How do you improve your online presentation skills?

Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve... and tell your audience that up front. Too often people don't include the "so what?" part of the presentation or get to it halfway through, when much of your audience has tuned out. "We need to do X by doing Y because of Z" should be said within the first two slides. The rest of your presentation builds the support for your conclusion.

For me, it is of high importance to not just have the content right but also to have good audio & video quality in presentations via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. I suggest to buy a video grabbing device to connect a DSLR camera or another high-quality camera to be more 'studio-like'. This applies especially with presentations in front of large audiences, for example at prestigious conferences. Don't let bad audio or video quality ruin your presentation!

In today's digital age, mastering online presentation skills is essential for professionals and experts alike. To captivate and engage your audience, convey your expertise clearly, and navigate technical challenges seamlessly, careful planning, audience-centric content, and platform proficiency are crucial. A concise, well-structured presentation combined with interactive elements and confident delivery can leave a lasting impact, ensuring your expertise shines through even in the virtual realm.

Slides and visuals are critical because we live in the age of distraction, and we want to keep the viewer engaged with your message so they can derive value for themselves. These enhancements quicken the pace, addressing the extremely short attention span most people demonstrate. A branded approach or style works well because, after a while, the audience knows what kind of "goodies" to expect. It's the old dopamine approach where, if they watch and listen to your content, they'll get the anticipated bells and whistles, entertaining rewards for their participation. Of course, a show without substance will never go the distance. The message must be relatable and resonate with the audience by providing a painless solution to a problem.

In my experience, one of the great tool is-put questions on slides. They will involve your audience, especially with some online tool as mentimeter or poly where they can be involved much more in content and key messages of presentation.

While my finance background has been a primary focus in helping my clients succeed, I was a double major in Economics and Art History, and I never imagined how my art history could be advantageous in the business world. I used to think of it as a great topic for casual conversation, but to my surprise, I discovered that in my presentation slides. Images are thought-provoking and influential. When done well, they convey messages that deeply resonate with the audience. Images speak even louder than words. I rely heavily on my slide deck as a backdrop to my talk. Imagine watching a captivating play or an engaging film, a well-crafted presentation with compelling visuals captivates the audience and leaves a lasting impression

You can have the best content and visuals in the world, but they won’t be nearly as effective or memorable if your presentation is marred by poor online communication skills. Speaking live is challenging enough, but when it’s done online it can be even harder. Depending upon the platform, you may not be able to see the audience members that you are speaking with. Even if you can, it is harder to truly connect and engage with people on a screen than in person. Be cognizant of where the camera is, have proper lighting, and either a virtual background or a setting that you are comfortable in. Make sure not to speak too quickly (a common mistake), and allow your audience to ask questions and interact with you as much as possible.

Practicing your delivery and interaction is indeed crucial. I've found recording and reviewing my own presentations to be a powerful self-improvement tool. It allows me to identify areas for improvement, such as pacing and eye contact. To boost engagement, I incorporate interactive elements like live polls or Q&A sessions. This fosters a sense of community among participants, making the presentation more engaging. Lastly, I keep my slides simple and focused, using keywords and relevant visuals to reinforce my points without overwhelming the audience.

Also i would add, use the presentation view while delivering online, where you can make not the of the questions you would ask the audience at intermittent intervals to keep the session conversational. Its also crucial that your enthusiam is transferred across the screen, and one of the ways to do so, is showing the whole of your torso or upper body, so that people can see your hands, and associated gestures clearly. this definetly bolsters teh quality of your presentation any day.

This is possibly the most important tip of all. What will happen if you are in the middle of your presentation and your WiFi dies? Make certain to always have a personal or mobile hot spot. Always have a second device at the ready in case one is not cooperating. It happens more frequently than you think! Scout your location in advance to make sure it is visually appealing and that there will be no distracting noise. Have an extra charger, copies of any files you are using, and plenty of water. The worst feeling is to be in the middle of your presentation and having to cough, needing water, and realizing you didn’t set any out.

In addition whenever its a online presentation, I always mention right at the begining that though I am all prepared but right now, we do have a technological barrier in communication, which might get glitchy without any fault of ours. So do bear with us under those situations, be rest assured that we will have a super interactive session. this sets the tone, and acceptance for any glitches happening while the session is on.

I agree. It’s always better to be more prepared than underprepared. Plus going into a presentation knowing you have mitigations in place should something go wrong can actually give you the confidence to execute your presentation successfully. For people who struggle with presentations or public speaking due to anxiety, being prepared for things to go wrong can be helpful in easing that anxiety during your presentation. Most people’s anxiety stems from the fear of something going wrong so help yourself by preparing for the ‘what ifs’ that cause this anxiety.

I agree. This is quite possibly one of the most important tips as no matter how much you prepare, follow all the other tips, you’re still going to make mistakes etc, but by reviewing your performance and getting constructive feedback, you can learn more proactively. You have real ‘data’ to use to improve for next time.

Presetning virtually is a skill in itself. You have to connect with individuals without the ability to utilize much body language. Oftentimes, people have "zoom" fatigue and would prefer to be elsewhere. That's why it is SO important to bring a sense of warmth and engagement. Tell stories. Talk with the audience, not at them. Make the presentation interactive. Make the slides readable and not distracting. Virtual events can be very wonderful, but you have to put an effort into it.

Everything is in its place but I feel the most important part of any presentation whether it's online or offline is captivating audiences attention. If the audience loses the attention no rehearsal, practice, preparation, back up won't work. So it's important to get them talking during the presentation. Make it conversational, talk about more examples, ask them what they do or what their problem is in that particular work or industry and accordingly address that. Once that is done you are all set for an awesome successful presentation.

Hopefully, if you present regularly in virtual settings, you have already invested in a USB microphone (reasonably priced ones can have good quality) and no longer use the laptop or desktop's built-in mic. The sound coming from you will be MUCH better AND you won't have the slight echo to your voice that comes from using an in-device microphone. People put up with lagging video quality for longer than they will put up with bad audio quality. Good audio quality on your side underscores your credibility too.

Bring Key-Point to Life: Technology makes everything easier and snazzier so it’s not difficult to create cool, captivating slides or animate our presentations. However, to present with impact, or sustain engagement throughout, usage of props, short skits, sounds and lighting and the like, can be helpful. These strategic tools can help magnify or embed a key-point (or a few of them) in the audience’s mind. E.g Starting a presentation in the dark to make a point about young people being clueless about complicated insurance jargon, or getting a few people to talk on top of each other to articulate the noise in the mind of a person with sensory processing issues, etc. Don’t be afraid to be creative with these tools.