How to persuade in virtual businesses

Although technologies prevail in this new scenario in virtual contact with bosses, employees, partners, suppliers and clients, it is necessary to adapt to a new format not only the traditional strategies and codes, but also the empathic channels and mechanisms of communication. persuasion from a distance to maintain the efficiency necessary to sustain productivity.

Technologies allow us to shorten social distance – we can see the person more closely and without masks, for example – inviting us to rethink our body language when influencing our interlocutors who now observe us from their webcam and – many times – from the comfort of your home.

Thus, although we have the best technological tools for the internal and external client, we must understand that we will only achieve successful processes if we learn the codes of behavior that adapt to this new reality. Our body language must be in tune with this new virtual perspective to increase the effectiveness of communication to the point that it impacts our billing.

Then four tips – from an endless list-, which have been verified by our Laboratory in research experiences:

• Paralanguage: Let’s avoid talking as if we were TV hosts. The tone of our voice should be subtly friendly. For this, it is necessary to add slightly high notes to emphasize crucial aspects of the negotiation – such as the price or contractual conditions, for example-, since the low tones move our client away from the zone of trust.
• Visible hands: The human species is prepared to distrust those subjects who hide their hands. In a virtual meeting – it also applies for example to “Instagram lives” or virtual seminars -, we can alternate in the conversation showing one hand at a time or both, drinking a glass of water while listening to our interlocutor or resting our hand on the chin , for example, in such a way that our hands are always visible.
• Proximity: We can manage the distance we have with the camera in a strategic way. If we point out something nice, let’s zoom in slightly and back away when discussing negative issues so that we are not perceived as a threat. In this way, the message will have a deeper impact, leaving a favorable memory of our person.
• Facial expression: If we are delivering bad news, let’s not do it lightly as if we were reading a speech. Let’s connect with our emotions so that our faces have no choice but to express sadness. If, for example, we offer a product or service that we assure offers well-being, let’s open our sensory channels so that this well-being is reflected in our facial expression.

Buy a wine, a car, a medicine or elect a president. We do everything based on emotions that are unequivocally expressed in the human body and face. We can automate processes and apply advanced technologies, but our body, despite social distancing, has gained centrality in front of the webcam that at a short distance will capture our micro-expressions and postures in a clear and forceful way: let’s do it in such a way that the levels increase productivity, simply because as we always say in our laboratory, our body does not know how to lie.

External Consultant of the OAS in Washington DC and trainer of companies in the Hispanic world. He directs the Non-Verbal Communication Research Laboratory based in Buenos Aires.