5 Ways to Win Your Next Video Call or Conference.
Here are 5 ways to win your next video call or conference. Because you might be doing a lot more video than you’re used to, and I want to help.
If you’re like most of my consulting clients, your world has changed and suddenly you’re doing all of your communicating on video. Where you used to sell in person, now you’re scheduling meetings with your customers on Google hangouts. You used to meet with your manager, or those you manage, once a week in person. Now you’re meeting daily, on Zoom. While you’d planned to negotiate your next raise in a conference room, now you’re doing it in a Webex conference. And you’re afraid that you don’t know how.
It’s hard enough to advocate for your product, your team, your ideas and yourself in person. But doing it on video is even more intimidating. You want to appear confident, clear and charismatic. I can help.
For over 20 years I’ve been advocating for my clients in the courtroom. More importantly, I’ve been teaching them to advocate for themselves. I represent doctors when they’re sued, and ultimately the jury doesn’t decide the case based on what I have to say. They decide based on what my clients and my experts have to say. So I’ve given my clients the tools to advocate to win. And in recent years, as we’ve moved to videotaped depositions, I’ve used my television experience to give them the tools to win there as well.
Now you need to win on video. To win is to receive something positive because you have earned it. What is your something positive? It might be a sale, a raise, a new job or a new boundary. And how do you earn it? You earn it by advocating. And now, more and more, that means advocating on video. In order to do so, you have to FOCUS. Not only does that mean you have to focus on the call, with minimal distractions and maximum presence, but it also means that you have to use these 5 Keys to FOCUS the interaction. When you do, you will be far more likely to win.
Here are the 5 Keys to Winning Your Next Video Call or Conference
F: Figure out your “jury”
Everyone has their jury of customers, clients, team members or managers. If you’re lucky, you get to choose your jury. If you’re not lucky, your job is to convert them into people who see the world the way you see it. And that starts with figuring out who they are. In a videoconference or a video call, your jury is going to be the people on the call with you. Find out as much about them as you can. What is worrying them, and what do they need? Try to see the world through their perspective. Because that’s the only way you will change it. And before you get on the call, take a look at their LinkedIn profiles, Instagram accounts, and any old emails you have with them. The more you find out about your jury, the better the call/conference will go
O: Organize Your Evidence.
Just like a trial attorney, you have evidence. Data about your results, statistics about outcomes, stories of happy managers, testimonials from clients, and pictures of the product are all pieces of evidence that you will be using to win on the videoconference. Start by compiling a list of all of the evidence you want to use. Then start organizing it. You can use my proprietary Win/Lose/Weird process to determine which evidence is going to be most helpful to you. Then you can move to my 7x7w system to determine how your jury will best receive the evidence. Go into the conference or call knowing the evidence you want to use and how you want to use it.
C: Create Your Exhibits
Find tangible ways to share the evidence you plan to present in the conference with your jury. It may make sense to create an infographic or a chart with statistics and data you plan to discuss. You might even want to create a video/audio of a happy client sharing a testimonial. Or it may simply be a spreadsheet of all of the information you plan to share.
You want to keep your jury in mind and consider what exhibit will best help them understand what you need and give it to you. You also want to make the exhibits self explanatory, so that your jury could understand them without much explanation. Then share the exhibit with your jury–before the conference. Ideally you’ll email your materials to everyone who will attend the conference (your jury) 24 hours or less before the conference with a note letting them know these are some of the things you plan to reference. This is especially important if your conference is with a busy CEO or entrepreneur. They want to go into the conference prepared, and your preparation in this step brings you closer to a win.
U: Use Your Ears.
When I work with clients on advocating by video, they often want to focus on their body language. Or they’re worried about their tone. But I urge my clients to be less focused on how they present and more focused on how they receive. This is especially true on video.
People want to be heard, and they love anyone who seems to listen to them. So be that person. Put down the phone and look at the screen/camera. Nod and engage with the speaker. Don’t look away, and please do NOT walk away. Show whomever is speaking during a conference call that you are listening.
First of all, this is how you will get to know your jury. When you listen, you just might hear the very thing that will bring you a win. Moreover, this will make your jury feel far more connected to you. They will want to return the favor and listen to you more closely. Listening is an advocate’s super power, and it may be your greatest tool on video calls and conferences.
S: Strengthen Your Presence
This is where you use your body language, your tone of voice and facial expressions. And I have a LOT to say about this. But some basic points are to try standing up rather than sitting. It makes it more likely that your jury will see your hands, which we know is important when advocating. It also opens up your posture and your lungs, so your tone of voice is better. And get close enough to the camera that your jury can see your face, but not so close that they can’t see your hands. Finally, be aware of your lighting. A good rule of thumb is the light should be behind the camera, not behind you.
FOCUS-the 5 Ways to Win Your Next Video Call or Conference
These are my 5 ways to win your next video call or conference. I know they work because I’ve helped hundreds of clients advocate to win on video with these tools. No matter what your win may be, and no matter who your jury, when you use FOCUS you will win. Let me know how they work for you!
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