How to Effectively Communicate in a Virtual Environment
We have entered a historic time that is changing how we interact with our clients, team members and senior leaders. The majority of meetings are now being held virtually, creating the perfect opportunity for mixed signals and miscommunication. Here are 5 etiquette tips to help your virtual meetings and conversations remain positive and productive.
- Talk slowly and use exaggerated mouth movements. Slowing down your rate of speech helps you pronounce words more clearly and slows down or stops distracting head movements. Improve your speech clarity by using exaggerated mouth movements to articulate your final consonant sounds. Since you may not be visible and your listeners may not get visual clues from reading your lips, it is especially important to be clear and distinct with exaggerated mouth movements.
- State the number of points you’ll be making. At the start of your responses, let your listener/audience know what you would like to address. For example: “I’d like to address this topic with three points…#1, #2, #3.” This way, the audience will be able to anticipate your points and it will reduce the risk of interruptions.
- Ask a lot of questions. Asking questions is the key to understanding and gaining the knowledge you need to advance in the conversation. Remember to stop and wait for a response, too. That person may take a moment to respond so give him that time to think and answer. Ask the questions everyone else is thinking and you will demonstrate your leadership.
- Ask for clarification and reiterate what was said. This strategy works when you think you know what the person means but want to make sure that you are correct. Take copious notes and repeat back what they said in their own words. The phrase “Let me see if I understood you correctly. You are saying that…(then repeat using their words)” is a great way to reiterate and confirm your understanding.
- Summarize at the end. Before the meeting/conversation closes, make sure everyone is on the same page by restating in bullet point style the topics covered during the meeting or conversation. This may include the next steps, who is responsible for them and the time frame to complete the steps.
- Need more specific ideas? See How to Clearly Pronounce Words for additional tips and tricks.
The Covid-19 pandemic may keep us from interacting face-to-face with our peers for many weeks. Practicing and using the etiquette tips will showcase your effective communication as a leader during a trying time. Visit clearly-speaking.com for more ways to communicate clearly, confidently, and concisely to transform your impact in the world.