a team member that's looking away. How does that make you feel? So that makes you feel uncomfortable, which most of us will say uncomfortable and probably pretty pissed off because you've taken all this time to prepare and now nobody's listening.

Or maybe you feel insecure because maybe now you've got imposter syndrome sinking in and you're like, Oh my God, maybe nobody really wants to hear what I have to say. The mindset starts running and running fast. And so a client, a prospect will set their mindset ago as well.

We have to be intentional with our actions. When I was jumping on this call with you today and I was in the green room, I was like ready. I knew I was coming on soon and I was smiling and I was, you know, sitting and I'm like, when is it going to happen?

And I had to be ready. I had to be attentive. And I thought about what I was going to wear this evening for this call.

I thought about, you know, what we prepared, what we were going to say. There's a lot that goes into building relationships and building credibility.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah. All right. Before we move on, I want to acknowledge some people here joining us in the chat.

Diana first says love this and then says going to step up my wardrobe. So that's one. And it looks like we've got, is this a question?

What about being wary of your background? If working at home, paste a note that you are in a web meeting so that you are not disturbed. Consider silencing your phones, mobile desk.

Yes, that is true. That is probably. So it happens to me on the podcast that I'll have somebody that I'm interviewing and they'll be in an open space and there's noises and distractions and people walking by.

That's one of them. That's a big thing is to first of all, be in a quiet space.

[Lisa Shorr]
Yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
Close the door to your office.

[Lisa Shorr]
I can't do that. I don't have any. I have doorways where I am, but I can't do that.

So when you can't do that, and thank you, David, for that comment. I think it's perfect. I set the precedent.

I've got my husband home. I have a daughter that's home. And I said, I need a full hour of you not being near the kitchen or the living room.

So whatever you need to do in the house, just don't do it here. And they understand why. I told them why and I explained what I'm doing.

And it's setting those precedents that's really important and doing what you can. It's not always the easiest. And I'm definitely not making this an easy conversation because it's not.

But I don't have the ability to close any doors here. And my kitchen is right there. So I had to request that everybody hangs out in the family room past the kitchen and close that door.

[Uncle Marv]
I thought you might have told them to go out and have a pizza night and stay out.

[Lisa Shorr]
Maybe they could have gone. They might have gone for ice cream. I don't know.

Because I also had my husband, believe it or not, turn off our door. The ring doorbells and all the chimes and stuff. And I said, please turn those off so they're not in my background noise.

So I have the Blue Yeti Nano, which is a good noise cancelling microphone. But you can still hear things. And you may hear something during this call.

But I've done everything I can to set the precedent with my family to be quiet. Yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
So I know there's a lot of stuff out there that we can talk about, which we already have. And then, of course, other stuff. But one of the questions that I tried to prep you for is to say, if you could implement one, which, of course, there's many.

One, video appearance policy across all IT companies, what would that be?

[Lisa Shorr]
Well, it's two, really. But one is turning your camera on. It's got to be turning your camera on.

I can't tell you how many meetings I have been in with clients, with other MSPs, when I'm actually coaching MSPs. I always, when I'm coaching a company, the first 30 minutes that we do, one of the first sessions is a tech session. And we talk about the necessary tech to make this engagement work.

Because I'm in Rhode Island. But most of my clients are all over the country. I've worked with India.

I've worked with Philippines. I mean, tech teams are all over the globe. And we have to make that connection first.

Then the second thing I really request is really thinking about the brand of the company. And how do you appear for the company? So it can't be just one thing.

Well, the main thing is turning the camera on. And yes, people will see the behind you. But you can do the backgrounds.

You can do blur it. You can do a virtual background. Zoom teams, they all have the virtual backgrounds.

You can make one for your company logo on it. I personally don't love those because it fades you out. But the only thing that you have control of at that point, that you really need to physically control, because you can turn off your background through all the background things, is your appearance and turning that camera on.

And for someone to say in this day and age, I don't have a camera, then, especially in an IT company, we set the precedent. How are we going to set ourselves apart from everybody else from that sea of sameness? We all offer all the same products, services, solutions.

How do you set yourself apart? You set yourself apart by connection and by building that trust. And it starts with the eyes.

It's very primal. That first connection starts with seeing somebody face to face. That's why when I coach on the LinkedIn profiles, it's important to have a great headshot so that people can see your eyes.

You can see the genuineness in your eyes. People want that. So absolutely.

So that's two. I hate to... Sorry, I didn't follow your rule of one, but...

[Uncle Marv]
That's okay. Hey, at least you answered the question. So here's a question.

So you've talked about, I mean, you talk about it in your book, and you talk about coaching people. When it comes to things like backgrounds, okay, this might get a little touchy, but we know that people like to put on backgrounds of the beach or a forest or something like that and some other things. I'll just leave it at that.

I like when people do try to put their logo on something, but do you ever comment on the type of backgrounds that people do when they're doing their virtual backgrounds?

[Lisa Shorr]
100%, absolutely. And I'm grateful when people ask me for my guidance on it. And what should I do?

Can you talk to me a little bit about what can I design in Canva or whatever? Yes, because people... When we're making connections, one of the hardest things to do is to keep focused on the human, because we're so naturally attracted to everything around us.

So it's all distractions. So our background is a distraction. And if it's busy or if it's suggestive in some way, if it's really dark and then they can't see you, there's a lot.

So the word is distraction. And so a background, we want to limit as much distraction. So we focus.

So your listener, your audience, your prospect, your client, your employee is focusing on you and not on, well, let's analyze what's in the background. Let's have a conversation. Oh, look at that stack of files right there.

Or look at the virtual background that doesn't align. People are used to the team's background. So I don't think that that now is like, oh, we just joke around and look at that gorgeous living room.

[Uncle Marv]
That's right. You got a fireplace in Florida?

[Lisa Shorr]
I got a fireplace. And so look at that in Florida? Really?

So I think we're used to a lot of those, but I want people to really think about distraction. And if it's distracting to you and you're staring at it, then it's going to be distracting to other people, most likely. Most likely.

So I thought about this background. So I have, wait, there we go. I have a bookshelf there.

Like I totally staged this area. And I'll be honest. It's a very nice living room, except on the other end of this living room is my daughter's suitcase that she just came back from studying abroad in Europe.

And this massive purple suitcase is still over there that I've been asking her to clean up but hasn't. But I know my camera is right here. It's right behind me.

So that's what I want people to think about. They don't have to organize an entire room. Think about what the camera captures and organize that to be neat, professional, non-distracting, certainly personality driven.

People want to get to know, we want a human touch to this. And I'm not asking anybody to be somebody they're not. But I am asking people to say you've got clients.

How do you align with them? How do you build trust and relationships with them? And that goes a long way with our backgrounds, even starting with our backgrounds.

It sounds small, but it's really a distractor.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. I want to take a quick break and have a little sponsor message. In the meantime, I'm going to give you that minute to evaluate my background and tell me what you think right after this message.

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[Lisa Shorr]
I like that you have the Uncle Marv sign there. I like that it says that we're on air. I think there's a lot of interesting things going on in the background.

And I do think people are going to look at it and kind of analyze the pictures and the different things. So I think as much as we can minimize what's in our background but also have that branding. So that red sign is great to have there because it's your brand, it's who you are.

[Uncle Marv]
All right.

[Lisa Shorr]
Yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
So the picture of the, not the picture, the bottle of bourbon there, not distracting?

[Lisa Shorr]
Well, I think people are, I did notice it. And we are on air, you know, so and if we were closer, I'd say, you know, let's share a drink. But no, just kidding.

But people, honestly, people are going to make assumptions because everybody was raised differently. Everybody has a different set of values, a different set of backgrounds. And so we have to do all we can to try to minimize any triggers, you know, negative triggers or family triggers.

You just don't know. And we just have to be empathetic to all different types of people and backgrounds. So whatever you have in your background, just know people will notice it.

People will analyze it and make judgments based on it. They'll make assumptions based on it. It doesn't mean they're right or wrong.

And it's just, again, human nature. We're humans. And that's how we do, that's how we do life.

As we, we always, when we sign on a client, we don't sign on a client or when a client signs on with us rather, they do it based on trust. We haven't really demonstrated our tech knowledge, our tech abilities. They do it based on testimonials, based on how you present yourself, based on your sales pitch, based on whatever connection you've made.

And so our backgrounds, believe it or not, are a trust-building opportunity. So the way we present ourselves and we are hybrid is a trust-building opportunity.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, very nice. Well, thank you for the, I think that felt like a B plus score that you gave me.

[Lisa Shorr]
And I think, you know what, you are, you're always with a consistent background, which I think is another important piece. If you don't have, you're not hiding anything. It's a consistent background.

People are comfortable with it. They know it. It's now actually part of your brand.

And that's, so that gives you an A because you're consistently building your brand. Every time I've come on this show with you, it's been consistent. So I would give you an A.

Okay. So absolutely.

[Uncle Marv]
Very nice. I do want to also thank you. You sent out a little email blast announcing your appearance tonight.

And there were a couple of things that I wanted to bring up. You made a comment in there that the camera is not just a lens, it's a leadership tool.

[Lisa Shorr]
Hmm.

[Uncle Marv]
And your presence speaks before your words ever do.

[Lisa Shorr]
I love that. Yeah. Yeah.

It's such a, well, first of all, leaders set the tone in any kind of, any small business. So whomever is listening today, whether you're an IT business owner or not, and if you're an owner of the company, you set the tone for any behavior you want within the organization. And that's a hard thing to understand is that when there's a culture, the leader sets the tone.

And so if you want attentiveness, you want people to be present, pay attention to building those connections, it has to be you setting the tone first. So that's why I put that in there. It's like a mirror to who you are.

So when you're looking at yourself in the camera, what are you seeing? Are you happy with what you're seeing? Do you feel like you're aligning with your brand?

Because if not, then let's start by having that awareness and then step-by-step working on you. So that's a critical component. And then the second piece is really just building that relationship.

We have to turn our cameras on and we have to connect and hybrid is hybrid. And it's who we are today. So I'm glad you appreciated my newsletter.

Thank you for that.

[Uncle Marv]
Well, the first thing is the fact that I read your newsletter. I try to read all my mail. It's not always possible.

That's something I wanted you to know, that yes, I'm one of those, what is it, those percentage of clicks?

[Lisa Shorr]
Yes, and I look at those. I'm a marketer, my degree is in marketing. So my original is corporate branding and all that.

So I always look at my numbers and to see my open rate and I try very, very hard to make sure that I put content out that's always in alignment with my brand and how I want to be perceived by others, whether it's for sure success or secure future tech solutions by MSP, or if I have the honor of being on a podcast that I do you the honor, right? It's all about respect. The R in my brand method is respect.

And I respect your brand, Marvin, and I respect being on your podcast and I want to do it justice. So it's really important that we think about all those aspects. There's a lot that's going on in my brain when we're building brands and I want this to be in your brain too.

[Uncle Marv]
Well, there's a lot period to what we do and we've gotta think about all those things. And it's always, there was something that came up that everyone is watching. And I remember that's something that I learned as a kid, again, unrelated, but it always comes back around where my coach would always comment on how players were in the game, in practice, in training.

And I remember one time he actually called me out and pointed out the fact that I was working harder than anybody else, not because of what we saw on the field or whatever, but because I had taken time to do extra practice away from the field, away from the gym. And somehow, I don't know how he found out, but he said, it was one of those things where you never know who's watching you. And how you do anything is how you do everything and how you do stuff when people aren't watching is how you do it.

[Lisa Shorr]
And that's a leader.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah.

[Lisa Shorr]
That's a leader. In my book, one of my favorite TED Talks is by Drew Dudley and it's called The Lollipop Moment. And The Lollipop Moment it's an old video and Drew Dudley has done subsequent ones.

He's Canadian and he asked the audience right in the beginning, how many of you consider yourselves a leader? And not enough people in the audience raised their hand and he talked about how every single person in a company is a leader of their own role. And so we have to think about all those little moments that we do, not looking for recognition, but to support others in their growth in there because ultimately, just like you, Mark, it's going to be recognized.

And we get rewarded. You got rewarded by the coach and by that recognition, but we get recognized in the IT world or in the small business world with new clients, right? We get recognized by having employees that stay with us for 20 years or clients that renew contracts with us for 20 years because of all the little leadership steps we take for growth.

Beautiful and congratulations. And it's true. You know what?

We are being, how else, if we're not being watched, how else do we evolve and grow? So sometimes people feel like, and there will be cases of micromanagement, definitely. But when you're looking at Olympic athlete or any athlete, their coach is watching their form, their abilities, their training, just like they were watching you with all the extra work you did.

Because that's what makes, give someone Olympic status, right? That's how they grow. They win championships and all of that by coaches watching them and helping them grow.

And that's what this is. That would, that's, I think that's a great analogy for this conversation because it's not micromanagement. It's watching our own behavior, but also the leader watching of what's going on in the company, in their own business and taking action so they can improve their brand and grow relationships and loyalty.

[Uncle Marv]
Well, I didn't say that story to get accolades there, but I was trying to say it. You earned it, you earned it. Well, I was going to say that I was going to translate it to the fact that we do a lot of meetings where, you know, teams in Zoom, where there's, you know, 10, 15, 20, you know, people on the screen.

And just because the camera's on doesn't mean that you're paying attention. And, you know, when you have the screen where you can see everybody and there's, you know, instead of listening to who's talking, you're looking at the person who's doing something that's distracting and stuff like that. That's where I was trying to go with that is, you know, somebody's watching you, you know, all the time.

And when it comes to these video meetings, just because you're not talking, you know, you still need to be present and attentive at the same time.

[Lisa Shorr]
A hundred percent. Just be aware. Be aware that people are watching, perceiving, maybe becoming frustrated because they think that you're not paying attention, but maybe an emergency call came in or maybe something happened and you needed to take it at that moment.

But if you can be present and be attentive, then work really hard with your nonverbal communication and be there. Yeah. So it's such a critical because you don't want to have to have a difficult conversation later.

[Uncle Marv]
Right. Let me ask one more question that might seem a little difficult, but dealing in the tech world, we have a lot of people that are very smart people, very technical people, and maybe not be good at communication in person. But yet we've asked them to do these meetings and they might do technical demonstrations, demos.

They might, you know, do a client TBR or something like that. Do you get to coach to that level where you're trying to teach technical people how to be better on screen?

[Lisa Shorr]
Oh, yeah. A hundred percent. It's a critic.

I knew this was question was coming. So I thought about, you know, how I could answer it. And so the most important thing when you're coaching somebody and I'm not getting into HR and all of that, and this has nothing to do with that.

But I do want to say that always do it in private. So when you have an opportunity, sometimes when you have some of these general conversations about branding and corporate branding and that we align who we are with the corporate brand, that can be in a gallery view. Conversation on teams, on Zoom, whatever you use.

But if you have to work one on one with a particular person, then the best thing to do, first of all, is do it privately. And I suggest an approach of aligning their tech skills and building their and building their credibility and growth through their technical ability. And we want to make sure that their in-person appearance aligns with their amazing technical ability.

And so saying things, we may be suggesting some conversation starters of, you know, I've noticed that your appearance is a little bit unkempt and you are so talented and I want to make sure that our clients view you and really align with the technical abilities. And so in our company, we, you know, we take pride in our brand and we have so we have logo shirts and, you know, we can have conversations about grooming. We can have all kinds of conversations, but make sure that you do it in a sensitive way.

Think about your tone of voice when you're having the conversation because it will never be easy to tell somebody that, hey, your appearance isn't aligning with my brand. But if they're technically savvy and they're and they're coachable. They'll be amenable to it.

They'll listen. If you do it in a way that's empathetic and demonstrate their growth trajectory in the company. I want to see you.

You've really established yourself here. I'm excited to see you grow. Part of that growth actually involves the way we present ourselves physically.

So those are some conversation starters to consider. It's again, not an easy conversation, but it's a critical one. And if it's someone that's worth your time, that and someone that's that can be coached and is coachable.

Then have that conversation. I always recommend having logo shirts and having some consistent uniforms in a company. So that it creates that consistency, that uniformity, that not only creates camaraderie within an organization, but clients love to see that logo and that consistency as well.

So I hope that gives you answers your question and gives listeners some suggestions to be around this very sensitive topic, but a necessary one because it's someone that aligns with your brand. And we want that person to grow and be noticed because of their ability, their technical abilities, not to be a distraction. And so as a leader, sometimes we have to have these conversations.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah, we do.

[Lisa Shorr]
And thank you for bringing a third party like me.

[Uncle Marv]
Thank you for stepping in and helping me out here, because, you know, I was going to do it on my own on in another format. But I thought all I would be doing is rattling off things like stop eating on camera. Don't hold up a beer to drink during a lunch meeting.

Stuff like that.

[Lisa Shorr]
Someone, a friend of mine, I'm in an in a networking group and she texted me the literally texted me this week and said, I was thinking about you this week, this week, Lisa, and I didn't even know I was going to be on your show, actually. And she said some I was on a business meeting and someone was vaping on the call. So it's just, you know, what you do in your private time is your private time.

But eating, drinking, smoking, all the vaping is a distraction. And we just want to focus on the message when you're on that video call, do all you can to connect, to build rapport, to build relationships. And it's not really just because we're not in office, but we're online.

It doesn't mean that we can be relaxed because you're still representing your brand and you have a corporate brand and your personal brand. And it's so important to align all of that and all the different actions that we take that we think are more casual can become distractions. So I'm glad you brought those up.

Very glad.

[Uncle Marv]
Well, that's probably all I would have done is had a whole list of things you should and should not do. And I do want to thank our folks here. We've got people in the chat still giving some more information.

You know, be aware of lighting, camera angles, lean in towards the camera.

[Lisa Shorr]
Totally. You want to have your camera like an arm's length away from you so you can kind of like put your arm in front of you. And that's it.

That will be so like I'm not like on the I can zoom in and go right on top of the camera. But that's a good distance. And to respond to the lighting, if you can have the lighting sort of on either corner, not behind you, but in front of you.

So you're illuminating your beautiful faces. Then that's really ideal. And an external microphone.

I definitely have that as well. And those are that way. We're clear and clarity.

It's really hard when we're using technology and you can't hear the person. And then you might misunderstand what they're saying or just get frustrated because you don't hear what they're saying. So it's all brand building opportunities.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah. One of the next sponsorships I'm going to ask for is for makeup artists so I can do the little pat downs for the glare of the lights on my.

[Lisa Shorr]
Powder, just a little powder. Just a little powder.

[Uncle Marv]
I don't know what powder is.

[Lisa Shorr]
I can help you or Kim can help you.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, Lisa. Thank you very much. And I know that like I said, I had all these things.

Was there anything else that you thought of that if I didn't ask you, you were going to make sure that we talked about?

[Lisa Shorr]
You know, I think that I think we could close on the excuses that people make. And again, please know I'm saying all of this. I became an image professional out of love for communication and building relationships.

And we do a lot in the humans do a lot of comments like. I don't have time to put my camera on. I don't have a camera.

I'm not camera ready today. I'm not dressed. My room is a mess.

My all the things that, you know, you can keep counting that we say. But let's put all of that aside and let's have a mindset of togetherness and communication and setting our businesses apart from our competitors through communication, through connection. There's nothing more important than that.

So let's start thinking about the words and that we're telling ourselves the mindset shifts that we need to make. And let's start communicating. This is this is the most beautiful.

If there's only a tiny silver lining out of COVID, it's connected the globe. I don't have to. I can now work anywhere around the globe.

I can live anywhere for the coaching side of things anyway. I can go anywhere around the globe and still connect with you. Doesn't matter, right?

And this is just the most beautiful thing that those connections in human nature. I know we're in IT and I know people would prefer to stay behind the screen and hide behind the tech. I get it.

You're more comfortable there. But let's think about that all-important brand building and connection because that's what keeps employees feeling connected and part of something. And that's what keeps our clients with us.

Name of the game, growing our businesses. This is a growth tool, an absolute growth tool. And I'll leave with that.

I'll leave with money.

[Uncle Marv]
Lisa Shorr, author of Your Brand Unleashed, Nine Proven Strategies That Build Trust and Maintain Lasting Client Loyalty. So I'll have the link to her book and her website there in the show notes. And we'll create a little pamphlet of do's and don'ts of Zoom Etiquette.

[Lisa Shorr]
And I have some of it.

[Uncle Marv]
Chapter seven. OK. All right.

And for our Florida Man segment this evening, I will say that I have... Lisa is not necessarily in a position where she's going to challenge our Florida Man story. I'm just going to present what I have.

And this comes from the lovely state of Florida, Polk County. And if you are a regular listener to this show, you should recognize Polk County. It is home of Florida's favorite sheriff, Grady Judd.

And this is the story of Florida Man Timothy Schultz from Mulberry, Mulberry, Florida, was fatally shot. So here's what happened. He was actually fatally shot by Polk County Sheriff's Deputies after a chaotic series of events that began with him being bitten by an alligator and ended with a violent confrontation in a residential neighborhood near Lakeland, Florida.

So here's what happened. Early on Memorial Day, Schultz was first reported acting bizarrely at a racetrack gas station, trembling and asking to call his son. Deputies responded but could not report it, could not locate him.

Around 7.43 a.m., Schultz was seen swimming in a lake, known for its large alligator population near Lakeland Court, a gated community. Witnesses observed an alligator bite his arm. They tried to offer him a life vest.

He refused and continued swimming, growling at bystanders trying to help him. After exiting the lake and bleeding from the alligator bite, he proceeded to go through the community, took a pair of garden shears and attempted to break into vehicles, one of which he tried to break a window by throwing a brick at it. So deputies arrived, found him active aggressively, brandishing his shears, refusing commands to stop him.

They attempted to subdue him with a taser twice, but it had no effect. He then charged at the deputies with the shears, who somehow got into their patrol vehicle and tried to access the shotgun inside, at which point the deputies opened fire, fatally shooting him. And oh, one last thing, the deputies were both in training.

[Lisa Shorr]
What a way to train, oh my.

[Uncle Marv]
So that was one of their early days. And for a little background, he had a lengthy criminal record, including multiple arrests for methamphetamine possession. He had just been released from jail six days prior to the incident.

So.

[Lisa Shorr]
Sorry to hear that story.

[Uncle Marv]
It's a sad one, but it involved an alligator and how uncommon is it for a Florida man to survive an alligator attack?

[Lisa Shorr]
Right, right. And only a bite on the arm. Yeah.

You would think it would have been lunch.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah. So that's your Florida man story, folks. I do have a video report from Grady Judd that I will put a link to, Florida's favorite sheriff.

There's some crazy stuff that happens around that place. I drive through there a lot, by the way.

[Lisa Shorr]
You have clients there?

[Uncle Marv]
I have one client in Lakeland, yes. So, but I try not to stop. It's crazy.

[Lisa Shorr]
I don't even know what to say to that story.

[Uncle Marv]
There were some others, and I'm like, that was the one I chose just because it had the alligator in it. There were some others, a ton of craziness on Memorial Day. I hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend.

[Lisa Shorr]
I did. I did. It was lovely.

The weather was good here for one of the days. Rained a little bit this weekend, but it was good. Yeah.

It was nice to have a little time off.

[Uncle Marv]
Very nice. Hot here, no rain. It's Florida.

[Lisa Shorr]
70 here. Rhode Island, this is the time of year. It's absolutely gorgeous, this time of year here.

[Uncle Marv]
Our humidity is almost 70.

[Lisa Shorr]
Well, I'll be there for IT Nation, so I'll see you at IT Nation and I'll see you at PAC FATE. Very nice. I'll be on the stage for both.

I'll be presenting Handling Difficult Conversations. How to Handle Difficult Conversations at both.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, I'll have to. I don't think I looked up your schedule. I will be there on Radio Row, so I will.

[Lisa Shorr]
Good.

[Uncle Marv]
I will be doing interviews, so hopefully I get a little time to run and see that.

[Lisa Shorr]
I'll let you know the time. But yeah, if you guys are listening and you're going to be at IT Nation, come see me. So I'll be on the stage talking about, I can't remember which title it was, but it's Handling Difficult Conversations.

So either there at IT Nation Secure or PAC FATE. So I'm going to share some real world stories and how we and sharing an actual proprietary system for Handling Difficult Conversations. So come see it, come learn.

I'd love to educate people. So I'll see you there.

[Uncle Marv]
See you there. All right. Thanks a lot.

And thank you all for watching and or listening. If you've downloaded the show later, if you want to be alerted to any time we do these videos or podcasts, just go to itbusinesspodcast.com. You can follow on any of your favorite pod catchers.

You can also sign up and follow on the social medias. We are streaming here on YouTube, LinkedIn, and the Facebook. That's going to do it for this episode of the podcast, folks.

Thank you for tuning in. And as I always say, we'll see you out there somewhere soon. And until then, holla.

Holla.