10/02/2022How to Be Powerful When Going Virtual
Two years ago, we moved to working from home and our communication moved to online platforms! And whether we like it or not, it’s clear that remote meetings are here to stay.
After running countless online workshops and meetings with hundreds of participants around the world, I still see many presenters who have not yet successfully adjusted their presentation style from Face2Face to online, and it’s not working too well for them. They are, to put it bluntly, rather boring, they are often misunderstood, and ultimately, they fail to achieve their objectives.
So here are 5 tips that will contribute to a successful remote presentation:
1. Less is more
Less time – People have less patience for long presentations. Schedule shorter sessions, up to 90 mins per session. Give more breaks to refresh.
Less content – Don’t squeeze as much content as possible into any given time frame. Focus on one main idea every time.
Fewer people – Smaller meetings allow for more engagement, intimacy, and openness.
2. Set the best settings
Check your frame – Camera at eye-level, show your hands and keep gestures inside the frame. What’s showing in your background? Is it promoting the image you want?
Check your lighting – Make sure you don’t have a strong light behind you, otherwise you’ll appear as a silhouette. Have a light source in front of you so you can be seen clearly.
Check your audio – Be sure to use a high-quality microphone and speakers.
3. Use visual aids
When we present face2face, it’s easier to capture the audience’s attention. But looking at a screen for a long period of time is difficult. Change slides frequently, use animation, and when you can, stop sharing your screen. When things on the screen are constantly changing, it’s more interesting, and the audience doesn’t want to miss out (FOMO – fear of missing out).
4. More enthusiastic body language
When we sit and talk to a computer screen, there is a tendency to be quieter and more monotonous. That’s the fastest way to lose your audience.
Amplify your energy levels when presenting online: Speak directly to the camera to give your audience the feeling that you “see them”. Use facial expressions and hand gestures to reinforce your message. When you are passionate, you pass-ions… (Electric particles). It’s contagious.
And, most importantly:
5. Engage your audience more frequently!
You know those moments on online calls when you ask a question… and there is an awkward silence on the line… until someone unmutes and says “Sorry, can you repeat the question please?”, and you realize that no one was listening… Don’t wait too long to engage your audience. From the very first moment, and then every 10 minutes, use different engagement tools: asking questions, polls, vote, chat, Kahoot/Mentimeter, small group discussion, annotation and so on.
If audience engagement is important in face2face presentations, then in virtual presentations its absolutely critical!
We wish for you that your meeting rooms will soon be filled with people.
Until then, make the best of your online presentations!
Good luck!
