Author Post: Dos and Don’ts for Delivering Compelling Virtual Presentations

You might be a seasoned speaker in real, face-to-face environments. But in this new—albeit temporary—world where virtual presentations are a must, a different approach is essential.

We need to avoid a re-package to both best engage audiences and uphold our reputation and professionalism (after all, no one wants to be the person speaking with their head half cut off, poorly lit, and with a background from yesterday’s trivia game and empty bottle of wine still in full view).

At the same time, it’s important to remember that virtual presentations are still live. They require virtually (no pun intended!) the same amount of preparation and are still delivered to a discerning audience who look to us for an engaging, interactive experience.

Here are some of the practices we have developed and shared with our teams in order to improve their virtual presentations:

What to wear to virtual presentations? New rules apply

  • Do keep it simple. Avoid busy patterns and overly bright or dark colors—you want the focus to be on you, not your outfit!
  • Don’t wear hats, t-shirts, or hoodies. Or opt for a crazy hairdo. You might be at home, but you’re still in a professional setting.

Perfect the tech

  • Do check which mode you need to capture your virtual presentations in. It’s usually best to do this in horizontal or landscape mode, but requirements will vary depending on the platform. Instagram’s IGTV, for example, works best in vertical or portrait mode.
  • Don’t position your camera too close to your face, or at strange angles. Find a flat surface and adjust your laptop, monitor or other recording equipment so it’s 12 to 18 inches away.
  • Do make sure your Wi-Fi has strong signal. It’s obvious but essential, especially during this time when we’re all working from home and our networks are under more pressure. Test your audio and mic levels beforehand, too.

Set the scene

  • Don’t deliver a presentation on-the-go or in a loud space. It’s important to treat a virtual presentation as you would a physical one—there’s still a live audience on the other end of the camera.
  • Do opt for either a plain white background—this will be the least distracting and ensure viewers focus in on what you’ve got to say. Alternatively, use a custom background to enhance brand exposure and recall, and create bespoke backgrounds that incorporate client or partner logos.

Present like a virtual pro

  • Do take 
pauses to check in with your audience like you would if you were delivering a presentation in a real-world environment.
  • Don’t slouch—it’s unmissable on camera. Sit up straight. A comfortable seating (or standing if you choose) arrangement is therefore essential.
  • Do act natural. Make direct eye contact into the camera like you would with your physical audience. And even if you’re reading from a screen placed directly behind your camera, rehearse your key talking points and refer to the script only when necessary.
  • Don’t talk at your audience. Instead, take pauses, check in with them and read the room. Importantly, weave opportunities for interaction in wherever possible. Think live Q&As, polling, or enabling the audience to send in their own short spiels on a particular topic, which are then used to help shape the presentation.
  • Do stay non-verbally engaged in the conversation when you’re not presenting. An occasional smile and nod will do the trick.

None of us are certain when the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end, but what we do know, is that people crave live experiences. We’re working with clients to pivot their face-to-face experiences to live phygital or virtual ones, which means compelling speakers with inspiring stories to tell or in-depth knowledge to share are still essential. The one key change is that it’s paramount speakers have a proven ability to deliver this information in a compelling way—in real time—across virtual platforms.

So, rehearse and capture your virtual presentations over and over. Then save your best work and add it to your portfolio like you would a face-to-face presentation.

We were already leading phygital lives—co-existing in real and online states before this all happened. As we temporarily spend more time in our virtual worlds, its essential speakers adjust and adapt their approach accordingly. And remember, what you’re doing is still live.

 

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