Building engagement in virtual environments

Building engagement in speaking events, where audience participation is welcomed, like training, has always been very important to me. However, building the same type of engagement is different with the loss of in person body language. Note that in a virtual environment – it's the loss of your and their body language. Short of begging for engagement you have to setup your audience for engagement right up front.

Those seeking more insight into improving your virtual meeting environments. These suggestions are practical and easy to implement.

In less than a few minutes you can teach them how to engage technically with you. You can set the engagement expectations up front. Every tool has tools like reactions, participant panel options, and chat.

Show them how to use the tools by writing your own creative prompts. Then have them do all techniques through those prompts.

Here’s a sample:

Let me spend a little time up front showing you how we can engage with me. Do you see the participants panel? When you do see it, go ahead, and give me a “yes” and I will know you found it. Then wait, and support as needed. Don’t fail to support, make sure everyone said yes or no.

Let me all have you look at me in your video feed. Now go ahead and give me a physical thumbs up. Ok, this is great when we are all looking at the camera, but a virtual thumbs up might be better. Now look at reactions and give me a virtual thumb up and look at all your other options. Pick one.

Chat is where we can communicate questions and provide information. Let’s all go to chat, and let me know what you are excited to learn about today?

Teaching them how to engage lets them know you are seeking engagement and how-to engage with you. You can do this quickly and it will dramatically set the stage for full engagement going forward in that meeting, and well every meeting that attend with you.

It doesn't replace the value of body language, but it can certainly make your engagement level much higher in these days of virtual only experiences.