The new normal is decisively here. And we aren’t going anywhere – literally – from here but working from home.
Our rooms are our offices and our devices are our window to the world.
Zoom calls are a norm now and we are compelled to conduct meetings, make presentations, close sales and even network on our devices.
Communication is definitely not the same as before. One of the things that, I think, has changed even more is non verbal communication.
You can also read how skills in the VUCA world have also changed
In today’s post I have 2 videos that demonstrate how to beat the virtual odds and use body language effectively.
VIDEO 1: How to get your eye contact right
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRIBO_qsvGY[/embedyt]
Virtual calls are restrictive in a way. Yet we need do our best communication in the box we are all restricted to.
In our restrictive devices, there is only so much movement and gesturing that we can do now.
However, we do know that body language is an important part of our communication and we subconsciously pick up a lot of cues from the speaker through this.
Despite the new normal, we have to find a way to get some amount of gesturing into our communication to be effective.
On a virtual call, the key non verbal cues that we can use are our facial expressions, our eye contact and our hand gestures. Here’s the first video on eye contact.
Let’s accept that it’s a very different experience to be talking to our own laptops.
Most of us stare at our own screens during meetings.
I have noticed that we look all over the place except for where we should be looking.
It is very easy to lose track of eye contact in virtual meetings – a non-verbal cue that’s critical to your success in communication!
This video has a very simple tip – the triangle method – to get it right and ensure that people don’t feel like you are not talking to them!
What is the triangle method of eye contact?
In a virtual meeting, when it is your turn to talk:
Move your eye contact in a triangle.
The triangle here is the camera lens of the your device, your image on the screen and another participant.
Take turns moving your eyes to each.
This gives the impression of a normal eye movement and it’s like looking at everyone in turns.
This can bring you as close to a physical meeting in terms of eye contact.
Watch the video to better understand how you can make this work.
VIDEO 2: How to use hand gestures to communicate effectively
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuDoyZ_tFqg[/embedyt]
In the virtual work lives that we have today, hand gestures have become the most important in non verbal communication!
Most people wonder what to do with our hands during a meeting
In fact, some people have asked me during my sessions – why I use my hands so much!
It’s natural to use our hand gestures when we talk.
In this video, I am talking about making your hand gestures more meaningful through a technique called anchoring.
Anchoring is the deliberate use of hand gestures on the screen so that the listeners relate to different concepts to different points on the screen.
Again, watch the video to better understand how you can use this effectively.
You can watch more videos on my YouTube channel. And also subscribe to it while you are at it!
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