Your virtual self matters now as much as you in-person. So, should you be paying attention to how you come across in virtual meetings? Well, yes and no.
Which do you prefer: an in-person discussion or a virtual meeting? Before you reply, you should realize that your answer barely matters (sorry). In terms of our jobs, our speaking will probably be hybrid from now on, and we'd all better get used to it.
While being the best we possibly can be at the digitalized version of ourselves.
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Are You Paying Attention to the Virtual You?
The question posed in this piece is two-fold: Are you paying attention to how you come across in virtual meetings? And should you be?
Well, I have two answers for you. Both are legitimate. The truth is, your best advantage probably lies in utilizing both of them (though not at the same time).
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Let's face it: speaking virtually can be frustrating—and not virtually, but actually. There's the "collectivation" aspect of course: it's awkward to corral people from all over the country or the globe by digitizing them so that they only appear as flat versions of themselves on a screen.
And where should you be looking when you're speaking? If you do the natural thing and look at people's faces, you'll either (a) be wandering all over the screen with your gaze as you try to pick out different individuals; or (b) you'll appear to be looking down, since a person's face is always beneath the webcam.
When it comes to improving your visual presence in video meetings, then, you have two choices.
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Choice A: Look at the Person When Talking to Them
As I said above, this is the natural choice. In justifying this choice, you might tell yourself that you're at this meeting to talk to a person (or people), not a camera. Somehow, it is just strange to be speaking to someone and constantly looking away from them.
This choice also has the advantage, for you, of being able to see the other person's nonverbal communication. In virtual meetings, of course, that mostly means facial expressions. But the face offers abundant evidence of how someone is responding to what you're saying. In fact, one of the key tools for being an effective speaker—digitally and in-person—is being flexible enough to take what you're seeing from your audience and adjust your content accordingly.
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Choice B: Keep Your Eyes Glued to the WebCam
The truth is, you really should be doing this. Here's why: you form a strong bond with people and connect with them when you look at them as you're speaking. As I tell my clients and coachees: You should look at people when you're saying something important (so they'll take it to heart). And presumably, everything you say in a presentation is important.
In fact, I go further, bringing in the tendency to look down at notes or a manuscript, by saying: If you're not lookina at your audience, nothing should be coming out of your mouth. By now, you should be aware that in virtual communication, THE CAMERA IS YOUR AUDIENCE. From their point of view, that is, you only appear to be looking at them when your gaze is actually glued to the webcam. You just have to get used to this essential fact of virtual communication.
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Where to Look for Your Own Improvement
Want to know how to solve the dilemma? It's easy really: Look into the webcam when you're speaking, and watch the other person/people's reactions when they're speaking.
This way, you have the best of both worlds. By relating to the webcam as you're talking to the other(s), you're actually relating to them (in the digitized world). As far as they are concerned, you will be 100% focused on them and their understanding of your message. They will know this because, well, you zeroed in on them the entire time, so that they got all of you!
And when it's their turn to speak, shift your gaze to them (on the screen). By closely observing their facial expressions and body language, their passion, etc., you'll get a complete picture—literally!—of who they are and what they feel as they're talking to you. That's another key metric if you're going to fully understand your audience so that you can reliably get through to them.
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Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching and corporate group training worldwide. In 2022 for the ninth consecutive year, Gary has been ranked by Global Gurus as One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller How to Give a Speech. His second book, Fearless Speaking, was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." His handbook for presenting in videoconferences, Speaking Virtually offers strategies and tools for developing virtual presence in online meetings. His latest book is Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence. Contact Gary here.
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