Think about the last virtual presentation you attended as an audience member. Did it engage you or did it become background noise as you checked your inbox?
Or worse yet, did it inspire the reaction you see here?
If you remember one thing as you prepare for your next virtual presentation, let it be: It’s all about engaging my audience.
Below are two strategies that will get your audience to drop the Twitter feed and listen to what you have to say.
Leverage Your Verbal Presence
You don’t have body language and eye contact to help you engage your audience. It is your job to inject energy into your voice. Think of your presentation as a conversation. Picture your audience in front of you and consider standing up to help recreate a real presentation environment and generate energy.
Tip: Record yourself when practicing to hear what your audience will hear. Then make adjustments.
Increase the Number of High-Impact Visuals
In face-to-face presentations, you want to minimize the number of slides you use. However, in virtual presentations, you need to minimize the time the audience has to stare at a single slide. By keeping the visual environment engaging, your audience will find it difficult to look away from your visual narrative. But keep those slides simple!
Tip: Think pictures versus words. High-impact visuals create metaphors in the audience’s mind. They support the story you are telling; they are not meant to duplicate it “word for word.”
…And then Reap the Rewards
Shortly after a recent virtual training workshop we delivered, one participant emailed us to say:
“I didn’t touch email or phone in the 4 hours, so your audience engagement
part worked well!”
Now, that’s the kind of reaction we hope you will inspire the next time you present virtually!
