Read the Zoom: EQ and Best Practices

Have you ever been in a meeting and wondered does the speaker have any clue? A clue about how they are being perceived. In person, You might look around at the expressions on the faces and think - Read the Room.

Of course since you read my last newsletter, you are confidently wearing your poker face.

Now in the virtual world, reading the room is now a matter of reading the Zoom (or other meeting platform). Which is harder to do virtually. But, not impossible.

Read the room

Read the room (idiomatic) – to understand the emotions and thoughts of the people in the room.?

Synonym: read the table

Why is reading the room important? Making a connection is more important than ever. It's easy to be distracted and not present in a virtual world. It's also easy to not set yourself up to take in the room, or rather Zoom.

As we all have become used to Zoom, engagement for many has become an issue. It's easy to be lazy and not fully present in the moment. Not the presenter, but for the participants.?The larger the audience, the more crucial it is to pay attention to each person and the collective.

In-person, people are less likely to be distracted or multi-task. There might be that one person, not fully-present, scrolling their phone.

On a Zoom, there is email, Slack, the kitchen, and more distractions than ever. Add to this mix; the news and everything going on in the world.?People are also more inclined to become distracted by multi-tasking.?

It is vital to connect with your audience. EQ is essential in sales, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, and the ability to recognize others’ emotions while not irritating your audience. What do you do? Just like in a typical room, you would refocus the individual or group.?

Tips for Zoom

Here are some essential tips.

• Camera on:?This encourages others also to use their camera. (Before the call, you should be confirming their preferred method of communication and sharing the benefits of a Zoom call, like screen sharing). Setting expectations is comforting to everyone.
• Self-view off:?This helps you not look at yourself but rather focus on the audience. The way you do this is to hover on the three dots on the right-hand side of your picture and turn off ‘Self View.’
• ?Look at the camera:?You don’t need to do it consistently, but occasionally it’s essential to look at it. Put a sticker or something near it as a reminder to look there. For a hot minute, I used a chip clip that said, ‘Don’t Eat Me.’ Don’t do this. It will make you laugh every time you look at the camera. ??
• ?The camera above eye level:?If you are using your laptop, invest in stand. There is nothing worse than looking up someone’s nose.
• ?Lighting:?There are a lot of great lighting options. It would be best if you have light falling on your face so that you look natural.
• ?Be focused on your Audience:?Use gallery mode so that you can see everyone. Even if you share a deck or a demo, you should leave your view of the audience visible. This strategy allows you to look for signs of disengagement.
• Two-Way Communication:?Engage your audience as much as possible. Ask questions, call people by name. Before the meeting, you should have created a plan and a list of questions for the discussion. (Be sure to do something different every 7- 9 minutes, it's common to have a 7 minute attention span)
• Background:?Be aware of your background. Some suggest a virtual one. I’m not a fan of virtual backgrounds myself. As an animated person, it becomes distracting to see gaps when I move frequently.

Tips for Engaging the Audience

?How to keep the audience engaged on Zoom?

• Have a plan: Have your plan and engaging questions handy. Include any documentation of previous conversations so that you can ask clarifying questions along the way. That will also come in handy if you want to call attention to an earlier comment and gain some specific feedback.??
• Use names:?Use people’s names as you ask specific questions. The audience will take note and will likely focus better.

Dale Carnegie said, “A person’s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.”

• Note who shares:?Create a list of all attendees and make a note of how many times each person speaks. Engage participants that have not had an opportunity to share or engage.
• Distractions:?If you see someone getting distracted, ask them a question. It may be best to ask the group a question in some cases, then ask that person for clarification. That way, you are getting the audience engaged without calling attention to that person specifically.?
• Voice tone:?Alternate your tone of voice. When something is exciting, share your excitement. Creating depth in your voice also creates better engagement.
• Gain clarity:?When they ask a question that you do not know the answer to, ask questions to gain more clarity. Seek to understand.
• Alternate display:?When possible alternate views. Stop sharing your screen if you are getting into a more in-depth discussion and focus on your audience. That change will also focus them on the speaker. Changing the view also catches the attention of your audience. (Note the 7 minutes from above)

EQ for Zoom

There are typically communications happening just below the surface. The subtle cues, changes in expression, a raised eyebrow, a slight smile, a small nod, quick shake of the head, etc. Paying attention to these cues can prove fruitful.

If this Zoom is for discovery, you want to go beyond the surface level. Take time to dig into the heart of the matter. As your conversation evolves, the subtle cues can sometimes give you a sign that there is more to the story.?

Remember, discovery is two-way, not an interrogation. Be mindful of the experience you are creating while you interpret these cues. Some people are very intuitive in this area; if you are not, that is ok. It is a skill that can be learnt and practiced.

• Read the emotions:?Read the expression of the participants. On your list of participants, note any emotions (frowns, happy faces, etc.) in areas of your discussion. If appropriate, you might want to dig deeper at the moment, but it may make sense to wait towards the end when you are looking for concerns. Pay attention to the subtle cues, looking for what is being conveyed without words—considering both personal and collective emotions on the Zoom.
• Energy level:?Noting the energy levels is necessary. An ice-breaker or joke to get the participants to laugh or smile is always a good idea. I tend to go for animated facial expressions to make comments appear funnier when I’m starting to lose a participant.?Reading the energy, both positive and negative, has value. If the energy feels hostile from the get-go, considering what might be impacting your audience is a sign of empathy. You could ask how their day is going and look for micro-expressions. Keeping your own emotion in check is also crucial; last time, I covered that topic in?Why EQ Matters in Sales.
• Empathy:?Use opportunities to empathize with the group by putting yourself in their shoes. If they are sharing a business or personal struggle, take the time to share their perspective. This is a great video that explores?empathy.?For example, when someone says “2021 sucked”, you could say, “at least 2022 will be better”.?Or, you could explore how it impacted the person and explore where you could offer help or support. Think about how much value it has for the relationship to explore how you could help.

• Offer a different view:?Don’t be afraid to disagree or have a different opinion. It’s ok to disagree with a prospect. It would be best if you told them why and do it succinctly without emotion. Give space for your audience to share their thoughts in response.
• LISTEN:?Practice empathetic listening.?Empathetic listening?is paying attention to another person with empathy [emotional identification, compassion, feeling, insight]. One basic principle is to “seek to understand, before being understood.”

Make Room on the Zoom

A speaker taking all the space on Zoom is my biggest personal pet peeve. Do you leave room for others? Do you pause enough for people to interject??As a salesperson or a leader, you are not there to hear yourself speak. Silence is your friend; it makes people want to fill the space. You can find out a lot of information by using silence.

When people are waiting for you to stop talking, they may be making a list. Either in their head or on a piece of paper.?They could be personally listing things they are saving up to say. If you go too long, you’ll never hear the whole list. It’s not about you; it’s about understanding and connecting.

Another reason is we don’t want this.?

Or, for your audience to feel like this.

Conclusion

?To sum this up, I’ll leave you with my favorite Maya Angelou quote:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

This is absolutely true.

If you are invested in your prospect’s success, they feel it, you will earn their trust. If you put your prospects’ needs first during your meetings, they will feel heard. Not only will you create a great experience, but you’ll also be a valuable partner for the solution to their business challenge. You may even make a friend.?

Cheers to new friends in 2022!

Next Time: Let's get the party started! Digging deeper in opening presentations and training, ways to keep people engaged, and more.

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Thank you!

Thank you for reading and for being a part of my community! I appreciate you and am wishing you the very best in the holidays and the coming year.