Online presentations are a common and essential skill in today's world, but they also come with many challenges and opportunities. How can you avoid the common pitfalls and deliver engaging and effective online presentations? In this article, we will explore some of the best practices and tips to help you master online communication.
Before you start preparing your online presentation, you need to know who you are talking to and what they expect from you. Research your audience's background, interests, goals, and pain points. Tailor your content, tone, and style to match their needs and preferences. Avoid jargon, technical terms, or acronyms that they might not understand. Use relevant examples, stories, and data that resonate with them.
Know who is in the room with you. What do they need from you to understand the concept or to start creating ideas for themselves? How can you create opportunities for them to see what you’re presenting in their work, in their careers or in their day to day tasks? At what stage are they familiar with the concepts you are presenting? Is there a way you can create opportunities to make sure everyone is on the same level before you go into deeper exploration of the topics presented?
A clear and logical structure is essential for any presentation, but especially for online ones. You need to capture your audience's attention, keep them engaged, and deliver your message effectively. Start with a catchy hook that introduces your topic and your main point. Then, outline the main points or arguments that support your point. Use transitions and signposts to guide your audience through your presentation. End with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main point and provides a call to action or a takeaway.
Making your online presentation shine involves understanding your audience, organizing your content well, and keeping everyone engaged. It's all about creating a personalized experience that speaks to each person, using clear visuals and natural delivery to hold their attention. from experience, I've seen how these steps can really make your presentation stand out and connect with your audience.
Your slides are not your script, but your visual aids. They should complement your verbal delivery, not distract from it. Use simple and consistent design principles, such as fonts, colors, and layouts. Use images, charts, graphs, or icons to illustrate your points, but avoid cluttering your slides with too much information or decoration. Use bullet points, keywords, or phrases, not full sentences or paragraphs. Make sure your slides are readable, clear, and aligned with your brand.
Don’t depend on your slides too much. Reading from slides is not a presentation! Use the visuals on the screen to outline the takeaways, the integrations and to help create understanding of what you’re presenting. Some of the most powerful slides had no words on them at all but created powerful visual or audio expansions on the presentation topic that brought in the audience and kept them actively engaged in the message. What are different ways you can explore your messaging with audio, visual or other sensory guides to help your audience remember and integrate what you’re sharing with them.
Your delivery is how you communicate your message with your voice, body language, and facial expressions. It can make or break your online presentation. Practice your delivery before you go live, preferably with a friend or a colleague who can give you feedback. Record yourself and watch your performance. Pay attention to your pace, tone, volume, and clarity. Avoid filler words, such as um, ah, or like. Use pauses, emphasis, and intonation to create interest and variety. Smile, look at the camera, and gesture naturally.
I don’t agree with trying to remove too many of your natural space fillers. Yes it can be distracting but sometimes the audience needs to take a breath or pause with you and a really good Uhmm can connect you with your audience. Smiling and looking at the camera doesn’t take it account the many neurovariant ways people communicate. Be naturally you, and don’t hyper focus on being perfect. The best speakers are conversational and relatable. When you’re naturally your self, you can better connect with the audience because you’re relaxed and concentrating on the moment not your hand gestures or where your eyes are.
One of the biggest challenges of online presentations is keeping your audience engaged and attentive. You need to interact with them and make them feel part of the conversation. Use polls, quizzes, questions, or chat features to solicit their input and feedback. Acknowledge their comments and address their concerns. Use humor, anecdotes, or examples to relate to them. Encourage them to share their thoughts or experiences. Show your enthusiasm and passion for your topic.
I love the phrase “Read the Room” and this is imperative for a good talk. Are people focused or not? Are they responding to questions to the audience? Do you see heads nodding or are they asking questions? Being able to shift and pivot with the audience is a skill set you can definitely practice. Think about ways of bringing high level concepts to where they are so you can help them bridge their current knowledge to where you are bringing them.
Technical issues are inevitable in online presentations, but they don't have to ruin them. You need to prepare for them and handle them calmly and professionally. Test your equipment, software, and internet connection before you start. Have a backup plan in case something goes wrong, such as a phone, a laptop, or a USB drive. Inform your audience about any technical issues and apologize for any inconvenience. Resume your presentation as soon as possible and focus on your message.