Tips For Communication In Our Physically Distant World

The FACC-NY network is composed of a diverse mosaic of talented, experienced, and open-hearted professionals united by a desire to share their knowledge, nurture meaningful connections and succeed professionally. In this #MemberInsights series, we invite a guest member to contribute timely and relevant tips and insight for adapting your activities to overcome immediate challenges and plan for the long-term. 

FACC Member Lisa Patti is the founder and CEO of AccentC3 (Communication. Clarity. Culture.) Lisa brings more than 10 years of experience in accent and communication coaching. Her passion has always been learning and connecting with international world. Keep reading to learn from Lisa expertise in communicating from working with professionals from across industries, and from countries across the globe...

Our day to day lives have changed so much over the last three months. We have had to adapt to quarantine, working virtually and missing out on vital face to face connections that help us create relationships. We are finding new ways to stay connected and our voice is more important than ever.

A recent New York Times (2020, March 7) stated that Verizon reported that the length of voice calls were up 33 percent and AT&T reported that the number of cellular calls has risen 35 percent. Video calls can make it even harder to capture the attention of a group.

All of this is leading us to look at our own communication styles and how we use our voices to connect! However, there are some things we might be doing that could sabotage our style. Here are some tips to think about in your next on-line meeting, or webinar.

Sabotage #1 - Anxiety

It is easy to feel anxious right now with so many things happening around us. One area that might get affected is our voices. Our voices might become tight and sound strained. One thing we can do in this situation is to give ourselves a few moments before a call to do some calming exercises. One very easy one is to take a quick breath in and exhale slowly on the S sound as if you were slowly letting air out of a tire. The idea is to trigger your parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest and digest and these will help that. The next thing is to put your hand on your chest and give a low hum, so you feel the vibrations in your chest. You can warm up your voice and connect to your body which is very important when speaking. It also has a very calming effect.

Sabotage #2 - Overtalking

This easily can happen in person or on video and either way our audience can check out as we are busy explaining. As a chronic over talker myself, I had to work on this one!

Overtalking could also be caused by anxiety, or it can be as simple the process of thinking as we speak. If you speak a second or third language, you also might be thinking of the vocabulary or organizing your thoughts. If this is something you need to work on, set a timer and practice your responses. For example, see if you can give an answer in a minute hitting the key points. Another thing to do is jot down bullets before your meeting and try to hit those points without over elaborating.

Sabotage #3 - Fillers and Pausing

Have you ever sat through a call and the presenter’s speech was peppered with um’s and uh’s? It can be distracting for the listener and the speaker eventually loses some credibility. Fillers happen in every culture and language. It is our way of filling the silence while we think of what to say next. What I usually tell my clients to do is to tell me about an easy topic such as a favorite meal. As they are telling me, they need to pause every time they want to use a filler. Give it a try if you need to work on this! It is harder than you think!

As you continue to develop your style in the on-line world remember that your voice and communication styles are just as important online as they are offline. You can connect in a deep way, even in this physically distant world!

Interested in connecting with Lisa? Log into the FACC Member Directory to send her a message.