Our unconscious physical and vocal behavior patterns make up our presence. In this Expert Insight Interview, Dr. Louise Mahler discusses how we can get practical with our presence. Dr. Louise Mahler is an expert in presence and presentation, body language, and voice, as well as a keynote speaker, executive coach, and author.
This Expert Insight interview discusses:
- The shift to virtual presence
- Improving our voice
- Taking a second when moment asks for
The Virtual Presence
Shifting almost all our professional contact virtually came so sudden and unforeseen. But video meetings are a change that we can either use as an excuse to get scared and paralyze, or to embrace it. Since the majority of meetings and work is online, we have to think of our virtual presence. Stepping in front of the camera for many people means becoming so much self-aware. Nod, blink, and smile is a technique to show that we are engaged in the conversation, and we listen. These three little tricks soften our image as well. The thing that many people struggle with, especially in sales, is vocal fry. Vocal fry is something that shows that you lost commitment to your sentence and flow of thought. Our performance in front of the camera depends a lot on our confidence. And the way we improve our performance is by bringing our best selves to the engagement.
Vocal Practice
In a virtual setting, we can see only the area that the camera covers, so the skills or usually, the lack of our skills becomes so much more evident. Sometimes, we are not even aware of how we talk, how we sit, or what we do with our hands while on camera. The fascinating thing about our voice is that we don’t hear our voices the same as others. So, if we want to improve the way we talk on camera, instead of watching our old videos, the more beneficial way is to find a voice coach.
Take a Second to Breathe
Sometimes, during a meeting, it happens that we get stuck in the sense that the other side does not understand what we want to say. In that case, it is crucial not to start panicking because panicking impacts voice tone. Taking a second to breathe helps to get enough air to set a reset button on your body and brain, and to organize your thoughts. The second thing is eye contact. Another side can see if you look somewhere else, or if you deal with a dog under the camera. Interruptions happen, so take a break and then come back with complete focus on the meeting.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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