Hold a Conversation, Not a Meeting - Inspiring others in a Digital World. Five Tips.

How can I tell if people are paying attention? How can I see if I'm connecting? What can I do to be engaging and inspire from so far away? How can I use video to my advantage? These questions aren't new -- but we're asking them a heck of a lot more these days.

For the last decade and a half, I have been encouraging people to rip the pages out of the presentation instruction manual. (Then recycle them.) It is time we liberated ourselves from what we have been told about presenting. Follow a few simple rules and change the way you connect, virtually or in person, forever.

Here are five things to keep in mind! These are taken from my Presenting with Digital Confidence course. (Available now for booking -- find the link to this course and more at the bottom of the page.)

FIVE TIPS

1. Create a Conversation -- even in large groups. When we inspire conversation, even if we can only take a few questions or tackle a few minutes of discussion, people will be more engaged, remember more, and feel more invested in your meeting. Remember, the "mute all" button is your friend and can help those that have questions be heard over the background noise.
2. Be Passionate -- Be brave! Share how you feel about your content, team, and meeting. Take a mindful moment to recognize where you are, and set the tone for your meeting. No one will care about what you have to say unless you do. Video can place distance between the message and our passion -- you have to create connections with those on the other side of the digital divide.
3. Turn the video on! Only use slides when the information is vital. Keep your notes in your notes and speak to the camera. Seeing the people in the meeting and being seen changes the way we interact. Encourage people to turn their video on; this will help them keep their attention on the screen in front of them.
4. Passive Feedback -- The larger the group, the more difficult it can be to hear from all your participants. Find ways to program in passive feedback. This means, raising hands, using icons to agree or disagree, or even creating hand signals to suggest a connection, agreement, or disagreement. These things can help create a conversational feel even if turning on the group's sound is a factor.
5. Questions and Answers at the Beginning, Middle, and End -- Many people have said that they are afraid questions will derail a meeting or message. I say that boredom and half-attention have killed more meetings and messages than anything else. Start by asking your participants if they have any questions. You might be able to use those questions to transition seamlessly to your content. During the meeting, take the time to ask people for feedback. Do they understand the content? Do they need clarification? Do they have ideas? Without capturing these thoughts, we'll likely lose 40% - 60% of them. Doing this will keep them more engaged. It will also help them remember, buy-in, and become an active, positive contributor. There's too much uncertainty these days to ask attendees to be confused until you're done talking.

For more tips, the research behind the statistics above, or to book a virtual session -- send me a message.

You can find my course and many other great offerings through worksmART Advantage and the post below. A big thanks goes out to Van Lai-DuMone for her inspiration and perspiration.