Presentation expert Bryn Lucas shares his best tips and advice for seasoned presenters who are yet to master the virtual presentation game.
In today’s world, virtual conferences and presentations have not only become the norm, but a real necessity. Even though many presentation skills you have already acquired over all these years are still relevant for both in-person and virtual presentations, it’s important to understand the importance of slightly adjusting the approach and mindset to match the newer medium.
The requirement for adjusting the approach comes from the fact that presenters now have to engage an audience they can’t even see. Most importantly, the challenge is also that the audience’s attention spans are now shrinking faster than ever, since they are spending more time home, dealing with constant work-life distractions, and managing multiple conflicting priorities.
This leaves many seasoned presenters wondering how they can best adapt to the online medium. Or what makes virtual presenting so different from its in-person counterpart? And is it still crucial to pay attention towards things like body language and looking the part when you are presenting online?
Here are some of the best tips for such presenters to set their right foot ahead in the virtual presentation game.
How to Make a Great Presentation – to an Audience You Can’t See
Hello, I’m Bryn Lucas. I’ve been a presenter for well over 10 years, presented on Channel 5, ITV, Red Bull TV, and many more. I’ve been doing radio and voice-overs too.
At the current time, a lot of us are presenting virtually over things like this, and over the next few minutes, I’m going to give some pointers to hopefully make your experiences a bit more comfortable.
How to Imagine a Virtual Audience
Why is Virtual Presenting So Different?
How a Little Bit of Preparation Can Help
Is Body Language Still Important in a Virtual World?
Top 5 Tips for Success
Final Thoughts
How to Imagine a Virtual Audience
Now, if you can’t see the audience, it can be pretty tricky! But, I’ve borrowed a few things from radio and voice-overs, over the years. And the first one is to put a picture of somebody you know – a friend, a family member, just underneath your camera or by your microphone. It will give you something to focus on and make you feel like you’re actually talking to somebody.
The other thing you can do is just keep that idea of somebody in your mind, and then always focus in on that. If you can’t see an audience, it’s really easy to lose focus, so always bear in mind you’re talking to someone.
Why is Virtual Presenting So Different?
So, what’s the change in mindset between presenting in front of a live audience and a virtual audience like this. Well, the most obvious one is: you can’t see your audience and therefore there’s no immediate feedback – there’s no response you get from them straight away.
And, the other thing is – you don’t feel their energy. Now, this is really important! So, when presenting to a virtual audience, it’s really important that you bear them in mind. Picture those people in your head, and it really will focus your mind and give you energy.
How a Little Bit of Preparation Can Help
So, are there any technical hints that are worth considering? Well, first of all, spend a few minutes just tidying up the area. Believe it or not, this isn’t always as neat and tidy.
The other thing is: consider your lighting. I’ve got a big bright light ahead of me, and that bathes me in lights (hopefully makes me look good), and that makes me feel more confident. If you have too much light behind you, it will just make you a silhouette, and no one wants that!
The other thing you could do is buy a nice cheap microphone. They don’t have to cost very much, and many of them are USB – so plug straight into your computer.
Is Body Language Still Important in a Virtual World?
Body language is really important! It’s as important as what you’re wearing. If you think about presenting in front of an audience – a physical audience that is – it’s really important you stand still, because that gives you gravitas. So, when presenting virtually like this, it’s also really important that you sit upright with your feet flat on the ground, because that too gives you that gravitas and confidence.
So, avoid sitting in a chair, if you can, because that will allow you to slouch. It’s also really important to wear something professional. If you look professional, you will feel professional.
Top 5 Tips for Success
Here are my top five tips:
Tip #1: Breathe – and don’t rush
Breathe! It can be really tempting to rush and try and get through everything you want to say, but if you breathe, you will relax and you will come across much more confident.
Tip #2: Sit up – look confident
Sit upright. If you are sitting in a chair, you have the tendency to “slouch”, as I say. So, sit upright. It will give you a good posture and it will make you come across much more confident and professional.
Tip #3: Own the time you have
Know what it is that you want to say. This is your time to talk, so own that time!
Tip #4: Look smart – feel smart
Wear professional clothing. If you wear the right clothing, you will feel professional. You’ll come across far more confident.
Tip #5: A smile goes a long way
Smile! If you smile, you will come across a lot warmer, more professional, and much more confident.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! Lots of tips along the way. Hopefully, you’ve found it useful and interesting and can use it the very next time you present virtually. Having said this, these tips are only a good starting point, and can’t replace a full-fledged presentation training that can help you get up to pace with other presenters in the community, who are already getting great results with virtual presentations. Let the experts guide you on what all has changed in the world of presentations, and what works best for when you are delivering presentations online.
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