“If you can, as much as you can, turn that camera on because your strategy is to connect.”– Gina London
My guest today is Emmy-award-winning CNN correspondent, Gina London. She is an internationally recognized communications expert, and has consulted with such organizations as Deloitte, SAP, Heineken, and the US Dept of State.
Gina has lived and/or worked in more than a dozen countries, so her insights come from deep experience, along with a track record of 10+yrs in TV, radio, print, and digital.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why strategy, structure, and delivery underpin all great presentations, and how to embed that in your everyday work
- How to avoid letting team members hide off-camera (don’t “facilitate their fade away!”)
- The “AIM” methodology that ensures your virtual presence is like a media pro.
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Strategy
Why are we doing virtual? We know it’s because of the pandemic, but what is our goal in a virtual setting, when we still want to connect with that human being on the other end?
If you are getting fatigued with the number of your Zoom meetings and your inclination is to turn that camera off, be in your sweats all day, I’m here to urge you to turn that camera back on. You don’t have to be dressed in a suit and tie but wear something a little sharper because it’s going to help you focus better and engage better with others when you’re on camera.
If you can, as much as you can, turn that camera on because your strategy is to connect.
The AIM Strategy (Audience, Intent, Message)
Your Audience needs to come first because you care about them the most. What are their hopes, dreams, and fears? What are they thinking about? How can you make your message – whatever it is – even if it’s just a short “Let’s talk about this new project that we need to get off the ground, and we’re excited about it,” well, why would the audience be excited about it first? Lead with that.
I’ve had clients write their whole agenda for a meeting and I say, “OK, what is the team thinking of?”
Thrash your agenda, make the agenda from the point of view of the audience, lead with that and these small tweaks can make really powerful differences.
Intent is simply, “What do we want to accomplish with this meeting?” Too often they’re often too broad or not defined at all. Once you decide collectively, or on your own, what is that intent, make sure you articulate it (your Message). Don’t leave your audience guessing what they’re supposed to do with whatever it is you’re blathering about. You’ve got to have a clear, memorable, hopefully positively emotional message that will inspire people to action. And those are the fundamentals of strategy.
Structure
Play with the structure. Everything that you deliver or that you message around, or if you’re going be talking about that project, it doesn’t have to be always chronological.
If there’s something interesting or visionary, lead with that. Get people excited, start with a cool story.
Links and Resources
Connect with Gina: LinkedIn | Twitter
https://languageofleadership.org/
