I think there is a bunch of factors which are used as a proxy for whether a person is or isn't "professional". And being "professional" is itself a proxy for whether somebody is smart and possibly trustworthy.
In lack of better information (and even in presence of) our minds use a lot of shortcuts (biases) to guess some important information that you can't get directly. Almost all people will instinctively think about well groomed, well clothed people as more professional and trustworthy.
I think the same goes for how we present on a remote call and so I invested a little bit into making my audio/video setup and a more professionally looking office/background. Pretty sure it will pay for itself over time.
In lack of better information (and even in presence of) our minds use a lot of shortcuts (biases) to guess some important information that you can't get directly. Almost all people will instinctively think about well groomed, well clothed people as more professional and trustworthy.
I think the same goes for how we present on a remote call and so I invested a little bit into making my audio/video setup and a more professionally looking office/background. Pretty sure it will pay for itself over time.