\u201cToday\u2019s leaders at all levels must be able communicate effectively, without a continuous physical presence,\u201d notes Jerry Abrams, who served on our Partnerships & Innovation team and developed much of the content in our leading remote & virtual teams training<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your audience\u2019s perceptions of your virtual persona matter, he notes, because your virtual persona reflects your priorities and values, and shapes your personal leadership brand<\/a>, which can help you build relationships, influence others, achieve goals, and sustain partnerships. These are all especially important when you\u2019re geographically separated from your colleagues, leading a hybrid workforce<\/a> or a fully remote team.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way your ideas land on others is shaped by the medium, and no one who strives to be a great virtual communicator can afford to ignore their virtual persona.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a telecommuter myself for almost a decade, my biggest fear \u2014 and I suspect I\u2019m not alone \u2014 is that I\u2019m losing my audience, that I am not engaging them,\u201d says Abrams. \u201cAnd let\u2019s face it; in the virtual world, if you lose your audience, you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n Just as\u00a0leaders can work to improve their communication<\/a> in general, there are a number of simple improvements you can start making today that will have a big impact on your virtual persona.<\/p>\n The result? More effective virtual communications\u00a0leads to an increased feeling of connectedness<\/strong> between you and your audience.<\/p>\n Our virtual communications tips can help you drive greater engagement with your audiences. Just\u00a0focus on these 3 steps to improve your virtual persona,<\/strong> in this order:<\/p>\n (Note: Many of the following virtual communication tips presume that you\u2019re able to stand and move freely within a reasonable area in front of your computer, and that it has a functioning camera, microphone, and speaker.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Immediacy refers to the presence, attraction, and warmth your audience perceives<\/strong>\u00a0when you\u2019re engaging in virtual communication. In other words, what is the impact you have on your audience? The following actions will improve your immediacy by demonstrating an intense involvement in the conversation:<\/p>\n Receptivity refers to a mutual sense of interest, openness, and trust.<\/strong> Convey a willingness to really listen to your colleagues in the virtual space<\/a>, as well as an openness to their ideas and suggestions, through the following actions:<\/p>\n The benefits of a focus on receptivity? You\u2019ll improve your team\u2019s morale while also strengthening your own leadership image<\/a>, which will ultimately lead to greater success at landing your message and achieving your goals.<\/p>\n If you feel calm and relaxed when engaging in virtual communication, your audience will sense your composure.<\/strong>\u00a0Alternatively, when you\u2019re visibly paying attention to yourself, your appearance, or your own thoughts, your audience will sense your distraction and feel a lack of confidence in your authority. The following behaviors convey to your audience that you feel relaxed, confident, and composed:<\/p>\n It helps to\u00a0think of building composure as simply increasing your \u201cstage presence\u201d through rehearsal.\u00a0<\/b>After all, there are several parallels between the performing arts and virtual communications \u2014 one of them being, the more you practice, the better you\u2019ll get and the more comfortable you\u2019ll feel.<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral coaches put it this way \u2014 amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals <\/i>practice until they can\u2019t get it wrong!\u201d adds Abrams.<\/p>\n So if you really want to take your virtual communications to the next level, try recording yourself and then honestly evaluating your performance.\u00a0Whatever you notice most, start working there to improve.<\/p>\n One additional virtual communication tip to help you build your composure: Before performers go on stage, they\u2019ll often take a moment to close their eyes and visualize an experience that brought forward an emotion they want to project.<\/b> This trick works in a virtual setting, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, when trying to convey warmth or enthusiasm, take a moment before you start your session to recall a topic, event, or time when you really had a strong feeling of warmth toward others \u2014 or felt a strong feeling of enthusiasm for something you were saying or doing,\u201d says Abrams.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you visualize the experience, pay attention to all the various feelings and sensations you can recall, including sights, sounds, and smells. These memories help you ground your virtual persona in real experience and add authenticity to your virtual communications.\u201d<\/p>\n That authenticity is key, by the way. We\u2019ve found that creating authentic connections is one of the\u00a03 keys to unlocking the benefits of online learning<\/a> for leadership development. In our experience, that\u2019s what helps facilitators \u201creach through the screen\u201d and truly engage participants actively in our virtual leadership programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch our webinar, How to Practice Authentic Communication in a Virtual Space Through the Power of Listening<\/em><\/a>, and learn specific actions to take \u2014 and avoid \u2014 in order to improve your listening skills and reduce conflict while communicating virtually.<\/p>\n As a leader, you\u2019re responsible not only for your own performance, but also for that of your people \u2014 many of whom may also face struggles with virtual communication effectiveness.<\/p>\n As you manage remote or hybrid teams, work to follow\u00a0best practices for managing virtual teams and meetings<\/a> and and consider how various online leadership development solutions<\/a> could benefit your team\u2019s work.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve tried our virtual communications tips to strengthen your virtual persona, you may want to get some feedback on how you\u2019re doing, and also take time to reflect yourself.<\/p>\n Use our free Virtual Communication Effectiveness Quiz<\/a> to assess the effectiveness of your virtual persona\u2019s performance, and continue to develop by following the virtual communication tips and recommended next steps provided.<\/p>\n You may also want to use our easy email template to send a version of this quiz<\/a> to your colleagues to get their candid feedback on the effectiveness of your virtual communications, too.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s new world of work, effective virtual communication for leaders is essential. Partner with us to craft a customized learning journey for your team using our research-based modules. Available leadership topics<\/a>\u00a0include Authenticity,\u00a0Communication & Leadership<\/a>, Emotional Intelligence, Listening to Understand, Psychological Safety & Trust, Self-Awareness, Virtual & Remote Team Leadership, and more.<\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s more important than ever for leaders to be effective virtual communicators. Learn how to assess and improve the effectiveness of your virtual communication and persona.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":49884,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49883","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categories-communication","categories-leadership-tips","categories-listening-skills","categories-virtual-teams","audience-leaders-managers","audience-alumni","impact-level-individuals","region-global","article-type-leading-effectively-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStrengthen Your Virtual Persona With Our Virtual Communications Tips<\/h2>\n
3 Steps to Ensure Your Virtual Communications Drive Engagement<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n1. First, create immediacy<\/em> with your virtual communications.<\/h4>\n
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2. Increase receptivity<\/em> to your virtual communications.
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3. Build composure<\/em> for more effective virtual communications.
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Access Our Webinar!<\/h3>\n
Upskill Virtual Communication Skills for Yourself & Your Team<\/h2>\n
Start by Assessing Your Own Virtual Communication Effectiveness With Our Quiz<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nReady to Take the Next Step?<\/h2>\n