Virtual Meetings: Is Anybody Listening?
If you’ve conducted or have been a part of webinars or web meetings, chances are you were less than impressed. While it’s tempting to blame the technology, the real issue is with the presenter. When communicating during these meetings, the presenter absolutely must adjust their voice to keep their audience engaged.
Because your voice is your client’s only contact with you, you must transform your voice. Learning to be more enthusiastic, insert more dramatic pauses and emphasize key words and phrases requires practice. You will need to adjust the way you speak… and believe me it is harder than you think! The number one way to do this is to avoid talking to your computer screen. Either have someone in your office with you or pretend to speak to someone far away. During one training program, one attendee even told me he was speaking to a picture of his family. When he did this, the difference in the enthusiasm in his voice was noticeable.
Another tip is to practice. Try recording yourself and listen to it to really understand what other people are hearing. It does take practice, but the first step in transforming your face-to-face communications into web-based communications is to make sure you sound engaging. Check out our Webinars that Wow Public Program for help on how to do this!
Make every presentation great!
Sheri Jeavons
