Online presentations are the new norm now that more people are working from home. For many of us, moving from in-person presentations to online presentations may bring a new set of challenges to overcome.
Now more than ever, adopting a routine that ensures you spend adequate time making sure your webcam, microphone and the internet are all working as expected before you start, as well as being familiar with the contents of your presentation, will contribute positively to avoid any possible technical faults or glitches during your video call. Moreover, you should also consider the need to prevent any potential distractions so that your audience can stay fully focused on the message you wish to convey. Taking into consideration whether the background is less than ideal–be it too dark or too bright–or maybe the likelihood of kids or pets that could be overheard during the session can also be a potential lifesaver. After all, most people who follow online presentations nowadays do so through their headphones, which have become so good that could lead them to believe your tiny fan is a powerful jet engine in full flow!
Remember this simple saying which you will have probably heard before, "By failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail".
Here are 5 things to consider in your next online presentation:
The beginning of your presentation is critical because it will set the whole tone of your session—a good first impression makes you feel confident and will help gain your audience's attention and respect. After all, you never get a second chance for a good first impression.
Consider both the message you want to convey and the receiver, so that your session is empathetic towards your audience's needs and ultimately successful. A key to this is of course, a friendly and positive voice tone and facial expression or body language. Avoid rehashing the same presentation over and over again, irrespective of who you're actually addressing, and design a clear strategy so that you have a well-structured product.
Try using a video or a nice presentation slide to support your message and quickly highlight the problem you are addressing. After all, a good picture is worth a thousand words and will make for a great opening. And don't forget that things can be professional and fun at the same time!
A few things you can use in your intro:
Make sure that the key elements of your pitch are neatly and effectively summarised into a clear yet memorable ending. This again can be achieved by using an image or video that truly captivates your viewers.
If you think of your fondest memories, there is a reason behind why you always remember them. It is because there is an emotional connected to this event. It's very likely you remember your first flight, or the first time you rode your bike, etc.
By creating an emotion you can ensure a lasting memory from your presentation.
Not only should you focus only on the start or the end of your presentation–obviously everything in between is important too. Think of using elements that can help you glue together your pitch and that can contribute to stir up a positive feeling from your audience that keeps them engaged throughout.
In this sense, less is more. Keep it simple yet effective by using images that constitute a precise metaphor and create a seamless thread out of the key aspects or your message. This can help you sum things up effectively in a single line and simplify an otherwise never-ending paragraph that will lose your audience right from the off.
Another important way of keeping your audience fully engaged is to ensure that your session is as interactive as possible. Setting a two-way communication method will always grab attention more effectively than just hitting the play button and expecting everyone to listen carefully for 45 minutes. In order to achieve this, you should plan for specific moments of your choice where you can allow questions to be made or stories to be shared or even certain tasks to be carried out. This way, you can keep everyone motivated and you can also gauge whether everything is being fully understood. However, you need to be super careful not to lose track of time or veer off-topic.
In short, there are many positives you can take advantage of by keeping things interactive, none more so than making your sessions memorable.
Read more: Common presentation fails you can easily avoid
So, if action speaks louder than words and if a picture is worth a thousand words, don't just sit there and think, "next time I will use better visuals". Start doing so today!
Have you currently got the best tools that will help you create content that is inspirational and impactful, yet easy to use? Are you spending more and more time looking for images that, in the end, are not the ones approved by your marketing department?
It is very simple to find the visuals that enhance your product and contribute to a lasting impression by painting a perfect picture when you use the right tools.
Go ahead and start using Pickit today to access an ever-growing number of themed image collections right inside Office and make the most out of your free trial with Pickit.