Speaking is probably something you don’t think too much about. After all, most of us do it on a daily basis and quite frequently. When it comes to preparing for your videoconference nothing could really be more important than your ability to effectively and accurately communicate. There are certainly other important factors such as appearance and etiquette and lighting and…well the list continues.
And for good reason, videoconferencing isn’t just something of the future any more. It’s here and now and because so many of us use some sort of webcam for communication on a daily basis it is important to remember the following key elements in being able to communicate properly in a business manner.
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Instead of feeling like you have to be the first one out of the gate with conversation let the group dynamics have a little time to settle in. Once they gel then you can get into the pacing of conversation that is required to help increase productivity.
In most cases you may have already established some of your coworkers as friends in your outside life, more than likely through some form of social media. This can make the work place a lot more fun and relaxed, but there is certainly a time and place to flaunt the unique friendships that you have with your different coworkers, and this isn’t one of them.
The purpose of practicing a little restraint in this regard is to lead you more into a state of mind that is focused on the group and the task hand. Those lovely old sayings about mixing work with pleasure may have fallen by the wayside over the years, but they still hold some of their truth.
Clearly a little bit of language of this nature seeps its way in to conversation from time to time. That is pretty common. The main thing is to focus on eliminating it in your casual speaking. Look at it as a bad habit that needs kicking.
A well placed gesture can add distinction and strength to what you’re saying but this too needs to be limited. One of the main reasons it is distracting when your videoconferencing is that the other members of your team aren’t seeing you quite the same way they would if you were standing in behind a podium.
Also, another big thing to remember in regard to staying natural to your true voice is that you don’t always have to speak up. If you don’t know something, don’t risk putting your foot in your mouth. Instead, be sure to adequately contribute when you do have something to say. This will help you keep your feet on the ground and stop you from possibly embarrassing yourself.
Effective videoconferencing really does take practice. It combines many different elements of daily business life and really should be approached in the same manner as routine business. Don’t let yourself loose to the point where you are carrying on your work conferences like you do your personal calls. It seems like a common sense thing but as we use video calling in our everyday lives it is tempting to lose the business aspect. Who doesn’t relish the idea of making business calls from the beach? Sounds like fun, but it’s not very professional.
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