In a previous tip, we challenged you to captivate your virtual audiences. Easier said than done, right? Well, here at 2Connect, we use a short but powerful checklist to help our clients leverage their verbal presence and verbal impact.
To leverage your verbal presence…
Record Your Voice
You will immediately notice if your energy is lagging, if you need to project more, or if you need to make a few tweaks.
Stand Up
You can recreate the energy you bring to a live presentation if you stand up and imagine you are presenting to a live audience.
Pace Yourself
Listening audiences don’t have your body language to complete the picture. Slow down, breath, and punctuate your sentences.
Check Your Volume
Both in the way you project and the actual volume in your computer. Consider doing a sound check with a colleague before the virtual presentation begins.
To leverage your verbal impact…
Replace Filler Words
Ahs, Uhms, You Knows… These are filler words we use when we speak too fast and our brain hasn’t caught up to the speed of our voice. Slowing down will help. Recording your voice will make you aware of your filler words.
Use Descriptive Word Pictures
Listening audiences will connect with you if they can concretely picture what you are saying. Think of illustrations, stories, or metaphors that can both complement the PowerPoint visuals you are using.
Guide and Orient
Since the audience can’t see you pointing to a particular area of a slide, you need to be more intentional by verbally guiding them along: “If you take a look at the bottom right corner of the slide/graph…” These simple phrases will keep audiences tracking with you.
