3 Under-rated Communication Tips That'll Actually Help You

Mayank was the director of his department. He was great at communicating and connected well with his audience. But then the world went virtual and that threw him off his game.

Suddenly, the rules of communication that we followed all our lives weren't so effective any more. His audience was no longer sitting in front of him. The critical non verbal cues were missing from most conversations.

The pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us. But it's also like we were given super powers. We could mute ourselves right in the middle of meetings and even vanish if we wanted to.

But that's fine as long as we are on the listening end of a conversation. Sooner or later, we got the virtual stage and were expected to work our magic! But the old rules of the game didn't work!

In today's newsletter, I want to share a few things that are more important in virtual communication than they get credit for.

1.YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR CONTENT

I think it is safe to say that since times immemorial, ppts have been used to hide behind or made into crutches to support ourselves through presentations.

But in my coaching experience - with directors and middle managers alike - the content comes alive only when the speaker makes it happen.

No matter how colourful your slide deck is or how well researched your content, unless you present it in an interesting manner, all the effort on content is a waste.

No one's excited about slides moving at a glacial pace and a voice droning on. Trust me! That wasn't a great idea even with audience sitting in front of you.

So how do I bring the content alive, you ask? Check out the next tip!

READ: 14 tips to making your presentation boring (some apply even in the virtual world)

2. YOUR VOICE IS YOUR POWER

...but often the most under-rated in communicating effectively. Most of us tried to use the old formula of slides first and hoped it'll work in the virtual world too. But it didn't.

The only way to hold the audience attention when we are just a voice is to use it in the best possible manner.

Modulate your voice to convey emphasis.

Alternate your rate of speech between fast and slow to convey key points. Ditch your slides and prioritise focussing on your voice.

Get a coach and work on your communication. A good coach should be able to help you understand the range of your voice and work with it to create impact.

WATCH: How to improve voice modulation

3. ENDING MATTERS TOO

While we pay attention to and rehearse how we will begin our talking parts, we tend to ignore the ends.

It's not for nothing that endings of movies are much anticipated parts. We want to know how it all ended. And if you making a presentation that's worth making, focus on the end too.

Finishing your part with "That's it" is a very un-impactful end.

If a great beginning captures the attention of the audience, a strong ending leaves a memorable after taste

So end your presentations on a high note too. Summarise the key points. Or thank everyone and open the floor for questions. Or hand over the virtual mic to the next person in line maybe with a couple of lines about their role in the meeting.

WATCH: How to end your speech with impact

What are some of the tips that you've discovered during your virtual presentations?

This is a weekly newsletter in which I will uncover tips and strategies to communicate better in your work and life to achieve success. Hit subscribe to ensure you don't miss future posts!

If you wish to talk to me about improving your own communication,?let's talk

You can also look up free resources on communication and soft skills on my?blog