The world has changed after the Covid-19 pandemic, and so has how we used to work, host events, organize meetings, and more. Virtual meetings, presentations, and webinars have become the new norm for almost every sector. Although many presentation skills and practices apply to in-person and virtual meetings, specific approaches must be considered to match the medium.
Unlike face-to-face meetings, where you have the maximum audience attention and personal presence, the audience is likely to stray more in remote sessions and webinars. But, virtual meets are becoming a popular and preferable alternative, and we need to hone our presentation skills to grab the maximum attention.
Whether you pitch to potential clients, organize conferences, discuss project goals, or more, these skills will help get your message to everybody.
This article will mention the top virtual presentation tips and skills to ace your next remote call, conference, webinar, etc.
6 Important Virtual Presentation Tips For You
Are you unsure what to do and where to begin to make the most out of your virtual webinars or meetings?
Keep reading for innovative and proven tips for confident presentations and practical virtual sessions.
#1. Research Your Audience In Advance
Virtual meetings and webinars need a bit extra research on the audience than you’d do for in-person sessions. It should be your first step to know your audience correctly, along with their expectations.
Send a registration page or detailed submission form a week before the webinar/virtual event. Include questions that can provide the information that you need to be ready for the presentation. Always be eager to know if the audience has more pressing concerns you can cover during the presentation.
#2. Use Virtual Conferencing Tools
Various video conferencing tools are available to host virtual webinars and make them interactive. With their exclusive feature sets and user-centric preferences, these tools allow you to do more than regular presentations. Create an audience poll or real-time surveys to let them respond. Audiences will listen to everything.
The chat feature in the remote meeting can give you a glimpse of the audience’s mindset and thoughts. Check for the whiteboard feature to curate dynamic interactions and more visual engagement. Remember to let someone else check the chat and respond while you’re busy presenting the information without any interruptions.
#3. Create Engaging Powerpoint Presentation Slides
Create a formal PowerPoint presentation with creative slides to capture the audience’s attention with minimal effort. Avoid overloading them with extra text and designs to share information. Instead, choose from a collection of editable PowerPoint templates created by professional designers and industry experts.
Select the PowerPoint slides with more motion and animation on the screen. The extraordinary use of text, colors, and meaningful images grabs user attention and creates a quick emotional response. Consider adding various forms of media to upscale your presentation information. Another way to do so is by using relevant videos and infographics to deliver the right message to the right audience.
#4. Make Your Sessions Interactive
Whether you’re conducting in-person meetings or virtual webinars, it is pretty unlikely to grab people’s attention for a long time. Since they’re passively looking at the screen for a specific duration, you should focus on making them as interactive as possible. Make all efforts to keep your audience engaged with you and the content.
Introducing some interaction every few minutes is one way to do so. Ask for specific queries and questions and let them respond. You should also take up people’s concerns and start answering them appropriately. Always give them enough time to gather their thoughts and frame the questions based on your information.
#5. Start With An Agenda & Stick To It
A clear agenda is necessary for any virtual meeting or webinar event. Lacking the same might lead to inevitable distractions and disruption in the structure flow. Although the plan holds the same importance and credibility in face-to-face sessions, it becomes essential in remote meetings.
A good practice to follow is preparing a chronological list of things to focus on during the presentation. Put importance on the essential concepts you need to address with the audience. Take notes and ensure all other points transition to the dedicated image and structure flow.
Simplify the data points using animated creatives in imagery, gifs, videos, creatives, and more. Lure the audience’s attention to critical areas defining the presentation outcomes. Divide the time for each segment to ensure completing the presentation within the specified time range.
#6. Be Yourself and Have Fun
Last but not least, you must enjoy the fun of virtual meetings while being yourself throughout the session. Like face-to-face meetings, audiences also crave authenticity in virtual presentations. If you seem engaged in the discussion, the others will likely follow to make it successful. Interested and happy people retain information way better than bored or disinterested ones.
Regardless of the agenda or scope of the virtual webinar, you should always consider it as a performance and focus on delivering the best from your end. Everyone’s time is valuable, and you should honor that by providing the killer presentation everyone expects.
The list of tips for interactive, engaging, and successful virtual presentations or remote meetings is never-ending. Keep delivering the presentations and learn how to make the next ones highly interactive.
Final Comments
Use the above-discussed tips and tricks to create high-value and impactful virtual presentations. Make sure to keep them in mind and follow them every time you organize a virtual meeting or webinar. Practice, dedication, and some creative professional PowerPoint templates can help you deliver engaging and meaningful remote presentations.
