Virtual Credibility Crushers

Are you the same credible person in virtual meetings as you are in person?

Of course you are!... Let me ask it another way:

Are you PERCEIVED as the same credible person in virtual meetings as you are in person?

For most people, the answer is “no.” Why? Because they engage in common virtual behaviors that undermine their efforts to build trust and cause people to question their credibility.

Studies show that people decide whether you are trustworthy within the first few seconds of meeting you. Much of that decision is influenced by the nonverbal signals you’re sending. (After all, how much can you even say in a few seconds?!)

On video, perception is reality.

That’s why traditional methods of building trust, like being customer-focused, communicating value, or building rapport often fail in virtual meetings - simply because sellers are unaware of how the camera (and thus, their customer) reads and interprets certain on-screen behaviors.

So, are you sending off signals that say “Trust me” or “Proceed with caution?”?Let's find out!

Identifying Virtual Credibility Crushers

Virtual credibility crushers are those behaviors that call your credibility into question. Here are a few from ?my new guide, Top 10 Virtual Credibility Crushers as well as the corresponding Virtual Trust-Building Behaviors (Link to get your Free Copy at end of article):

1.????Face Muting.?Turning your video off because your customer or audience has theirs off is a poor excuse. Being invisible to your audience seriously reduces your ability to form a connection.?Think how easy it is to turn someone down on the phone vs. face-to-face.?Besides, you are eliminating two of the most powerful non-verbal trust-building signals you have access to:?eye contact and facial expression.?

Trust-Building Behavior: Cameras On – Excuses Off!?Yes, it can feel uncomfortable being the only one on video. But having your camera on is not about your comfort level. It’s about putting your customer’s experience above your own comfort.

2.????No Evidence of Listening:?Active listening builds trust. Yet ask anyone on a virtual meeting if they feel “actively listened to” and you’re likely to be met with silence.?Why??Because the listener is not looking at the speaker.?They may be staring very hard at the speaker’s image, but it doesn’t “feel” like they’re being heard. Our brains are trained to associate direct eye contact with listening.?We also associate eye contact with telling the truth. ?Having an audience that doesn’t 1) feel heard, or 2) feel confident that you’re truthful are two giant strikes against you right out of the starting gate!

Trust-Building Behavior: Look to Listen.?Sure, it’s counter-intuitive to look at the camera when someone is talking, as opposed to their image on your screen.?But it’s a vital skill to master if you want someone to feel heard. Concerned that you won’t be able to read body language? Don’t worry. There are ways – and times – to read body language and still maintain good eye contact with your audience. (I have a whole chapter devoted to how to do that in my book, Look Me In the Eye.)?

3.????Credibility Crusher: Incongruent Body Language. Like the newscaster talking about the car crash with a smile on their face, we don’t trust people whose body says one thing while their words say another. While smiles are a rare occurrence in virtual meetings, the virtual poker face, or “Resting Business Face” is rampant.

I’ve been in virtual meetings where the seller has presented fantastic news, like “this could save you six million dollars a year” with the same expression they’d use to say “pass the salt.”

Trust Building Behavior: Let Your Face Know How You Feel. If your face has nothing to say, why are you on video? Make sure your face is aligned with what you’re trying to communicate.?Are you sharing good news, bad news, expressing empathy or concern??Let your face in on the secret.?Don’t make your words do all the work!

Trust is vital to any relationship. But ultimately, it’s not enough to BE trustworthy, if you can’t CONVEY it to your audience. Developing Virtual Credibility requires an understanding of how your customer experiences you on their screen and learning to adapt your behavior accordingly.?You can start developing your Virtual Credibility by downloading my Free Guide below!?

Get the "Top 10 Virtual Credibility Crushers" here.

Virtual Credibility is just one of the key components of Virtual Executive Presence. If you want to improve your influence in virtual meetings, calls or recordings, learn more about my Virtual Executive Presence Workshops, Coaching or Speaking Engagements by reaching out to me at [email protected] or click here: Virtual Executive Presence, ?