Presenting Virtually? Practice and Preparation Are More Important than Ever
Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with various executives on stages large and small around the world. While each brought a skill set that required coaching on different aspects of public speaking, one common element they all shared? They all needed to practice and prepare.
Rare is the person that can walk on stage and nail a speech without some level of preparation beforehand. And the more you practice, the more confident you’ll be, the better you’ll perform.
And yet, I’m witnessing a trend over the last year: If you can’t see me, if I’m not on stage in front of you, I don’t have to prepare as much… OR… AT… ALL. In fact, I’ll probably be wearing my pajama pants and slippers. I’ll just load up my slides and start speaking. That’s my strategy.
Here’s a hint.
We can still see you (usually). We can still hear you. We can still read your boring slides. And we are more preoccupied than ever!
It’s hard enough to present to an audience that is distracted with phones, tablets and side conversations across seats. But in the virtual world, you are competing with so much more.
If I’m in your virtual audience, I don’t even have to pretend to pay attention. I can blissfully mute myself while typing away on emails, feeding the kids, or walking the dog. I’m probably wearing my pajama pants and slippers as well.
And while I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to fill auditoriums, convention centers and conference rooms in the near future, virtual presenting is here to stay. One to one, one to few, one to many – being great at presenting virtually takes the same level of commitment to practice and preparation as does face to face.
For the best outcome in your next virtual presentation, remember these guiding principles.
Set the “stage”
Depending upon the video conferencing software you are using, chances are we can still see you, even if only in a 2x2 inch window. And many platforms allow the viewer to enlarge your image so they can focus on you instead of your slides. Here are some quick tips to look your best, regardless of what you’re wearing from the waist down.
Place your camera so it is parallel to your face, or slightly above. Take a tip from the “selfie generation” on the best camera angle – higher is more flattering. And no one wants to look up your nose from a camera placed too low. If your camera is fixed to a laptop or a monitor, try using a pile of books to set it at the right height.
Lighting is also important. There is a myriad of options available online to provide better lighting when using webcams, but I find you can get the same effect with some well-placed lamps. You are not looking to be spotlighted and shiny - shoot for something less glaring and softer.
What’s behind you is also important. Minimize objects like plants, pictures and bobbleheads – you want your audience focused on you, not the trophy you won in the local tennis tournament. But DO have something of texture behind you, lest you look like you’re presenting from a jail cell.
Your “presence” still matters
We may not be in the same room as you, but the way you look and how you act, both verbally and non-verbally, still comes through loud and clear. The observable behaviors of presence all still matter, maybe even more so in a virtual world where these behaviors should be exaggerated to have impact on camera. Do you look comfortable, approachable, and sure of yourself?
Here’s how to look and sound your best standing in a room of one.
If you can, set up so you can present while standing. This small change in posture allows you to move more freely and energize your performance with natural gestures and better voice projection. Buy one of those fancy elevating desks, or just place your computer (and camera) on a bunch of boxes from your recent Amazon shopping spree – doesn’t matter as your audience can’t see it anyway.
Keep eye contact with the camera, not the thumbnails of the attendees or your slides. This gives the impression you are talking directly to your audience - looking right at them, connecting. This can be particularly tricky if you are ‘reading’ your slides – something that is painfully obvious to those watching you. If you are using your slides (or a script) to aid in your presentation, place them on the screen directly below your camera. If you are standing back a couple of feet from the camera, this works similar to a teleprompter and it will give the appearance you are speaking to the camera.
Smile more than you think you need to. The #1 regret I hear from leaders when they watch themselves speak is “I wish I smiled more – I look grumpy!” You can smile less in person because people are taking in all of you versus a small video of your head and shoulders. In a virtual presentation, your facial expressions account for much of your overall presence.
And don’t forget to use your hands. Gestures help to show emotion or tell a story to others of what we want to communicate. On video, you need to be even more intentional and train yourself to incorporate your hands, making sure they are visible in the frame to your viewers. If you feel silly using grand gestures in front of a tiny camera, you are probably doing it right.
Grab, and keep, attention
At this point in the blog, likely you have already been distracted at least five times while reading it. Imagine what the average attendee goes through during a 30-minute virtual speech. If you want to grab and keep their attention during your presentation, it’s more important than ever to follow a few key rules while speaking.
Tell stories to make your point. Stories add color, interest and capture attention better than any other presentation trick. Good stories follow the time-tested “conflict-resolution” framework and can be as successful as a Disney film. Just make sure yours fits the presentation and has an outcome that resonates. No one ever left a movie happy when they didn’t understand the ending.
Easy to suggest, but hard to implement – continuously vary your flow, pace and tone to keep attention. This all comes down to practicing ahead of time - knowing when to slow down, when to enunciate a key point, and when to change your tone or pause to deliberately pique interest during your presentation.
Engage the audience through participation when possible, to keep them tuned in. Most video conferencing software provides the possibility for the audience to comment in the chat window, send emojis to illustrate reactions, even real-time polling to understand audience sentiment. All can be useful if placed strategically throughout your presentation to add interest and keep attention.
While it can be pretty hard to pull someone off stage when they are running long (ever watch the Oscars?), it is very easy (and less personal) to cut someone off virtually when they are over their allotted time. Use the time you have been given, and not a minute more. Rehearse and time yourself. Be clear but brief where necessary. Just remember, speeding up and speaking faster is never the solution. If you have less time to present, practice and time yourself to ensure you don’t go over.
Stuff breaks
One last note about planning - plan for the unexpected. Slides won’t load, microphones echo, and videos are blurry. Practicing ahead of time will solve many of these problems, but have a backup strategy if something goes awry.
Have a hard copy of your presentation to refer to if your slides aren’t working. Get your cellphone ready if your home wifi connection goes down. Have a good one-liner in your pocket if your toddler comes waddling in throwing Cheerios at you and singing the theme song to Sesame Street.
We are all human, and we’ve all been there before. The trick is to handle the interruption with grace and style.
Just like on stage - in the virtual world, practice and preparation make perfect. Put the time in to ensure your stage is set, your presence is commanding, and your presentation keeps their attention. Do this and I promise your outcome will be amazing.
No promises about the interrupting toddlers.