Our Methodology
A shift in business settings and practices introduced new expectations for communication. Companies moved entire workforces to conference calls and video chats. And for everyone from front-line managers to senior leaders, that meant shifting from a room full of listeners to a screen full of images. And it’s just not a format that most people have mastered. Most people have leaned on their in-person communication style and assumed their approach transferred to a virtual world. And some concepts do; but other concepts don’t transfer at all.
This workshop helps managers and teams rethink their virtual image by focusing on three elements of virtual communication: Preparation, Participation and Presence.
Content – Most listeners give a communicator about 30 seconds to set a message and direction for their storyline. An effective communicator learns how to format ideas to frame a message and set the structure quickly to keep the listener(s) involved. We teach how to organize a storyline, create a compelling message and leverage stories to be sure sound bites are heard and remembered.
Style – Personal style, is presence, the ability to engage an individual or a group from the start of a conversation. An effective communicator comes across as confident and credible, conveying a sense of commitment to their topic and a personal interest in connecting the topic to each listener. The SW&A approach to style teaches the intentional choices communicators make to deliver on those impressions.
Situational – While the tools stay the same, the situations don’t. Every communicator thinks about their audience differently from those who interact with small groups to those who deliver keynote speeches. They think about outcomes differently, too. From meetings that generate discovery to recommendations that gain approval. That’s why the third dimension of our work applies the fundamentals to specific situations. It helps a communicator shift from competence in their skills to consistent outcomes in their communication.
