As a consultant people seem to prefer to have meetings without video. I think I can understand why.
First people are exhausted having video meetings. It is relatively new for the average person to have video meetings so often. For most people they had in person meetings before COVID and only VIPS/executives/board members tended to have video meetings remotely.
Second I think people are tired of seeing their own face. There are studies that show when you view yourself it can be tiring because you are more concerned about how you appear than focusing on the meeting contents. While it is important to at least seem like you are paying attention, I have to wonder how productivity has gone down and has this contributed to it?
Third when dealing with consultants, vendors or anyone who you are not selling to but buying from, the expectations are different. The client sets the tone, and if they don’t want to do video then that is their choice. Many times I have done interviews or other video meetings and the other party didn’t show their cam. Doesn’t matter to me. If they don’t want to share who they are, that is on them and has nothing to do with me.
Fourth not doing video is a power move. If you are interviewing for a job and they don’t show their face but demand for you to show yours, you get a sense of how they think business should be run. You can make your choices from there.
I don’t need to see anyone face, but in real life it isn’t a choice. People who play games with not showing their face, well that game is with them. I always show my face to start with and if they don’t show theirs then I turn my cam off. When in Rome do as the Romans do?