The pandemic, which once caused widespread concern, appears to be gradually receding. Society is moving back to a semblance of normalcy, but some changes are permanent. Remote work has become the new norm for many organizations today. Analysts also predict that the remote work model will become more embedded in the business environment and continue to influence business practices for years to come.
In this context, mastering the skill of organizing and conducting virtual presentations and online events is becoming increasingly important. Remote workshops, reports, webinars, and product or service presentations may seem straightforward. However, to ensure your presentation is truly effective, several key nuances must be considered.
Virtual presentations: pros and cons
First, it’s important to understand the main advantages and disadvantages of virtual presentations. For speakers, the remote format is often less “intimidating” than face-to-face meetings. They are typically in a comfortable home or office environment, protected by their computer screens. For listeners, it’s easier – they can turn off their cameras or sound, effectively disengaging when needed. Additionally, virtual presentations can reach people in different locations, even different countries, eliminating the need for travel and making it easier to find a suitable meeting time for everyone. Furthermore, digital tools facilitate conducting surveys, collecting statistics, and obtaining feedback and data for analysis.
At the same time, virtual meetings are unlikely to ever fully replace real communication. A significant drawback is the absence of nonverbal cues, or “body language,” during the conversation. Without these cues, it can be challenging to gauge the audience’s level of interest, involvement, or mood. Additionally, various studies have shown that the lack of nonverbal signals in video communication can lead to increased cognitive fatigue, resulting in quicker exhaustion and emotional burnout among participants. Organizing a meaningful dialogue can also be difficult, especially with a large number of attendees. Effective moderation skills are required to prevent issues such as multiple participants talking simultaneously. Furthermore, there is always the risk of technical problems – network issues, computer or smartphone freezes, video and audio delays or distortions – which are common in virtual meetings.
It is indeed possible to maximize the benefits of virtual presentations while minimizing their disadvantages. By adhering to a few simple principles during the preparation, execution, and follow-up of an online event, you can enhance the effectiveness of your virtual meetings.
Preparation
It’s well-known that capturing and maintaining the audience’s attention during a virtual presentation is more challenging than in a face-to-face meeting. To address this, it’s crucial to engage the audience right from the start. Begin with short, impactful slides that grab attention, often just a compelling headline or a concise phrase is enough to spark interest. You can provide additional details during the presentation and make materials available for participants to review. Therefore, the first rule of preparation is to eliminate unnecessary content from the presentation and carefully plan the speech, including semantic emphasis and vocal intonations.
When preparing presentation slides, remember that people of all ages, genders, and professions respond better to visual material than text. Therefore, prioritize diagrams, photos, and graphs over lengthy text. Reading text from the screen can distract participants from the presenter’s message.
Additionally, address technical issues before the presentation begins. Test all network connections and equipment, including the camera, sound, headset, and possibly an interactive whiteboard. This often-overlooked step can prevent many problems. Also, ensure your lighting is well-adjusted to avoid glare and shadows. Proper lighting significantly enhances the audience’s perception of the speaker. Experiment with different lighting setups before the presentation to find the optimal configuration.
It’s wise to plan ahead for any assistance you might need during your virtual presentation, especially if it involves a complex product. Consider involving an expert from your company (if you’re not one yourself), a digital assistant, or using a corporate knowledge base. Plan in advance how you can quickly address audience questions without interrupting the flow of the event.
Introduction
So, you’ve done everything right – prepared thoroughly, crafted your speech, removed all unnecessary things from the slides and researched your audience well. The event has begun. But where should you start? Experts recommend engaging the audience right away with a rhetorical question that stimulates thought. For example: “How many companies do you think have been affected by ransomware today?” or “Do you know how much money companies lose due to insufficient automation of business processes?” Even if this approach doesn’t capture attention for long, a few seconds of engagement can help “activate” the audience. After that, captivating slides should help maintain their interest.
Of course, it’s challenging to fully utilize body language during a virtual presentation, but you can still make use of some elements. For instance, position the camera so that it captures not just your face but also your hands, similar to a TV announcer. This allows you to use both facial expressions and gestures effectively. As for the camera, placing it at eye level helps create the illusion of eye contact with the audience.
Monitor the intonation and tempo of your speech. A calm, confident tone and a measured pace are generally well-received, though the ideal approach can vary depending on the topic and audience. Public speaking is a skill worth developing.
Incorporate more interactivity. During virtual presentations, audiences can lose focus more quickly than in person. To counteract this, engage with listeners periodically. You can use situational online polls or ask simple questions that require straightforward answers. The key is to re-engage the audience’s attention. It’s advisable to include one interactive element every ten minutes of your presentation.
Analysis
The virtual presentation is over, but the work is just beginning. You should now collect all available statistics from your virtual presentation platform, analyze them, and draw conclusions to enhance future presentations and better tailor the audience composition. Additionally, review the recording of your performance to identify strengths, weaknesses, and mistakes.
After the event, send informational materials related to the topic to all participants along with a thank you note. Alternatively, request feedback through a short questionnaire to gauge the effectiveness of the presentation and identify areas for improvement. Feedback is essential for a successful meeting, whether live or virtual.
Thanks to Pitch Avatar, you can send a recorded and narrated presentation to all event participants – either in full or as a summary of key points (pitch).
Lastly, the platform used for the meeting is crucial for organizing and conducting virtual presentations. It must be reliable, functional, and user-friendly. Pitch Avatar embodies all these qualities.
