Presenting effectively in the COVID-19 World: a step by step guide to conference and video calls

By: Copie Harris & Carla ávila

Presenting your authentic self: how to appear competent, confident and natural when presenting from home via video or teleconference.  

Everyone who is on a conference or video call is representing your firm, yet many if not most people haven’t been trained specifically in these modes of communication. It’s important today to pivot quickly and to be the best at what you say and how you say it, using these two modes of communication.

We believe that practice and working with a coach is really the only way to improve. Reading an article about verbal and non-verbal skills, while helpful, is akin to reading an article about improving your tennis or golf game and expecting to play better right away. Call us at +1-508-259-7496 or email us at [email protected] to set up a conference or video practice session.

If you’re like us, you’ve been watching a great many videoconferences and you’ve been on the phone for hours every day, often on conference calls with many attendees. You’ve probably seen and heard loads of mistakes, such as people video conferencing from inappropriate places or in inappropriate positions. You’ve also probably wished that people would speak up during conference calls, or stop speaking over others, or just stop speaking! We’d like to share some tips about how to be more effective during this difficult time.  Let’s start with teleconferencing do’s and don’ts. Our next article will cover videoconferencing. 

Conference call Tip #1: Prepare in advance, both for the verbal and the non-verbal impact of your call

We say this all the time, and it’s worth repeating: preparation is crucial. There are effective ways to prepare both your content (the verbal part of the call) and the non-verbal part of the call. First, the verbal.  

1. Write bullet point notes for what you want to say. If you’re the host of the call, decide what the agenda and the goal of the call are. Try to limit your back-to-back calls to 25 minutes, or to 55 minutes at a maximum. This will give you time to prepare and take a breath before your next call.
2. Plan breaks to avoid burnout. Do a quick breathing exercise or meditation, or adopt the Wonder Woman or Superman poses to release testosterone and boost your energy and confidence levels. (These poses include standing with your feet wide apart, your hands on your hips, and your shoulders confidently back and down.)
3. Set up your at-home office space: have your computer or tablet charged and ready, and make sure to have a pad of paper and a pen or pencil as backup. Pour yourself a glass of water and coffee or tea, if you drink it.

Conference call Tip #2: When your call begins, set expectations

Tell everyone how much time you’ve allotted for the call, and lay out the ground rules. Tell everyone the goal of the call or the hoped-for outcome. This is now the time to express your primary message for the call (see our article and webcast about messaging).

Everyone on the call should identify him/herself, and if it’s a large group, each person should say her or his name when adding a comment. We believe that everyone on a conference call should speak. Make sure to manage expectations; for instance, if you know that the call will be interrupted by late arrivals, let the other call participants know that too.

Ask everyone to mute their phones when they’re not speaking, to minimize distracting background sounds. 

Conference call Tip #3: Orchestrate the call. Check in with your clients/listeners. Be inclusive of everyone on the call; make sure that everyone speaks.

If someone dials in late, welcome that person and give a quick update. Frequently stop speaking and ask your listeners for their thoughts. In fact, Carla and Copie urge you to use the open-ended question, “What are your thoughts?” rather than the close-ended, “Do you have any questions?” 

Conference call Tip #4 (first non-verbal tip): Speak loudly and slowly. Use Linkage to regulate your rate of speech and to reduce “ums.” 

How do you use Linkage when you’re most likely alone in your home office space as you shelter in place during this COVID-19 pandemic? First of all, a reminder about what Linkage is: Linkage is the skill of looking eye to eye with each person in the room as you complete a sentence. The rule is that you don’t speak unless you are looking into someone’s eyes, which therefore means that you will pause each time you move from one pair of eyes to the next. In the coronavirus world (and even when things go back to ‘normal’) we recommend that you place two or three pictures in front of you, a few feet apart from each other. These photos should be of people whom you feel warmly towards and who make you smile (photos of pets work, too). As you speak into the phone, look into the eyes of the people in the photographs, one by one. Remember that as you move your eyes from one photo to the next, you say nothing.

Conference call Tip #5: Pause!  

The natural pauses caused by Linkage will provide an opportunity for your listeners to speak. A complaint that we often hear from people who spend a great deal of time on the phone is that the speaker never provides an opportunity for feedback. And speakers bemoan the lack of response from their listeners, saying that they never know what people are thinking when they’re on the phone.  

Conference call Tip #6: Watch your tone and your inflection

We continually hear people using what we call the “grocery list” tone when on a conference call. This is a monotone, a repetitive tone that makes focusing on what you’re saying challenging for your listeners. Interestingly, tone and inflection are connected with gestures. Whether you’re seated or standing, remember to gesture as you would when speaking casually to a friend. In fact, try to stand if possible while you’re speaking, so that your voice will reflect your energy. Use a headset if you have one, and arrange your Linkage photos on a high counter so that you will have eyes to look into to remind you to pause. If you’re seated, remember the ideal attentive posture: sit up straight, literally on the edge of your seat, with both feet firmly on the floor. Keep your hands resting lightly on your table or desk, so that you can use your hands to gesture.  

Conference call Tip #7: Repeat or rephrase every question.  We’re posting a Webcast on the art and skill of rephrasing--watch it to hear and see our tips on this. Why repeat or rephrase? See the true story below--your listeners are probably multitasking as they listen, and repeating (at a minimum) ensures that everyone hears the question asked.

True Story

Copie was walking her dog the other day, when she passed someone who was walking and who was clearly on a business conference call. This other walker had her phone on speaker and on mute, and was paying minimal attention to the person on the phone, who was speaking in the “grocery list” tone that makes it so hard to focus. This sort of situation is not unusual in today’s environment. We see people on their calls multitasking in many different ways. Our advice: listeners, please pay attention! Sit up straight and literally on the edge of your seat, with both feet on the floor. Try to stay indoors in your home office space when you’re on an important work call. And speakers, you must be even more engaging than you’ve been in the past, if you want to maintain focus and productivity during this difficult time.

Summary: 

Conference calls have always been a challenge for many of us, but now, in our COVID-19 world, they’re even more important to conduct well. The key is to prepare both your verbal and your non-verbal impact, and to be even more engaging, focused and direct than you’ve been in the past. Follow our tips to increase your conference calls’ impact and call or email us so that we may help you implement these tips.

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