Now that most communication is conducted remotely, we are increasingly relying on Zoom.

This means we all need to work even harder to get our messages across to key audiences. And it also means that we all have to work harder to stand out from the competition.

In this new world, the old rules of  communication are not just important, they are more important than ever. In fact, because we are now communicating virtually, we see the best communicators adopting a new best practice style of communication. The best communicators seem to share the following characteristics:

1. Use bold messages

With remote meetings, it is even harder to keep audience attention. That means you need to work to grab your audiences’ attention from the first minute. You also want clear, strong messages. See how my colleague Paul Farrow recommends you think about your messaging.

In short, the bolder and simpler your messages, the more you will be understood and remembered. In our client work, we frequently spend more time defining and polishing messages than any other part of an communication project. That is how valuable good messaging is.

2. Connect with your audience

Last week I reviewed a webinar run by one of the large accounting firms. I listened to a panel of global CEOs discussing the impact of Covid 19. While the CEOs were all well-known, the panel was dull. It felt as if the speakers were in their own worlds and not really interested in sharing their expertise with a wider audience.

To avoid this, and to cut through to your audience, you want to show investors that you care. That means speaking directly to people, helping them, and speaking as if you are listening. What do I mean by that? It means using a conversational style of speaking – shorter phrases; more rhetorical questions and direct language.

It’s a skill to learn, and it will help you stand out as an impressive leader and communicator.

3. Adopt a simpler communications style

The best communicators use the simplest language. There is plenty of research showing that the strongest leaders are frequently the clearest communicators. But how do you develop this clear communication style?

We introduce our clients to powerful techniques that help them develop that clear authoritative style that people want to hear.

If you are interested in improving your communication style, get in touch.

We work with our clients, virtually at the moment, helping them polish their talks, presentations and client updates, for private firms, for quoted companies and for funds.

We’d be delighted to discuss how we could help polish your communications.