Maximize Your On-Line Presentations

Understanding the similarities and differences between In-Person and Virtual presentations is important if you plan on making virtual presentations.

The similarities are those simple rules of engagement that you've heard or read about in the past: practice before playing for keeps, make eye contact, minimize movements, empty your pockets.

There are, however,

key tips worth mentioning.

There are some key differences worth mentioning that will help you stand out as a pro. Here they are, in no particular order:

Be Mindful of Your Gestures

It's difficult to stay focused on what the presenter is saying when they're moving around too much. This challenge is magnified when you're giving a virtual presentation. You can't move around at all unless you've got a cameraman following you.

Be mindful of other gestures, like moving your hair out of your eyes or scratching your face.

Envision an Audience

Remember, just because you're in a virtual meeting / presentation, it doesn't mean you're talking to a computer. Those are real people out there!

Some tips that people use to give the appearance that they're presenting to an audience is to tape pictures of people on the wall behind the camera and ensure that they regularly look at each of them throughout the presentation. Keep your eyes up.

Make Eye Contact

If you've seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or House of Cards, you often felt you had a connection with the main characters, Why is that? It's because they regularly looked right at you by staring directly into the camera. Your audience should feel the same way. Look directly into the camera. Do it often.

This requires you to know your presentation material Practice before you play for keeps!

Address the Audience by Name or Second-Person

Another way to make the audience feel like you're speaking to them directly is to use their names during your presentation. If there are too many people on the call for that tactic, use phrases like "I've reviewed notes from our previous meeting, including what you said is causing you the most wasted time."

It will make your audience feel like you're speaking directly to them, which will increase their attention on what you have to say.

Make Use of Visuals

The best in-person presentations make use of well thought-out visuals. Be sure to make use of them during your virtual presentations when it is appropriate. And while an entire article can be given on visual aids for presentations, be cognizant about how many words go into your slides.

A good rule of thumb is to use 32 point font, 1-1.5 lines of text, and one picture that captures the essence of what you're saying. Be sure to stretch the picture across the whole slide whenever possible!

Practice. Practice. Practice ...

The above tips will help you maximize the effectiveness of your on-line presentations. But they rely heavily preparation. Do you think U2 goes on tour without practicing for hours beforehand? Not a chance. So why do so many people practice when they're playing for keeps, in real-life sales calls or presentations to management?

Whether you're presenting in-person or virtually, there is no substitute for practice. Keep that in mind the next time you book a presentation!

Note: Inspiration for this article came from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business magazine. (Spring 2019 edition) Read the article here: CLICK HERE

Christopher Bisson is CEO of Value Connect Inc., a regulatory technology company focused on increasing revenues for banks and credit unions through its innovative appraisal compliance and logistics platform. He earned an MBA from Notre Dame, where he graduated magna cum laude. You can reach him toll-free: 1-844-383-2473 x4250