Stand Out During Virtual Meetings & Interviews

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. I can still hear my mother's voice echoing in my ear every time I hear that phrase.

But now more than ever that doesn't mean a firm handshake, combed hair and good posture (things she always used to remind me of). Today, Zoom meetings and virtual presentations are often our first digital impression upon meeting.

How do we make strong first impressions when we don't have the advantage of a being in the same room with someone?

Lorraine Lee , a virtual presentation expert, thinks we can make just as good of a first impression digitally as in person if we prepare for it. Lorraine taught me how how to read a virtual room, tips for showing up on camera and software that will rival any PowerPoint.

Making Virtual Presentations Exciting

Lorraine and I agreed it’s harder to capture attention during virtual presentations than in-person. Her advice on winning over the crowd? Ditch boring intro's and start with a story, ask questions, or have the audience imagine a scenario instead. Remember to move your hands or have images or graphics pop up on screen. Our brains respond to movement!

“People tend to zone out when you share your screen, so add fade-in animations, video, and move through slides quickly to give a dopamine hit to the brain. Two movements per minute will do the trick.”

? Pro Tip: For tips on being camera ready read my Ultimate On-Camera Starter Kit .

Read The Virtual Room

Reading the room during virtual presentations takes more focus than when in person, but it’s not impossible! Lorraine’s secret weapon is Slido . This collaboration tool allows you to add questionnaires to your virtual presentation.?

“Get your audience to chime in through polls, multiple-choice questions, or word clouds. Then, show and discuss the results in real-time.”

If you’re losing your audience’s attention it could be because the topic isn’t relevant or interesting. Lorraine says be upfront and direct with questions like, ‘Are you still interested?’ or ‘Is this helpful?’?If it's not, move on!

? Pro Tip: Include a timeline or agenda at the beginning of the presentation. People can follow along and keep their focus instead of daydreaming, "When is this going to end?!" ?

Prezi > Powerpoint

“Take advantage of the new tools that make virtual presentations engaging and interactive. It’s an easy way to level up your content and impress managers and coworkers.”

I viewed her Passive to Active framework in action, and I must admit it was very cool!

You can design more charts, graphs, stickers and frameworks similar to Lorraine's on Prezi. She even gave me a free offer to upgrade my account and said I could share it with you!

What Are The Biggest Virtual Mistakes?

• No Agenda - “As an attendee, review the agenda to figure out which topics you want to chime in on ahead of time. Bonus points if you share with the speaker what you’re excited about learning as they might call you out during the presentation!” Example: "I know Kim was especially excited about our Q4 sale numbers, Kim what were you most surprised about?"
• Not Giving Feedback - “Giving feedback helps the presenter improve and is a great soft skill to practice. Constructive feedback with empathy is key!” Example: "I appreciated the presentation you made Shelby. One piece of feedback, I found the graphics hard to read. Next time would you consider making them bigger?"
• Ask Questions - Throw your colleague a bone and ask a question - even if you already know the answer! Nothing is worse than dead silence at the end of a presentation. Your teammate will thank you!

Try Async Communication

Lorraine swears by asynchronous communication ahead of the meeting to make your virtual presentations are even easier .?

“I send pre-recorded videos ahead of the meeting to give people time to mull over the topic and what their questions may be. This makes the actual meeting as productive as possible and lets guests know I value their time.”

This is a great way to secure participation as many individuals are not good at coming up with questions or comments on the spot. However, if presented with the information and given time to absorb it your colleagues may come to the presentation with questions written out.?

? Pro Tip: Everyone will not watch the video. Save them the embarrassment by recapping or highlighting the topic at the top of your presentation.

P.S. Try Fireflies , an AI that takes notes for you when you’re on the go!?

What are your favorite social accounts to follow? Sheela Subramanian , Brian Elliot , Helen Kupp , Vanessa Van Edwards , Prezi?

Homework: Buy an extra light source for your meeting, it will make all the difference. Get Lorraine’s set up here .

Keep learning from Lorraine: Website , LinkedIn

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