Virtual presentations: 10 tips to make them professional
The post-pandemic world said hello to a hybrid workspace model. With time, online presentations have become more prominent as more people work from home.
For many presenters, transitioning from an in-person setup to digital presentations might bring challenges. On the surface, presentations might feel the same, with only minor differences between the formats.
But in reality, both formats require different approaches to keep your viewers engaged.
This article will walk you through tips to ace virtual presentations, keeping them professional and engaging. Let’s learn more!
What do you mean by a virtual presentation?
Virtual presentations are when you present your content and information through a digital medium. The purpose is similar to that of an in-person presentation.
The format has also gained popularity due to technological advancements and the introduction of web video conferencing software like Zoom, Google Meet, etc.
The presentations are convened remotely, meaning the host, attendees, presenters, etc., are not physically present in one place.
How are online presentations different from in-person presentations?
The formats have the following 2 major differences –
- Engagement
Attendees of a virtual meeting are likely to be far more easily distracted than the other format. In-person presentations put you in a controlled physical setting with few distractions.
You also try to self-regulate your behavior and be more attentive, thinking others are watching. Activities like looking at your phone or talking to other people are a lot less than in an online format.
When it comes to virtual presentations, it is easy for participants to switch off their camera and microphone to indulge in other things.
- Flexibility and scalability
In-person presentations require you to be physically present at a place, which could be anywhere. Virtual presentations are more scalable and flexible in that capacity by freeing you from this particular limitation.
People can be anywhere in the world and collaborate in real-time. Since you aren’t restricted to a particular geographical location, there are no travel challenges. The virtual format is cost and time-saving for this very reason.
Benefits of virtual presentations
Virtual presentations make for a great choice for the following reasons-
- Break down physical barriers by bridging different time zones and connecting remote locations.
- Provide safety in pandemic-like situations.
- It is environmentally friendly.
- Higher inclusivity as people with restricted mobility or different cultural backgrounds can be a part of the presentation effectively.
Tips to create a professional and creative virtual presentation
- Pick a platform suitable to your needs
Be selective in picking the right platform for your presentation, depending on your content, purpose, and audience.
For instance, platforms like PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, etc., are suitable for sharing slide decks with voice-over. If you want to showcase a product, software, etc., Zoom, Webex, and Skype are good picks.
If you want to woo your audience with an engaging and interactive experience, you might want to pick platforms like Kahoot, Mentimeter, Slido, etc.
All the platforms offer different features and have their own pros and cons. So, make sure to research properly before zeroing in on one.
- Slide design should complement your talk
Slides are there to support your talk and not be the main focus of your presentation. That being said – the design should be clear and impactful enough to accentuate your work and support your points.
Follow the principles of clarity, consistency, and coherence to create engaging PowerPoint slides.
Typography, images, and color choices should be consistent with your topic and brand. Don’t overfill your slides with too much content.
Create crisp and engaging content with bullet points, charts, tables, illustrations, diagrams, transitions, animations, etc., to add emphasis and make the content memorable.
You can also use pre-made templates to give your presentations a context and add value to your speech.
- Focus on an impeccable script
Since you will be speaking online, you are devoid of certain benefits of in-person interaction, which makes focusing on an engaging script all the more necessary. After all, you wouldn’t want to bore your audience by delivering a lifeless presentation.
Your script should be concise, coherent, and clear. Follow a logical structure devoid of excessive jargon. Practice as much as you can with a microphone and camera to make necessary voice and posture modifications.
- Check the setup thoroughly
In case of a technical glitch, you won’t be physically present in front of the attendees to handle the situation. So, make sure to check your equipment thoroughly before you go live.
Your lighting should be apt and perfect, and so does the microphone, speaker, and webcam. Check your internet connection and test everything for compatibility with the platform you have chosen.
Your backdrop shouldn’t be distracting to the audience. So, choose a comfortable, quiet, and professional space to present from.
- Try to keep the audience engaged
One of the biggest challenges you might encounter is keeping everyone focused. Since you are online, you can’t rely on factors like body language to convey your message and read the room. Similarly, maintaining eye contact or reading people’s expressions might not be feasible as well.
In that case, you will have to rely on other things to make the session interactive.
Include anecdotes, questions, polls, quizzes, humor, stories, surveys, etc., to keep everyone engaged and their interest piqued.
You can also use features like chat and ‘raise hand’ to connect with people. Try interacting randomly with people to break the ice and know about their interests and inclinations.
Note – Try opening your presentation with IISSAAQQ. The acronym stands for icebreaker, illustration, story, statistic, aphorism, analogy, question, and quote.
- Review and learn
You will have the recording of your presentation to review later. Ask for feedback from people and learn where you could have done better. Make use of online tools like Loom, Vidyard, Screencast-O-Matic, etc., to record your presentation.
The tools also let you edit or share the presentation with other people. That way, you can share it with your peers and mentors to better evaluate your performance and improvise.
A few do’s and don’ts
- Look in the web camera (should be at eye level) to give everyone an impression of eye contact. It will help people feel connected to you.
- If you have the space and option to stand up for the presentation, do that. It will allow you some change from the sitting posture (and avoid the discomfort of prolonged sitting) and also help people connect through your body language.
- Even while sitting, use hand gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact in your favor to engage people on a deeper level.
- You can think of having a moderator to avoid getting unnecessarily distracted. For instance, they can keep a tab on chats and assist you in interactive sessions like Q&A.
- Have a backup option (computer, laptop, phone) ready in case of an issue. You can also keep a downloaded PDF of your presentation handy for similar reasons.
- Make sure there are no unnecessary applications open in the background.
- Your background shouldn’t be cluttered with things like plants, books, boxes, stationery, etc. A plain background is ideal and more professional.
- Avoid multicolored, flashy, or distracting fabrics. Go for solid colors to appear professional.
- Offer digital goodies to attendees as a positive gesture and to build goodwill.
Summing it up
Online presentations are tricky in some aspects and a great choice for certain others.
Though you have to be a little mindful to keep everyone’s attention, it saves you the trouble of flying around and being physically present to share your ideas.
Like in-person presentations, be conscious of the quality of the content and delivery of your speech – and for the most part, you are good to go.
The above tips will help you cover all aspects of online presentation and make you more comfortable with the format. Remember them for your next presentation, and you will be ready to shine as an impactful virtual presenter.
