Presentation Skills
Most of us have handled in-person presentations before and know what to expect, but presenting online requires a different approach.
Online presentations require a bit more multi-tasking—you'll need to juggle delivering your speech, sharing screen content, managing the chat window, running interactive polls or quizzes, and troubleshooting technical difficulties.
In this section, we'll talk about how to handle virtual presentations and what you can do to be successful!
Learn how to set up your equipment for online presentations and how to test video conferencing software.
Before hosting your next virtual presentation, meeting, or 1:1, watch this video or read the notes below and try out the 'Three V's of virtual presentations—Vocal, Visual, and 'enVironment'—so you look and sound great online!
'Vocal' in this case refers to the audio quality of your presentation. How well can the audience hear you? Follow these tips to improve your audio!
You want to sound crisp and close by, not distant or echoey or crackly. You can test out your audio with a classmate before your presentation, or you can record yourself to hear what the audio sounds like.
Even when you're online, you should get your audience's attention!
'Visual' refers to how you show up on camera. Follow these tips to improve the look of your presentation!
You can stand in front of a window to get natural light, or you can put a lamp on your desk. You want your audience to see your facial expressions clearly.
When you are centred in your camera's frame, you'll be sitting eye-level with the camera. Frame yourself in the shot as if you were sitting across from someone at a table.
If you use two or more screens with your computer, make sure you're looking at the screen that holds your camera while you're presenting.
'enVironment' refers to what's surrounding your setup. Follow these tips to improve the vibe of your environment!
Standing while presenting online mimics what you'd likely do while presenting in person, and it can add more energy to you session. If you choose to sit for the presentation, make sure you're not moving back and forth while talking (most of us do if we're in a swivel chair!)
Where will you place your audience? Your slide deck? Your notes? You chat window? Make sure it's all on one screen so you don't need to move back and forth between screens.
Make sure your audience can focus on you. Be careful with virtual backgrounds as well—some can be distracting for your audience too!
There are 3 keys areas where virtual presentations are different from in-person sessions:
You can choose where you'll deliver your presentation when presenting virtually, which means you'll be in a comfortable and more relaxed environment. Presenting virtually shifts the feeling from “everyone is watching you” and instead, places the emphasis on the presentation itself and technology.
Through no fault of your own, while presenting online, your audience will be distracted by other factors and they may lose focus. The top three distractions include: working on other material, sending an email, or eating. Capturing and retaining your audience’s attention is critical if you're presenting online.
Body language will not be as important as your voice because you'll not be as visible to your audience. As a result, you'll want a good microphone setup and you'll need to speak slowly and clearly, altering your pitch. Make sure you choose words that will help you persuade or motivate your audience.
