Virtual presentations are an important part of your communication toolkit since they allow you to reach remote audience members no matter where they are located. Here are 3 easy ways for you to deliver better virtual presentations:
1) Shorten Your Presentation
Staying with your time limit is an easy way to be a better presenter. This is even more important in virtual presentations where attention spans are shorter and distractions may be more readily available. Cut out all non-essentials and focus only on the information (numbers, examples, etc.) that the audience needs to understand your message (not everything you know about a topic).
2) Make Eye Contact With the Audience
Not looking
at the camera is the number one mistake I see virtual presenters make. Eye contact is key because it communicates
respect and confidence, demonstrates your willingness to engage the audience
and conveys the fact that you know your material without being buried in your
notes. In a virtual environment, you
achieve eye contact by looking directly into the camera which should be
positioned at eye level so you are not looking up or down into it. You can place your computer or tablet on a
pile of books or on a box if needed to position the camera at eye level. Also rearrange the items on your screen so if
you look at your slides or the audience’s pictures, you can quickly and easily
go back to making eye contact through the camera.
3) Be More Energetic
One of the
challenges of virtual presentations it that you have to be dynamic within the
“box” of the computer screen. Watch any
good newscaster or sportscaster and you will see their energy and personality
coming through the camera. It’s not
about being fake, it’s about dialing up your energy and intensity so you make
it easier for the audience to engage with your content. Speak clearly, vary your voice and monitor
your facial expressions. Make sure your
voice, body language and words all match the message that you are conveying –
and that they communicate confidence, competence and composure.
The next
time you have to give a virtual presentation, follow these 3 easy suggestions
to make your presentation better.
(C) Gilda Bonanno LLC www.gildabonanno.com