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What is the Secret to Live Video Success? Authenticity.

CMMA Blog

Public speaking is old hat to many corporate executives, but what happens when you remove the in-person audience and transition to Live Video broadcasting instead? Although most principles for a successful presentation translate well between the two mediums, Live Video requires a slightly more nuanced approach to captivate your audience.

One of the biggest challenges when switching to Live Video, is learning how to become an authentic presenter. Yes, body language and vocal intonations play a big role in how your message is received, but true authenticity comes from preparation. Here’s what you need to know.

Be Intentional

From the moment you first appear on screen, you need to be immediately interesting to your audience. Little things like what you’re wearing, where you sit, and how you sound are all important elements that need to be considered before go-live, as they set the stage for what your audience can expect during the presentation. If you plan to present a slide deck, remember to speak purposefully, using the cadence of your speech to draw attention to the most important content.

Build Trust & Influence

Although looking and sounding the part is essential to authenticity, it’s the ability to build trust that is cornerstone to all successful Live Video presentations. One of the easiest ways to do so is by using story-bites. Lou Solomon, TEDx speaker and owner of Interact , describe story-bites as a morsel of information that adds imagery and understanding to an idea – like a metaphor or an analogy. Her favorite example of a story-bite in action is when Steve Jobs announced that Apple would transition to using Intel processors in all Macs. Instead of speaking solely in technical terms though, he likened it to a heart transplant. This made it much more relatable to everyday consumers and in turn, built trust.

Message Map

One way to extend that trust and exert influence is by organizing your key points in a message map. A message map is a simple framework that can be used for any type of presentation or important conversation. You start by identifying the key point you would like to make. If, for example, you’ve developed an Enterprise Content Delivery Network like Kollective has, your primary message is that ECDNs scale Live Video content to the edge of your network by eliminating bandwidth constraints. To reinforce that message, you would combine a fact with a story-bite to create a compelling argument for why that is true.

Example: Kollective ECDN delivers 100% of video content at 1% of bandwidth. You can think of our platform like the ball bearings in a car. We remove friction so you can accelerate your network.

The process is then repeated until your point has been made.

Make a Plan

Every video production – big and small – needs a plan. We recommend creating a playbook or checklist to guide your Live Event planning and preparation. Outlining the who, what, where, when and why leads you to the how, which is fundamental to an authentic presentation.

Pre Event Preparation Checklist

At this time, it is also essential to establish roles and responsibilities, so everyone is aligned on expectations. The event owner for example, is responsible for managing deadlines and assigning tasks. The producer, on the other hand, owns content and run of show. Other team members, like an executive sponsor, network administrator or help desk support, can be added as needed.

Practice Makes Confidence

The final step to becoming a more authentic present is to practice, practice, practice. If you show up on the day of and haven’t rehearsed your presentation, the audience will take note. While most of us don’t like to watch ourselves on video, doing so can mean the difference between a mediocre presentation and a strong one.

Learn to become a more authentic presenter

With COVID-19 forcing more businesses to go virtual, Live Video is now a necessary component of every corporate communications strategy. To learn more tips on becoming a better virtual presenter, watch our webinar on demand, Learn to Present Authentically with Live Video.

The post What is the Secret to Live Video Success? Authenticity. appeared first on Kollective Technology .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Insights from the Kollective Network – Updated with April 2020 Data

CMMA Blog

As COVID-19 takes hold around the world, global enterprises are leveraging technology to stay connected to their workforce and keep them informed. Over the last couple months, Microsoft Teams grew from 20 million daily active users to 75 million, highlighting the importance of real-time communication in maintaining daily operations. Enterprise Content Delivery Networks, like Kollective’s ECDN , play a big role in this as they allow businesses to scale the delivery of content across enterprise networks without increasing bandwidth or putting other critical applications on the network at risk.

At Kollective, our robust client list ranges from top airline and utility companies to leading pharmaceutical and auto manufacturers. This gives us deep insight into how enterprises across all business segments are using ECDNs to overcome the communication challenge presented by COVID-19. Here’s what we’re seeing.

Top 4 Kollective Network Insights

1. 90% of enterprises using Kollective’s ECDN have used video to address their global organizations on the impact of COVID-19.

2. The total number of Live Events broadcast from the Kollective platform jumped over 50% from January to February, stayed roughly the same from February to March and in April, increased another 40% over the previous month.

3. From January to February 2020, the average number of Live Events per customer increased 30%. This is in contrast to 2019, where there was virtually no change over the same two months. While we saw a slight dip in March 2020, the average number of Live Events increased by 45% in April.

4. From January to March 2020, Live Events engaged 67% more employees across organizations, coinciding with greater adoption of collaboration tools.

The Key Takeaway

Although our network data tells a number of interesting stories, the most compelling is the rise of live video. Within a week of social distancing measures taking effect, businesses identified the need for real-time communication and switched to live video. As a result, the content reached a wider audience and had higher engagement.

In these challenging times, global enterprises are leveraging modern workplace tools to keep their organizations moving forward through better communication and collaboration. Live video is proving to be an asset for communicating real-time information and engaging the global workforce.

To see how Kollective’s ECDN can benefit your enterprise business, sign up a free 30-day trial.

The post Insights from the Kollective Network – Updated with April 2020 Data appeared first on Kollective Technology .

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10 Tips for Improving Body Language in Live Video

Body language tips

“Albert Mehrabian, a pioneer researcher of body language, found that the total impact of a message is about 7 percent verbal (words only) and 38 percent vocal (including tone of voice, inflection, and other sounds) and 55 percent nonverbal. It’s how you looked when you said it, not what you actually said.”

New York Times

Unlike other communication channels, live video enables you to better connect with your audience by adding context through body language, narrative flow and tone of voice. The unconscious message delivered through video is as important as the message itself and is critical to building trust and credibility, especially during times of disruption as we are experiencing now with COVID-19.

Below are 10 tips you can use to improve your live video body language and communicate more effectively.

1. Fill the screen

Taking up visual space builds confidence with your audience and helps deliver the intened. message. Position yourself close to the camera so you can be seen clearly. Your presentation to the viewer should feel balanced, but deliberately present. However, it’s best to avoid being too close to the camera because this can communicate that you are aggressive. It is important to make the audience feel you are communicating confidently and openly.

2. Eye contact is critical

In live video, eye contact is a powerful tool that can be used favorably to deliver a message and create a sense of connection. The goal is to simulate face-to-face communication through video. The perceived eye contact conveys to the audience that the speaker is attentive, having commitment and conviction in the message and its’ importance.

In the case of live video, look at the camera instead of the screen and alternate by looking at the screen from time to time to prevent the speaker from thinking that you are staring or too robotic. During natural face-to-face communication you maintain eye contact 80% of the time, but look away at different times when thinking or pondering a statement. This conveys authenticity, emotion and “real” communication. By briefly looking away at times the presenter shows active engagement and a concerted effort to think about the importance of the message, and avoids feeling pre-recorded or too rehearsed.

3. Lean back – but only slightly

The position of your body can send visual cues to your audience and impact how receptive they might be to your message. Sitting too far back conveys disinterest, sitting straight up comes across as rigid or inauthentic, and leaning forward is aggressive. Leaning slightly back is proven to be the most effective.

4. Use your hands

Much like an orchestra maestro or conductor waves his hands to communicate, you too can use your hands to set the tempo and emphasis of your message. Gesturing with your hands grabs the attention of your audience and is effective for putting emphasis on critical points in the presentation.

5. Avoid using the same speed and volume

There’s nothing worse than a monotone presenter to put an audience to sleep. The simplest way to catch a viewers’ attention (and keep it!) is to modulate the speed and volume of your voice. Slow down to put emphasis on your most important points.

6. Use a pause

Have you heard the saying, “less is more?” The selective use of a pause puts emphasis on a moment, whether it be after the fact to ensure something is remembered, or before a moment to create anticipation. The smart use of a pause can grab an audience’s attention and make that moment more impactful and memorable.  But remember to use them sparingly, the over-use of a pause can give the perception of not being prepared.

7. Tell a story

Storytelling captivates attention, inspires the imagination and captures the hearts of your audience. It’s the oldest and most effective form of communication. A good story helps build a connection, allowing the audience to think and feel your message. Stories are memorable. Studies have proven time and again that stories speak to the audience in ways that numbers, data and presentation slides simply can’t.

8. Don’t forget to smile (if appropriate)

Clearly we’re in challenging times and smiling might not be appropriate, but we should also celebrate our wins no matter how small they might be.  Staying positive is important and will impact your audience. Allan Pease is an Australian researcher and expert in body language. His research has shown the more you smile, the more positive reactions you will receive from others. Being open and using a smile improves the impact of your communication.

9. Practice makes perfect

It’s a cliché, but it’s true. You don’t want to come across as reading a script, but a certain level of practice ensures there’s a natural and convincing flow to the narrative of your message. You’re looking to achieve a certain balance. Your message should be rehearsed enough to connect your statements to create a convincing message without being monotone and scripted.

10. It’s ok if you mess up – it might even help you

The beauty of live video is that no one expects you to be perfect. It’s intended to be authentic, not over produced. Real people make mistakes and those mistakes make you vulnerable, which makes you more appealing, relatable and successful in communicating your message.

Small mess ups can create a sense of sincerity that can help you connect with your audience. Don’t let your body language ruin the moment by showing stress or frustration. Take a self-deprecating approach when it occurs. Use these moments to create humor, vulnerability and a stronger connection with your audience.

Learn More Live Video Presentation Tips

Live video can be difficult for even the most seasoned professional to master. In our upcoming webinar, “Learn to Present Authentically with Live Video,” we give you actionable advice on how to become an effective presenter.

The post 10 Tips for Improving Body Language in Live Video appeared first on Kollective Technology .

To view our Partner blog, click here

How to Manage a Crisis with Video Communication

CMMA Blog

Whether or not you have a formal crisis communications plan in place, communicating with your workforce during difficult times is necessary to keep your team, customers, and business moving forward. With dispersed and remote workforces, video is a very successful form of communication that can help curb panic and instill confidence that things will get better.

Below, we have outlined seven benefits of live video communications during uncertain times:

1. Body language and tone matter

More than 90% of human communication occurs through body language. When you can see the person as they speak, you gain a better understanding of how they are feeling. Facial expressions communicate a deeper level of emotion and create a connection that has a significant impact on the delivery of your message. When you can hear the tone of their voice and see their facial expressions, it’s easier to understand the importance of the message being presented and it helps build trust, credibility and integrity that other forms of communication simply don’t offer.

2. Video builds relationships

The quality of your relationship helps you survive the ups and downs that inevitably occur in difficult times. Live video enables you to create a connection, which in turn, boosts the success and strength of your relationships. Using email, audio, or slide shows doesn’t provide the opportunity to build camaraderie with your audience. Face-to-face conversations are always most effective, but in this day and age, that simply doesn’t scale. Live video offers all the same attributes, providing the greatest form of persuasion, engagement, and leadership. Whether it be energizing the culture or navigating challenging times, live video gives you the ability leverage emotion and create a bond between you and your audience.

3. Demonstrate that you value your people

When you get in front of the camera and speak authentically, you show your audiences that you care about them. During a time of crisis or change, having senior leadership take the time to present to them what is known, what is being done, that this will end, and what to do in the meantime will help your workforce understand that you value them. Distributing live video updates will help inform them and help them feel connected and valued within the organization .

4. Create greater efficiency with effectiveness

Scale and efficiency are very important in both large and small organizations, but effectiveness is the true measure of success. If we only focused on efficiency, then why is email so ineffective? How many emails have you received this week that fell flat, lacked true emotion and made no connection? How many emails did you ignore completely? Live video if done in an authentic and transparent way, captures and holds people’s attention. It gives you an authentic and authoritative voice that demonstrates a commitment to your words.

5. Develop unity and alignment

High-functioning, successful organizations have a strong sense of unity and commitment within their teams. Live video is more effective at delivering a message with context and in a convincing manner. When your workforce believes in the vision and understands their role in achieving that vision, you have the ability to achieve employee buy-in and support, even with those employees located around the globe. This unity helps create organizational alignment for greater velocity and success in achieving your goals.

6. Create a common voice and values

We’ve all had it happen… There’s nothing worse than talking to five different people at a company and hearing them explain five different value propositions. You would think they worked at different companies. Achieving a common voice and set of values across a global organization is difficult, but necessary. Listening and watching a sincere leader share their voice and company values can help employees understand and take to heart these messages. Live video allows your leadership to deliver the context. It helps create a memorable narrative and connects concepts together creating a consistent voice and set of values across the company.

7. Create a sense of urgency

Live video has a unique quality of being real and in the moment.  It grabs your attention and creates the unconscious feeling that if you look away, you risk missing something.  It’s raw and captivating for an audience.  Urgency is a powerful emotion that can rally organizations, creating the unity and motivation to take action.

In challenging times such as crisis or change management, the way you communicate is as important as what you communicate. Live video offers many of the benefits and effectiveness of face-to-face communication, while still achieving the scale required. For a limited time, Kollective is offering a free enterprise video strategy consultation with one of our experts. Get started doing video today with help from our experts. Learn more and sign up today: EVS Consultation.

 

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Distributed Devices: Reaching The Edge In The Age of IoT

analytics

The world of work is changing. From cloud computing systems to remote working opportunities, technological innovations are becoming an integral part of our professional lives.

As part of this changing culture, businesses are increasingly contending with how to incorporate the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) into the modern office environment. Wearable technology, smart gadgets and intelligent lighting systems are just a few examples of hardware that IT departments will soon add to their internal networks.

But just like any other machine on a company’s network, it’s vital that these IoT devices receive regular updates for maximum security and functionality.

This presents a complicated problem for IT managers to solve — with the IoT bringing new operating systems, new update schedules and thousands of new devices into the workplace.

Given so many of these devices will operate at the edge of the corporate network, how can IT departments connect their IoT devices at scale and ensure they stay up to date without putting a huge strain on existing IT systems and network infrastructure?

To understand these concerns, and explore the future direction of enterprise content delivery, we at Kollective are pleased to announce the launch of our latest research report: Distributed Devices: How Today‘s IT Leaders Are Taking Their Businesses To The Edge.

This report draws on research from 270+ IT decision makers across the US and UK, providing insights into what companies must examine when integrating the IoT into their systems and the role that Software-Defined Enterprise Content Delivery Networks (SD-ECDN) will play in the future of Enterprise IT and IoT update distribution.

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