Virtual presentations are entirely different from in-person ones and should be treated as such. Despite their differences, though, they’re just as essential for influencing, impacting, and impressing those who make decisions about you. Virtual presentations are powerful venues for building your personal brand. Yet, because many of us were thrust into virtual presentations without any training, we may lack the skills, mindsets, and behaviors necessary to truly shine online. Here are seven common mistakes people make—and how to avoid them.
1. Ignore The Importance Of The Kick-off
In the virtual workplace, online meetings and presentations often stack up, sometimes back-to-back. To capture your audience’s attention, set yourself apart immediately by showing that this presentation is different from the last. How you begin sets the tone for everything that follows, so make your opening compelling, provocative, or intriguing to spark interest. Otherwise, your audience may quickly resort to multitasking.
2. Disengage Your Audience
It may seem obvious, but staying connected to participants is more challenging than it sounds. The virtual format often reduces participants to tiny boxes, and in larger presentations, they’re often muted. During in-person sessions, you can gauge reactions in real-time—you can see smiles and hear laughter. This feedback helps you assess attention and adjust instantly. To keep your audience engaged online, include interactive moments that encourage feedback and participation.
3. Treat Online Presentations Like In-Person Ones
Virtual presentations differ greatly from those held in physical spaces. Adopting a mindset that acknowledges these differences is essential. The virtual medium is often less captivating and can be more frustrating. Embrace these limitations and adjust your approach by being more dynamic, concise, and interactive. To compensate for the constraints of the medium, double the humanity, empathy, and energy.
4. Let the Slides Take Center Stage
When you share your screen, your slides dominate the view while you’re relegated to a small rectangle in the corner. If this is the case throughout the presentation, you miss the chance to connect with participants on a deeper, more human level. Alternate between sharing your slides and being the main focus on screen, or use technology that lets you appear alongside or within your slides for a more engaging experience.
5. Overload Your Slides With Text
Your audience is likely viewing your presentation on a small screen, often around 13 inches. Don’t make them strain to read dense text or, even worse, complex spreadsheets. Instead, use visuals—images, videos, and animated GIFs—to reinforce your message. Rich media will hold your audience’s attention far better than blocks of text. Avoid overusing bullet points (they’re not that compelling in real-world presentations either!) and create visually compelling slides.
6. Make It Longer Than Necessary
With attention spans shorter than ever, keeping your presentation concise and focused is key. Don’t feel obligated to fill every minute of the allotted time slot. Even small amounts of fluff can cause your audience to drift away, checking emails or texts. Once you’ve lost their attention, regaining it is next to impossible. A word of caution though, trimming content doesn’t mean cutting out fun. When you make it short by removing the nonessential enjoyable moments, you make your presentation brief, but deadly boring.
7. Sit While Presenting
Unless it’s a small, intimate session with just a few attendees, standing while presenting can significantly boost your delivery and signal to your audience that this presentation is important. Standing improves body language, injects energy, and enhances confidence. When you stand, your voice projects more effectively, and the act of standing serves as a reminder of the presentation’s importance, helping you engage more fully.
When the world shifted to virtual meetings at the flip of a switch, most professionals adapted quickly but simply transferred their in-person presentation habits without considering the vastly different dynamics of digital presentations. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can deliver a presentation that’s not only effective but also magnetic, mesmerizing, and memorable.
Forbes
