Communicating Online - Improve your Effective Verbal Communication

In-person meetings are generally expensive. For in-person meetings, you need to arrange for a hall, accommodation and food and beverages for the attendees. According to a study by VerizonBusiness.com, conducting in-person meetings for five people is almost seven times more expensive than conducting a remote meeting for the same group.

Hence, there is a growing trend of remote and e-meet in the market. Virtual meetings are becoming inherently important, and therefore, you should be well-acquainted with the main channels of online communication. Similarly, it is important for you to be aware of the protocols and etiquette to be followed during virtual meetings.

In this segment, Rakesh will share some tips and practices to be followed for the same. Let's watch the next video and get started.

You are now well-acquainted with the dos and don'ts of online communication. Some of the key takeaways from the video above can be summarised as follows:

• Suggestions for better online communication
  • Choose a clean place with little to no noise for a video call. An aesthetically pleasing background is just as important as the delivery of your communication. 
  • If you are unable to find a proper background, use virtual backgrounds.
  • Bandwidth issues are quite common during online communication. Therefore, it is important to have a backup for glitches.
• You need to be mindful of the fundamentals of oral communication, both verbal and non-verbal.
• You must remember the following elements of verbal communication: 
  • Voice: You should be audible to others but not so loud that it is perceived as yelling.
  • Speed: You should maintain a good rate of speech so that others can easily absorb what you are saying. As a general guideline, 140 words a minute is clear enough for everyone to understand what you are saying. 
  • Tone: You should maintain a respectful and gentle tone.
  • Pauses: You must take appropriate pauses.
• You must also remember the following non-verbal elements of verbal communication: 
  • Eyes: You should always maintain appropriate eye contact during online conversations.
  • Face: You must maintain a pleasant and natural smile on your face.
  • Hands: Your hand movements and gestures should complement your speech.
  • Body language: Your body language should exude confidence and interest in communication.
• As mentioned in the video above, actions have a greater impact on people than words. A study suggests that your non-verbal cues or body language can impact the listener more than your verbal cues or talk.
• Online communication is harder because you are confined to one place, have to share the screen simultaneously during presentations and need to speak clearly in a gentle tone.

By following these tips and tricks, you will surely be able to get better at online communication. All you need to do is continuously practise them.