Welcome to the age of hypercommunication, where mastering new ways to connect isn’t just a nice to have. It’s now essential. Virtual meetings, artificial intelligence and video content now dominate the way we collaborate, influence and build our brands.
To cut through the clutter and thrive in this modern landscape, it’s time to adopt new mindsets and build communication skills or risk staring at a Zoom screen, wondering why no one is engaging with you. Here’s how to grow your personal brand and expand your success by enhancing your communication style for the new world of work.
- Virtual Meetings Are Now The New Normal
Remember when video calls were an occasional thing? Since the pandemic, they’ve taken over our workdays, social lives and even doctor’s appointments. Virtual communication is here to stay, so it’s time to up your game. From awkward silences and Wi-Fi lags to unintentional mute mishaps, there are so many ways virtual conversations can detract from your personal brand. But mastering online meetings isn’t just about avoiding disasters. It’s about engaging your audience, creating connections and making a lasting impression.
Meetings (even virtual ones) are powerful brand builders. Yet when I ask participants in my workshops to share an adjective that describes most online meetings they attend, I hear everything from bland to soul-sucking. One person even called them wrath-producing time sinks. Why? Multitasking.
People think they can do multiple things at once while in a virtual meeting. That means you need to command attention and make your communication so compelling that they stop scrolling through emails or reordering coffee on Amazon. So to maximize online meetings, focus on these actions.
- Be deliberate about your presence. Sit up straight, make eye contact with the camera (not the screen), and use facial expressions that show you’re engaged. Ensure your background is appropriate, your lighting is flattering, and frame yourself using the rule of thirds.
- Don’t use just words for your slides. Use visuals to add depth to your communication and create a richer and more riveting experience.
- Demonstrate the art of interaction. When you involve participants, they’re less tempted to multitask.
Virtual communication isn’t just a substitute for in-person meetings. It can be a powerful personal branding tool when done right.
- Communicating With Your AI Coworkers
Artificial intelligence has arrived. From writing assistants to chatbots, AI is now an essential part of communication, and knowing how to maximize AI is a must-have skill.
When it comes to interacting online, most of us were trained on Google. Ask a question, get an answer. But that transactional approach doesn’t work with AI. Instead, think of AI as a human assistant. Engage in conversation, refine responses, and guide it toward the outcome you seek. Here’s what you need to master.
- The art of the prompt. AI is only as good as the questions you ask. Be clear, specific, detailed and intentional to get the best results.
- Conversational skills. Treat AI interactions like a real conversation where you iterate, refine and build on the responses.
- Branding AI outputs. Generated content is a great starting point, but it’s not 100% your voice. Inject your style, remove robotic jargon and make it sound authentically you.
Remember when your mom taught you to say please and thank you? That actually helps when working with AI. Engaging politely forces you to treat AI like a real person, not Google. That will help you establish a conversation that will yield actionable results.
- Video Communication Is Key To Influence
The human brain processes rich media 60,000 times faster than text. If you’re not leveraging video in your communication strategy, you’re missing out.
Video isn’t just for YouTube influencers and TikTok stars. It’s a critical tool for thought leadership, marketing and internal communication. LinkedIn is going all in on video, making it easier for your video content to be seen and shared. The rise of asynchronous video is changing the way we share ideas. Why is this powerful?
- Searchability. Video ranks higher in Google search results, making it more likely that your audience will see what you post.
- Engagement. It allows you to convey tone, emotion, and authenticity in ways that text simply can’t. It’s the next best thing to being there.
- Differentiation. Although video has been around for a while, few people are using it and even fewer are really good at it. That gives you a powerful opportunity to stand out.
If you’re not already using video to communicate, it’s time to make friends you’re your video camera. The more you use video, the easier it becomes.
- Virtual Presentations On Zoom And Beyond
Zoom. Our collective love-hate relationship with it is real. But whether you like them or not, virtual presentations are here to stay. That means you need to master the skills that make them engaging and effective. Virtual presentations will never match the energy and connection that you find in person, but there are ways to engage your audience that will impress and inspire.
Leadership communication expert and author, Deborah Grayson Riegel puts it this way: “In virtual presentations, we need to be intentionally expressive. What feels like ‘too much’ to you is often just right for your audience. Your energy doesn’t naturally transfer through the screen. You have to deliberately amplify it to create the connection your message deserves.”
If you have a customer facing role, are in project management or lead a team, mastering virtual presentation skills is essential. Here’s how to level up your online presentations.
- Amp up the three Es. These are energy, empathy and emotion. What works in a conference room doesn’t always translate to the small screen. Be more expressive, human, and animated to keep attention.
- Structure still matters. Use storytelling techniques, clear agendas and visual aids to guide your audience. And use the whiplash effect to glue your audience to the screen with mixed media. Go from a quick video to a quote to a bulleted list to an infographic.
- Involve your audience. From polls and word clouds, to breakouts, quizzes and games, there are endless ways to truly engage your audience so they don’t have the time (or desire) to multitask.
Zoom fatigue is real so knowing how to make your mark with a virtual presentation is a valuable communication skill in the new world of work.
- Brevity Wins And Pithy Makes You Potent
Adopt the mindset that less is more when it comes to communicating in today’s workplace. Attention spans are shrinking, and long-winded explanations don’t cut it anymore. If you want people to listen, you have to get to the point, and fast.
Janine MacLachlan, creator of the learning program Say It Shorter, puts it this way: “Being clear and brief shows respect for your audience. Don’t make them work too hard to understand your message. Even Einstein said ‘if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.’” Use these steps to improve your brevity skills.
- Just lead with the key point. Don’t bury the lead. Start with what matters most when you communicate.
- Adopt a screenwriter mantra: Kill your darlings. This means deciding to get rid of a storyline, character or sentence that you really like because it’s not essential to the plot.
- Use powerful simple language. Fancy words don’t impress, but clarity does. Jargon makes you an unoriginal follower. Use words to express your personal brand.
- Master the one-breath test. If you can’t say it in one breath, it’s probably too long and complicated.
- Adapt to different formats. Whether it’s an email, a presentation or a speech, tailor your message to the platform while keeping it concise.
The ability to communicate clearly and concisely, especially in the virtual world, is more valuable than ever. Mastering brevity ensures your message is heard, understood and acted upon.
Communication Skills Are Evolving. Are You?
Communication is no longer what it used to be. The old ways of long emails, text-heavy presentations, and drawn-out meetings are being replaced by faster, more visual and AI-assisted communication methods.
Remember the skills you need today aren’t just about speaking or writing well. They’re about mastering virtual conversations, AI interactions, video storytelling, engaging presentations, and concise messaging. Adapt, learn and level up your communication skills because the future belongs to those who can connect in new and powerful ways.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of BrandBoost- a virtual, video-fueled course to help you grow your self-awareness, uncover your personal brand, and amp up your career success.
Source: Forbes
