7 Strategies for Effective Global Communication

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Resilience, empathy, and the ability to communicate globally emerged as more critical leadership qualities than before the Covid-19 crisis began.

CEMS communicated this in a global survey, an alliance of 33 leading business schools (such as HEC Paris and LSE), 70 multinational companies, and 7 NGOs. Their findings of over 1,700 professionals revealed that over one-third would communicate more frequently with colleagues based in other countries over the coming months. In addition, approximately one-third of respondents stated that the new way of working, done mainly through digital platforms, could negatively impact the quality of these relationships.

So, what does this imply? It means that leaders today must make sure they help their global teams maintain high-quality, productive working relationships to foster business collaboration.

How do you prepare your teams to communicate more often using online tools and thrive during disruptions?

Here are 7 Strategies for effective global communication.

1. Engage in Active Listening

Active listening is when you commit your focus and attention entirely to the speaking person. When someone is speaking, you do not want to be multitasking, interrupting them, or waiting for a moment to jump in and share your opinion.

Active listening helps the speaker feel heard and respected. You open an environment where there is trust. When engaging in active listening, you can empathise fully with the person speaking. Consequently, when you talk, they will give you their undivided attention.

2. Optimise Your Tech for a Professional Setup 

A vast majority of your global communication will be virtual. That is why it is essential to invest some time and money in optimising your tech for international communication. 

If you are presenting virtually, you should invest in a microphone as a minimum, and depending on the number of presentations you make and the change you are driving, I recommend a webcam too. 

In addition to hardware, you will also need to have your software installed. 

You may need programs like:

  • Video conferencing software

  • Email marketing tools

  • Office software

  • Calendar apps

  • And many other integrations

Once you have your software installed, it is time to set up everything. There are five pillars to a good presentation setup.

First, you will need quality lighting. You cannot rely on daylight. Therefore, I recommend the photographer’s 3-point lighting setup. This will enable you to properly light up your face and surroundings so that you are clearly visible to your audience.

Second, how will you present yourself? You should be easily visible to your audience at all times. This means you will need to adjust your camera so that your eyes are at the top third of your screen. Your body and shoulders should be visible. 

Will you be standing or sitting? Sitting is ok during informal presentations and meetings, but for high-stakes presentations, it is best to stand. Be sure to invest in a clicker to change slides if you are giving a standing presentation!

Third, ensure that your background is either a professional setting or a virtual photo with good contrast. Your virtual background can be a virtual office or your company logo. 

The fourth pillar is sound. Is there an echo in your room when you speak? If so, you may want to invest in furniture and rugs for your room, so there is no echo. Also, you will want to ensure that no noise comes from outside or other rooms in the house. You wouldn’t want your audience to hear your kids, pets, or electronics, right? You will also need a good microphone so your voice will be clear and without background noise.

The fifth pillar is to get a quality camera. You can get a good quality web camera or invest in an HD camera with a tripod. When you set up your camera, ensure it is positioned properly at eye level. You will need to practice looking into the camera. Place a sticker or a family photo near your camera. This will help you focus your eyes on the camera to appear more personal during your presentation.

If you are on a budget, at the very least, invest in a quality camera, a simple standalone microphone, quality lighting, and a virtual background. If you can afford multiple setups, I recommend having separate setups in your home and office so you do not have to transport your equipment. 

3. Vary Your Voice to Engage and Inspire Your Audience

When you are speaking to your audience, how does your voice sound to them? Is your speech energetic and fun? Or perhaps strong and authoritative? Maybe you might prefer to be warm and friendly. 

Variation is essential when it comes to engaging your audience. There are multiple ways you can make your speech more inspiring. You could:

  • Add emotion to your speech

  • Raise or lower the volume of your voice

  • Increase or decrease the pitch of your voice

  • Speed up or slow down your pace

  • Pause after crucial moments in your speech

4. Curate Your Professional Online Presence. 

You only have 24 hours each day, and you cannot be everywhere at once. So what do you do when people want to learn more about you? One of the most important things you can do is curate your online presence. Your online presence helps you build a relationship with your audience worldwide without needing you to be physically present. 

You can use several strategies to grow your professional online presence. When you apply any of these strategies, be consistent and authentic. Here are some ways you can boost your online presence:

  • Set up a website

  • Create a good LinkedIn Profile (Here is a Free Online Course to Help You)

  • Write a blog

  • Guest Blogging

  • Post videos of your presentations online

  • Be a guest speaker on another company’s podcast, video, or conference

  • Create brand material that readers can download

  • Create online courses 

  • Engage your audience in social media

  • Advertising

  • Write and publish a book

  • Write press releases

  • Network with people in your industry and target audience

  • Leverage the audience of another company through joint venture partnerships

  • Grow an email list

5. Design Your Slides to Support Your Message 

Slides are an excellent way to keep your audience engaged on your core presentation topic. 

When creating your slides, make sure you keep things simple. This will make it easier for your audience to follow you and keep them focused. Ensure you do not put too much text and that the font is legible and large enough to read. I recommend a point size of 24 minimum.

Your graphics should be sharp with no blurry images!

Remember that your slides are there to support and amplify your message. By engaging your audience visually with your slides, you can help the audience better understand and retain your messages.

6. Shorten Your Presentations and Meetings

Meetings and presentations that last too long cause your audience to lose interest. When you are presenting you should focus on one key topic for 30 - 45 minutes max.  This gives your audience a chance to absorb the information you are sharing. You do not want to overwhelm or confuse your audience. 

On the other hand, meetings should only last up to 1 hour and 30 minutes max. Since meetings tend to have multiple people sharing updates and ideas, lasting longer than a presentation. Meetings might have several topics to be discussed. If you are leading a business meeting, go through each item and ensure everyone understands what is expected. Make sure your team understands the agenda. If someone goes on a tangent, bring them back to the main focus of the discussion.

Whether you are holding a meeting or a presentation, be disciplined and value everyone’s time. 

7. Build Interaction into your Online Communication. 

It can be challenging to make virtual communication feel as social as in person. However, if you do not have opportunities for interaction, you risk your audience tuning out. 

When you are hosting a virtual presentation, use the chat feature to engage your audience. You could ask them questions and have them type their answers in the chat. Another great strategy is when you are speaking on a critical point, you could ask them to type something like “Yes!” or “Agree” in the chat. Using the chat this way helps show your audience that they are not alone. Other people are experiencing the same challenges as they are. 

Breakout rooms are another excellent way to build interaction. Often during events, attendees will want to network with other participants. Including breakout rooms allows you to have your attendees interact with each other while they discuss your presentation topic. It is a win-win. 

In addition to the chat feature and breakout rooms, you can also use polls and reactions to engage your audience. Polls allow you to quickly graph the experiences of your attendees based on their votes. And reactions allow your participants to communicate their feelings swiftly during your presentation. 

Using all these techniques will be dependent on the virtual platform you are using to communicate. However, most platforms such as Zoom, Teams, and Mentimeter have these features available.

If you want to discuss further your company’s Business English communication or Presentation communication needs, I offer free 30-minute consultations through the contact page of my site. I’d love to meet you.