We all do it, try to do two things at the same time. Emails and notifications constantly pull at our attention, and we’ve become addicted to responding as quickly as possible. In fact, 70% of all emails are opened within 6 seconds of their receipt.
Here’s the problem, only 2% of the population can multitask successfully. That leaves 98% of us who cannot. When we try, our brains actually just switch back and forth between tasks. We do not do them simultaneously. And, we don’t even switch back and forth well. For example, after opening an email, it takes 98% of us a full minute to refocus on what we were doing beforehand.
Let’s apply this to what’s happening during your virtual meetings with clients:
It’s a proven fact that your clients are multitasking during your virtual meetings. And when they are multitasking, they are not listening to you. This doesn’t even count all the times their minds are simply wandering. What this means is that you must work much harder to keep them engaged.
Clients are only engaged when one of three things is happening:
Everything you do should try to get to one of these three.
Talking slower and in shorter paragraphs will make it easier for your client to listen and absorb what you are saying. Too often, presenters get on a roll in virtual meetings and run on and on. This only ensures one thing — you will lose your audience. Remember, your client is constantly being tempted by their emails and notifications to start multitasking again.
When you pause more often than you normally would it gives the client a chance to jump in with questions or comments. Most clients genuinely want to engage in conversation with you.
As you move to a new page, give them the headline first. Tell them in 1-2 sentences what they are looking at before diving into the details of the slide. This way, they can relax and follow along with you instead of wandering around the slide trying to figure it out. Over-clearing a slide is better than not clearing it at all.
When you check in, it’s a great way to build connection.
For example, as you move from one topic to another, invite them into the conversation by asking an open-ended question like,
“Before I move on, what questions or comments do you have?”
You want them engaged, you want them talking, you want to know what they are thinking.
When they hear their name, it spikes their attention and at the same time, makes the meeting feel personal to them.
For example, when you ask for feedback, you might say,
“Michael, that’s a great point, tell me more about that.”
When your client is talking, stop thinking about what you should say or ask next. Do not rush them. Maintain eye contact with the screen and nod your head up and down to encourage them to keep talking. In this virtual world, listening is a precious gift that builds connection at a time when people need it the most.
These techniques may seem obvious to you. You may even be thinking, “Yeah, I do that.” But very few people do. These techniques are common sense, but not commonly applied. They are so uncommon that, when used, clients perk up and think, “Wow, this meeting is different.” In effect, you are making a virtual meeting feel more like an in-person meeting.
But make no mistake, you need to be intentional about applying these techniques. Getting the client engaged at this level won’t just happen naturally. You need to plan for it and prioritize it. When you do, you’ll stand out, and your probability of success will increase exponentially.