by Beth Levine | May 20, 2020 | public speaking
It’s hard to think about offering advice on communication and presentation skills right now. On the one hand, it seems so trivial and insignificant given what’s going on in the world. On the other hand, as with any aspect of professionalism, we need it in order to keep business – and thereby, the economy overall – going. Or perhaps we need it even more, as we continue to present ideas and recommendations from a distance?!
There’s so much we don’t know at this point – including when and whether we’ll be back in conference rooms again. I have had clients whose companies are slowly returning to their office buildings tell me that, in addition to the one-way hallways, shuttered break rooms, and two-person elevator limits, there’s an indefinite moratorium on gathering in conference rooms. Wow, okay, sounds reasonable … as long as it’s temporary, right?! But it may not be temporary.
The au courant buzzwords, “new normal” and “pivot,” are not trendy for the sake of being trendy. They’re not the new “we need something disruptive” or “let’s socialize this.” They’re real, and they’re necessary. We lost our normal, and we’re not sure if or when it’s coming back, so we need to prepare for a new one. Figuring out whether our businesses or business models will suit the hypothetical or real new normal is requiring companies to at least experiment with pivoting.
So, what can a communication coach offer in this time of Corona? This month, just a couple of helpful tips about communicating and presenting effectively via the camera on your laptop or phone. Later on, I hope to be able to offer more … but for now, in-the-moment baby steps, as I’m just taking it week by week.
To that end, here are three pointers to improve your effectiveness while communicating remotely, regardless of the platform (e.g. Zoom, WebEx, Teams, etc):
1. Setup. Let’s keep this simple. Make sure your background is tidy. Make sure you’re wearing appropriate clothing all the way down to your knees or below if you might have to stand up. And most important, make sure your phone or laptop are propped up so the camera is in line with, or just above, your eyes. Also, tilt it toward you so that it’s not capturing part of the ceiling in addition to you.
2. Lighting. Natural light only. Turn off the overhead lights; they will only cast shadows and/or odd coloring on your face. Depending on the time of day and the orientation of the natural light, you might need to adjust the blinds or move closer to the screen to be seen clearly, but natural light is far better than bulbs.
3. Eye contact. You are off the hook here, there’s no need to look around at all the faces in the room! When it’s your turn to talk, the only eye contact you need to make is with the little green light of the camera. Do not look at the people stacked in the Brady Bunch boxes on the screen … or, even worse, at yourself! Look at the little green light of the camera and talk to it as if it were your best friend in the whole world.
In many respects, presenting remotely is less daunting than standing in front of a room full of people, so embrace it. And trust me, these three simple tips can make all the difference in the impression you make!
Be safe, smart, and stay well.
by Beth Levine | Apr 16, 2020 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
One of my clients said to me recently, “The world of Zoom is like the Wild West… everyone is running in that direction, but many don’t seem to have a clue what they are doing.”
Amen sister! Zoom is a new frontier for sure, and lots of people are seeking – and others, offering – advice on how to keep virtual meetings and events interesting and engaging.
To that end, I thought about one type of meeting that could pose a real challenge online – the brainstorming session. How do you make and keep a virtual brainstorming session interesting, engaging, and inclusive?
So, at the risk of adding to the social media cacophony on effective virtual meetings and communications, here’s my one idea for Zoom brainstorming sessions (works best for teams of fewer than 10):
Time: Schedule the Zoom session for only 30 minutes.
Meeting invite: Scope out the central issue, question, idea or solution needed. Identify parameters and any specifics that brainstorming participants need to know.
Assignment: Ask participants to brainstorm on their own prior to the meeting (this works better for introverts anyway) and then to home in on their best idea and develop a 3-minute pitch around that idea.
Meeting agenda: Pitchfest! Make the Zoom session a Pitchfest, in which each participant takes no more than 3 minutes to pitch their idea and its rationale to the team. Meeting leader, be sure to time everyone!
Result: You can do an online poll afterward to rank the ideas, or you can let the ideas marinate for a while (e.g. 24 hours) and then hold a “watercooler” session via Zoom to ask questions, discuss, debate and decide. To ensure inclusivity and full engagement, make sure everyone has a chance to talk and ask questions.
If you try this, please let me know how it goes! I’d love to hear feedback!
by Beth Levine | Mar 25, 2020 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
The Virus. Say no more, right?
Our lives seem to have changed almost overnight. Places of work, learning, gathering and networking are all closed, on hold, or happening virtually.
Since so many of us will be conducting business, learning, and even attending industry events online, I thought it might be the responsible thing to ditch what I was going to write about this month and turn my attention to offering tips for virtual communications.
If you are working remotely, and leading or attending meetings online or via conference call, here are some quick-hit tips for you on being an effective communicator from a distance:
Audiences need more guidance than usual. One of the things we know about audiences is that it’s a passive role to be a listener. Audiences simply won’t work very hard to figure out what a speaker is saying or what the speaker wants them to know. Even in-person audiences need constant guidance – e.g. when you’re digressing to tell a story, or when you’re moving from one point or section to another, or what your key takeaway is – so you can imagine the need for remote audiences. It’s exponentially greater. Therefore, take your audiences by the hand and walk them through every step of your meeting or presentation so they can track and follow along.
Stand, don’t sit. If you’re on a conference call, stand up to speak. Your voice energy and projection will be stronger and more commanding than when you’re sitting (and possibly leaning back in your chair). You don’t want to be the person who sounds distant and low-energy. You also don’t want to be the person whose delivery is halting and distracted-sounding … because you’re reading an email that came in while you were talking. Stand up, look away from your screen, and project.
Keep it brief, and keep it moving. Holding attention, interest, and engagement in online meetings is more challenging than when your group is gathered together around a conference room table. (It would be great if this could mean goodbye-for-now to long, tedious, rambling meetings!) If you are a meeting leader – or an assertive meeting participant – help the group keep exchanges limited to important topics and robust discussions. It’s more than fair to ask that tangents and irrelevant questions be put on hold for another time.
While all of this presents a test to our ability to focus, be present, and be concise and on point, I want to offer kudos to all of you who are doing your best to work from home and maintain some momentum in your work lives. As we all find our way through these surreal times together, I have complete faith in everyone to do what’s needed. Nevertheless, I’m here if you need me; reach out and we can set up a Zoom session!
by Beth Levine | Mar 20, 2020 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
There’s nothing quite like a crisis to highlight the value of good corporate communications … or the scourge of bad, for that matter. This is your time, comms people. There isn’t an industry that won’t be affected by the reverberations of COVID-19, and so this is the time when everyone in a comms role can and should step up. The C-Suite cannot do this alone.
Sidenote: Is it opportunistic to be thinking about your role vis-à-vis the C-Suite right now? Sure it is, but it’s also necessary. Trust me, everybody wins this time – your company reputation, employee satisfaction/engagement/retention, shareholders, customers and other stakeholders all win when you pitch in to help shape the message and prepare the messenger at the highest level of the organization during a crisis!
So a few things to think about as you prepare to be one of the most trusted advisors to your C’s right now:
Be clear. I wish I could whisper this, but I have to say it out loud: Executives, for some reason, love to obfuscate, hedge, or paint a rosier than real picture. It must be because they want to hang on to the love, admiration and loyalty of their stakeholders. Don’t let them lean in to their best intentions – which, during a crisis, are their worst instincts. Be incredibly clear with your messaging; keep it simple and in plain English. No non-committal corporate-speak that sounds like gobbledygook. Bring recommendations for clear messaging to your C’s; it should come from you to them, not the other way around.
Be transparent. Along with creating clear messaging, it will fall to you to be the transparency police. I know legal will be at the table too, but hold your ground. During a crisis, it is imperative to be open and transparent with what the company knows, doesn’t know, and how it’s coping/managing. We live in an age of suspicion, when audiences can sniff out BS or a phony statement. You will need to be the enforcer and remind the executive suite that it’s okay not to know everything. To help in this effort, make sure your spokesperson is someone capable of credible transparency.
Be consistent. Be the voice of reason with respect to needing to be consistent with the company’s message, messenger, and cadence. Even though different audiences have different self-interests and a different level of need-to-know, be sure the messaging across audiences is consistent and that there are no unintended contradictions. The messenger should be consistent also, so choose a spokesperson who is reassuring and available. Finally, your recommendation re cadence – i.e. how many times a week you communicate with audiences – should be sustainable and based upon your industry, the needs of your audiences, and your medium for delivery.
Be trusted. Advocate for your spokesperson – CEO or other public face/voice – to be someone who either is trusted or can build trust. If the CEO is not the most empathetic or trustworthy figure, try some coaching for him/her or figure out a way to pitch him/her on the idea of someone else taking on that role and responsibility. Delicate work, I get it. You might want to arm yourself with some worst-case scenario examples of corporate executives and companies that lost the battle with trust. Trust during a crisis is everything.
Be ready. Encourage your exec team to have and communicate not only a Plan B, but a Plan C also. We don’t know what we don’t know, so it’s wise to be ready to move beyond just Plan B if necessary. For certain very discerning audiences with a need to know (e.g. employees, shareholders), it will be a confidence-builder to know that your company is thinking ahead and planning for even potentially unforeseen outcomes. Suggesting that the company have a Plan C demonstrates your value as a strategic advisor. And besides, it’s smart; we don’t yet know what’s in store for the next few months.
For those comms people who haven’t gotten a foot in the C-Suite door yet, this crisis could be your time. While the ROI of corporate communications may not be fully appreciated during times of peace and prosperity, there is a clear and undisputed ROI for good corporate communications during difficult times. ROI notwithstanding, this is your time because there is no time like right now.
by Beth Levine | Jan 9, 2020 | smartmouth talks!
Dear Friends of SmartMouth,
Happy New Year, I hope this year and decade bring you lots of opportunities to shine … especially at the front of the room!
On our end, 2020 marks SmartMouth’s 15th year in business – hard to believe but also very satisfying. Our client list continues to grow, and our engagements continue to be rewarding. We’ve added several enhancements to our trainings over the past two years, all of which have been well received so far. Complementing our in-person coaching and training is our
app, as well as our online courses on
OpenSesame and
GO1. On the publishing side, my regular columns in
Forbes.com join
Jock Talk in helping to expand the reach of the SmartMouth approach.
In an effort to maintain balance and quality, I plan to scale back the SmartMouth blog post and newsletter to once a month, rather than twice. Starting this month, you can look for a nugget of advice on communication skills and style on the third Thursday of the month. I hope you’ll continue to follow and read!
In gratitude for your loyalty and friendship.
All my best,
