Online Communication Tips By 7 of the Best Conversationalists

Imagine you can talk to the most famous basketball players, such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or Steph Curry, and get their advice on better communication in the sprawling business world. I recently contacted seven of the brightest speakers in front of the audience and asked them to share their tips to master the art of public speaking.

Note: This article is from blogger Gil Peretz, who shares insights from a group of experts who have mastered the art of public speaking.

Tips from financial analyst Mike Carr

Here are the most important tips of financial analyst Mike Carr:

1. Don't look at the camera; look through the camera

"You may have been advised to trust yourself and look at the camera while talking, and this is certainly a good start if you are currently looking at the participants while talking, but if you want to influence the audience, it is important to invest your gaze better and move forward and imagine that there is someone you love behind the camera. In a speech that won the first prize in one of the competitions, I used to imagine my daughter behind the camera whenever I said the basic sentence that expressed the speech message: "It is not victory in the result, but in trying. "This is something I told her amid the most difficult challenges I faced, and thus sincere and influential feelings reached the audience."

2. Get as far away as possible from the center of the presentation stand

"The audience will be bored because they see someone sitting in the middle of the podium with a dim light in most shows, so present the show differently, move on the podium, and your show will be more interesting and distinctive."

3. Choose a suitable shooting angle

"Consider the background of the shoot carefully to ensure that it is the viewer's focus. Additionally, you visually catch your audience's attention when you tell a story and move from one side of the screen to the other. When you get to the heart of your story and simultaneously move to the center of the screen, your audience feels at ease due to the visual impact of your movement, leaving a significant impact.

4. Try new things to inspire you

"Excellence and difference from others make it easy to present the presentation, so continue to present your presentations in a fun and unique way. In my first-prize speech in one of the competitions, I started talking from the bottom left corner of the screen with only my head showing, and this was what most attracted the attention of viewers to my speech. Still, it only happened because I was experimenting with different photography angles the day before the final, and the experience made an unforgettable impact."

5. Use the depth of place during filming

"One of the greatest advantages of recorded photography online is that you can have a more emotional and effective conversation with each of your audience by moving away and approaching the camera. Each viewer can notice the nuances in your face, and you can also move away from the camera for a completely different experience. In one of my presentations, I set up the camera and laptop outside, used a wireless microphone, and started about 18 meters from the side. When I started talking, I started running toward the camera. That had an impact that the audience had not seen before, attracting their attention from the beginning."

Tips from HR consultant Dananjaya Hettiarachchi

Here are the top tips of HR consultant Dananjaya Hettiarachchi:

1. Present in a simple way

"The Internet is not the best platform for influential communication, and the simpler the narrative, the easier it is to absorb what is said, and 60 to 70% of communication is non-verbal, and the Internet is not the most convenient way to convey this type of speech."

2. Interview the audience

“The main reason for the audience to be bored is that they are not involved in the conversation while communicating online, so keep your talk or presentation conversational and avoid one-sided talk.”

3. Present the letter in a structured manner

Talk for ten minutes, pause to engage the audience, and then move on to your next point. If you take breaks, the audience can engage with you and contribute to the conversation.

4. Perform 60% of the tasks you must perform before going online

Discuss what you want to achieve in the speech before communicating with your audience to determine the type of dialogue and allow them to share their ideas. Preparing in this way allows the audience to communicate with you informally before the speech begins. If you are preparing for an important meeting, this will also allow you to influence stakeholders before the actual session takes place.”

Tips from the young Saudi man "Mohammed Abdullah Qahtani"

Here are the top tips of young Saudi Mohammed Abdullah Qahtani:

1. Put the appropriate background

"Make sure that your body occupies 70% of the screen. Do not stand too far or too close, and use a dark background until you stand out more, and also make sure that there is no clutter or bookshelf behind you to prevent distraction."

2. Keep your audience's attention

"Do not use the slideshow unless you have to. Moving from your image to the slideshow drains the audience, and avoid looking at the screen while speaking to gauge the audience's reactions to your speech. That means you do not communicate visually with your audience, so always look at the camera, not the screen."

Tips from Singaporean lawyer Darren Tay

Here are the top tips of Singaporean lawyer Darren Tay:

1. Prepare the participating audience

"You can ask all the audience to play their videos and share this with them. As a speaker, you stimulate the energy and participation of the audience, and the ability to see them and make them watch you will help you make a better presentation to them. Your audience is likely to respond if you give them a good reason for this, and you can share this action with your audience. They will not miss important information that is not available elsewhere or will be extremely helpful."

2. Make the visual presentation valuable

"If you plan to use visuals such as presentation slides, remember to add actual value to the presentation. The difference between making a clone presentation and a value presentation is that a clone presentation is simply reading everything on the slides. Then, your audience should get the slides and read them independently. Making a value presentation means highlighting, showing, demonstrating, proving, or explaining something that has not already been shown."

Tips from the international speaker and author Manoj Vasudevan

Here are the top tips of international speaker and author Manoj Vasudevan:

1. Use emotional content

“Stories, metaphors, and analogies, when presented effectively, paint a mental image that evokes emotion miles away. I know two women who have lived in the same house for decades and were lifelong friends. In subsequent years, they developed severe dementia and could not get to know each other. One day, when one of the two women died, the other began to cry involuntarily, and she felt sad about her parting. Feelings awaken even when memories fade, so remember that providing your primary interlocutors with influential content triggers feelings from afar."

2. Use the power of your voice to influence the audience

"Many people worry about their appearance during a video call, but they miss another vital aspect, which is the sound, so unleash the power of your voice by using the right sound equipment to adjust the sound. Remember the importance of standing silent for a moment at the right times, as silence is as powerful as the best words sometimes are."

3. Ask strong, open-ended questions

“When you ask questions, you force the audience to think, and by using well-drafted questions directed to the minds, your questions will remain in their minds, despite the distance between you, such as asking “What has this pandemic taught you so far? ” or  “What are your plans once this pandemic is over?”

4. React more, reduce distractions

“The distant audience is easily distracted, so keep them engaged through periodic interactions, avoid anything that will distract you or your audience, and where possible, call some enthusiastic participants by name, ask them easy-to-answer questions without highlighting them, or invite listeners to leave their comments in the chat, and make their interaction easy and safe.”

Tips from teacher Ramona J. Smith

Here are the most important tips of the teacher "Ramona J." (Ramona J. Smith):

1. Treat a recorded online speech like a speech on the platform

"Many of us are lax when it comes to talking on social media platforms because the platform has shrunk to a rectangle or a small square in the screen of our mobile devices. We become less interested in our presentation or appearance, so take care of your appearance as if the speech is on the platform, and maintain high energy as if you are giving the speech on the platform."

2. Speak creatively

“Stand up when you give your speech. Body language and hand gestures are critical when delivering an impactful message. When you stand up, your body becomes more visible, you can express better, and you allow room to use potential assistive equipment and give demos.”

3. Get ready before the show

This is always the first advice I give when it comes to speeches. Delivering a persuasive argument should be done similarly to how an athlete would perform. Prepare your speech by recording it for yourself, practicing it in front of a mirror, and using an electronic device. Online speeches can transition smoothly thanks to prior experience, audio, video, and screen sharing. It also helps to cut out pointless words, squander time, and pause.

Tips from technologist Aaron Beverly

Here are the top tips:

1. Remember the basic principles

“The communication environment has changed, but the basics of good communication have not, so know your audience and make your message clear.”

2. Adjust shooting settings to avoid distractions

“If you're too distracted or worried about your appearance, adjust the settings so you can't see yourself to eliminate the distraction.”

3. Watch your facial expressions

“The audience sees less of your body in recorded speeches online, so viewers focus more on your face, so be careful of the expressions you make during the presentation, and positively use the expressions.”

4. Do not rely entirely on your computer when making an online offer

"It is a mistake not to practice your presentations or read them verbatim because there is a computer directly in front of you when presenting the presentation. Viewers notice when you do not communicate visually through the camera lens with them, so do not rely on the computer, but train as if you were exactly going to present the presentation on the platform."