The principle. Buyers read authority from the angle of your face. A laptop on the desk shoots up at your jaw — same angle a kid takes a selfie. You look smaller, less in control, and your jawline does most of the talking.
The fix in 60 seconds. Stack books, a Yeti box, anything until the lens sits at the top of your forehead. Eyes should land in the upper third of the frame. Lighting in front of you, not behind.
Why it converts. Eye-level camera lets you make real eye contact (look at the lens, not the buyer's face). Real eye contact spikes perceived honesty in social-cognition studies. On a price reveal, that's the difference between "let me think" and "let's do it."
The 80/20. Camera height, front lighting, and a clean background do most of the work. You don't need a $400 webcam. You need 6 inches of riser.