My Virtual Communication Checklist

1.5 years into the pandemic and remote work, I thought I knew everything about communicating via the screen. Until I stumbled upon a few really good tips I have not thought about yet (here, here, and here). Most of them have less to do with the tools, and more with preparation, presence, and engagement. Here is my updated virtual communication checklist.

• BEFORE THE CALL

  • Environment

    • quiet: if all my family is at home when I take/lead an important call, I make sure to brief them beforehand and to lock the door. You never know…

    • neutral background. Natural or virtual, make sure it does not distract from you & your message. However, on certain, less formal occasions, a special background can be an ice-breaker or send a particular message to the audience.

    • good natural light for daytime: facing a window with indirect sunlight works the best. Same principles as for portrait photography.

    • get up, stand up: if possible, arrange a setup that allows you to stand - we are more vivid, articulate, and free when standing.

  • Tools - Hardware

    • the survival basics: stable Internet connection, good quality camera, microphone, headset - ideally with background noise cancellation.

    • camera level: make sure the camera of your device is set at or slightly above your eye level (putting it slightly above will make you look slimmer).

    • lighting kit for evening hours (remember, bad light erodes trust)

    • a sticker next to the camera - it will be reminding you to look at the camera when you talk

    • remote slide advancer if you are a presenter

  • Tools - Software

    • learn the functionalities of your videoconferencing tool as the back of your hand: sharing the screen, toggling between slides, muting/unmuting participants, sending them into breakout rooms, using chat, polls, projecting videos, etc.

  • Meeting Invite

    • Meeting invite is one of the most under-utilized and underappreciated tools of audience engagement before the call. Besides providing the agenda for the call, you can leverage the meeting invite to set the rules and expectations, raise questions to think about before the call.

    • Pre-call survey. Works great for webinars and online classes and helps to better understand the audience and have the first set of questions for the Q&A.

  • Preparation

    • Script the call experience. When we communicate online, we have shorter attention spans and more distractions. Structure the call around short attention spans, be ready to shake things up every 8-10 minutes - with a poll, with Q&A, with a video, with breakout room discussions. Create aha moments and wow moments.

    • Slides. Less is more. Images work better than words

    • Rehearse. I've recently heard about 20 times needed to feel absolutely confident. I usually start feeling relatively at ease after about 5-7 repetitions.

• DURING THE CALL

  • Arrival

    • When it's a group meeting/online class/etc, it's good to show up early: to meet and greet the first joiners and have a small talk with them - just like we do it at offline events.

    • remind about the housekeeping rules & the agenda at the beginning of the call

  • Presence

    • Look at the camera when you speak. A sticker placed right next to the camera will remind you to do that.

    • Fill the frame. But don't overfill. Head and top of the shoulders should dominate your screen.

    • Stand up if your setup allows you to do so

    • Use gestures and keep your hands visible. Subliminally, showing your hands suggests to your audience that they can trust you.

    • Don't multi-task. You're always on camera.

  • Engagement

    • For a leader to be engaging:

      • maintain a strong voice and vary your pitch . When you modulate your voice, you sound more persuasive. Record yourself to see if your pitch changes or stays monotone.

      • vary your vocabulary, using strong, engaging words

      • leverage the functionalities of the platform you're using: chat features, polling features, external shared documents for collaborative work

      • encourage participants to appear with video

      • use participants' names

      • set boundaries to avoid people over-speaking each other

      • stay on mute when you don't speak

      • be ready to receive little immediate feedback. Get used to delayed feedback.

      • and if you receive feedback and/or questions be ready to improvise

    • for a participant to speak up in virtual meetings:

      • First, get the floor:

        • paraphrase: "so, what you're saying is..."

        • ask a question: "I have a question about that point..."

        • state an emotion: "That concerns me...", "I feel inspired by..."

      • Then, contribute

        • Be clear and concise

        • Be structured. One possible structure for making your contribution is What / So What / Now What. "What" is the topic, "So What" is why it is important, "Now What" is what comes next: an action, a follow up, a demo, etc.

• AFTER THE CALL

  • Ask for feedback

    • If you can send out a poll or feedback survey, do it straight after the call/webinar.

  • Reflect how the call/webinar went

    • Note a few key takeaways while it's still fresh in your head.

  • Follow up

    • send a thank you note, a follow-up question, a highlight on social media, etc. - depending on the context and on how interested and engaged the online interaction has kept you.

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