{"id":54535,"date":"2022-03-10T18:15:40","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T18:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teambuildinghub.com\/?p=54535"},"modified":"2022-05-05T15:12:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T15:12:24","slug":"executive-presence-virtual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teambuildinghub.com\/blog\/executive-presence-virtual\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Ways to Increase Executive Presence in Zoom Meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After you gain your proverbial seat at the table, don\u2019t fall out of the chair. You can\u2019t afford to fall on your face when it comes to presenting ideas and information to your boss, clients, or coworkers. The challenge to hold the room is more complicated than ever with meetings happening virtually via video conferencing software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive presence may be difficult to define, but we all know it when we see it\u2014or don\u2019t. People walk into a room, and heads turn. They speak and people listen. They lead and people follow. When they leave, the party winds down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mysterious \u201cit\u201d of executive presence includes how you look, how you talk, how you think, and how you act. Working remotely and appearing online to deliver your ideas shouldn\u2019t diminish your personal presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But unfortunately, for some people, that\u2019s exactly what happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re sitting toes to toes and nose to nose, you have physical space to present a \u201clarger than life\u201d image. But when technology reduces you to a thumbnail (okay, maybe slightly larger if the Zoom gallery shows only two or three people), you simply have to compensate in other ways to connect and build credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t explain and gain support for your work\u2014the reasons behind it, the results achieved, the impact it has on profitability, and the opportunity it holds for the future\u2013\u2013you have figuratively fallen out of the chair. You\u2019ve failed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s talk about succeeding\u2014how best to convey expertise and a powerful executive presence when working remotely and hosting effective meetings<\/a> with others via Zoom<\/a> or other online platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How You Look<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"corporate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Light Up Your Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A big part of trust and rapport-building involves reading body language\u2014facial expressions, eye contact, smiles, posture, shifting of positions as you listen or speak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet reading your body language depends on proper lighting. Linda Swindling, a speaker colleague of mine, uses humor to coach her virtual attendees out of the darkness. One of her favorite quips as attendees come online without having lighted their room and themselves properly: \u201cHey, Jerry, are you in the witness protection program? Come out of the shadows so we can see you!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her good-natured teasing makes the point: Unless you\u2019re trying to hide, pay attention to proper lighting. The light should be streaming toward<\/em> your face\u2014not from above your head, not from behind you, and not from the side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrity photographers make the big bucks because they understand that improper lighting creates unflattering shadows in the wrong places. They\u2019ll be the first to tell you that great results depend on proper framing and proper lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your colleagues and customers should see you in the best light\u2014figuratively and literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Beware of Background Breakthroughs and Settings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Artificial (virtual) backgrounds don\u2019t always work well. The green-screen technology has not been perfected, so often weird things happen to your face, head, hair, and hands when you move around in front of a virtual background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So prefer a stable, simple background that doesn\u2019t distract. Never load your background with so many objects that viewers become obsessed with your setting rather than impressed with your comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Keep Your Posture Positive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Slouched posture communicates disinterest. Not the impression you want to give colleagues, customers, or your boss. Leaning backward, away from the camera may convey arrogance and a judgmental mindset. To show interest, sit up straight, with shoulders relaxed but slightly forward at about a 15-30 degrees angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, look and listen attentively\u2013\u2013as if your doctor is about to report test results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Gesture Inside the Frame<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Polished presenters use gestures to add emphasis to their message. But those natural gestures should be appropriate to the virtual setting. Keep hands inside the frame\u2014within camera range. Also, take care not to wave your hands toward<\/em> the camera, which can make you look frantic and aggressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Dress for the Impression You Want to Create<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Granted, today\u2019s audiences may accept and expect a more casual dress for online versus in-person appearances \u2014but not disheveled or sloppy. One of my weekly coaching clients living in another country and time zone looks as if he\u2019s just crawled out of bed without a mirror check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a tech check as a video podcast guest on a show streaming from a major university, I watched the host stand up from behind his interview desk and walk toward a closet door in the back of his bedroom. He dropped his pants down around his hips, changed shirts, and then tucked in his shirttail. While I appreciated his inclination to dress for success, watching the process did not instill confidence in his interviewing style!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that you\u2019re \u201con\u201d at all times. You may not be looking or listening to a colleague\u2019s comments during the meeting, but that doesn\u2019t mean others are not watching you at any given moment. Twirling a thread of hair, scratching a splotch off your tie, or adjusting your jewelry or bra strap does not instill confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How You Talk<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The \u201ctalking\u201d component of executive presence involves word choice, grammar, clich\u00e9s or their absence, speaking rate, volume, pitch, pausing, inflection, and so forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Be Brief<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nothing makes you look more inarticulate than rambling, repetition, and irrelevancy. Enough said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Pause to Add Emphasis <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Talking too quickly conveys nervousness. If you naturally talk quickly, all the more reason to add pauses before or after key points. Pausing builds suspense for what you’re about to say or adds emphasis to what you\u2019ve just said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Avoid Patronizing Phrases<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When someone asks a question, never start your answer by uttering clich\u00e9s like this: \u201cThat\u2019s a good question,\u201d \u201cThanks for that question,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m so glad you asked that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comments like these sound as if you\u2019re assuming a one-up position\u2014that you alone know what is or isn\u2019t a good question. A prospective employer will quickly tire of that refrain during a job interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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