Tip 655: Giving Virtual Presentations

rom the Public Speaking Workshops: Giving Virtual Presentations 

We ran a recent series on speaking in public. On giving presentations.

Jean Scothorne and Jerry Bauer asked about virtual presentations. Zoom or WebEx or Teams or . . . whatever. How are they different? 

They don’t differ in terms of content; they differ in terms of presentation. 

For example—

The presentation is static. There’s no movement. Everyone is sitting in front of a camera. Sitting still. 

So what do we do? We ask questions. We engage our audience. “Charlie, what’s been your experience with bad leaders?” “Oh, man, let me tell you . . . .” And the discussion becomes dynamic. It moves among the audience.     

The presentation is distant (literally and figuratively). We’re physically separated and physically isolated. We can’t turn to our left or right and see someone. When Charlie turns off his camera and mutes his microphone, is he even there? “Charlie . . . ? Charlie . . . ? Charlie?”

So what do we do? Ask your audience beforehand to turn on their cameras. (Asking them to mute their microphones is your option.) Body language tells you a lot.      

The presentation lives and dies with the technology. A power failure in a training room doesn’t mean the end of the training. “Let’s open the blinds and continue the conversation. We’ll use the whiteboard.” A power failure during a virtual pres . . . [BONK! GONE!].

Announce early what’s Plan B if the technology fails. “If we have technical problems, I’ll initiate a conference call . . . .”   

How’s that?

What are your questions? We love this stuff.  

Jean and Jerry, thank you.