Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many conferences and other events are now being held online. Instead of presenting in a swanky hotel conference facility or auditorium, you may find yourself delivering your presentation from the comfort of your own home! However, don’t get too comfortable! You still need to make some effort by dressing professionally and making sure you have a tidy background. Avoid virtual backgrounds as these can be distracting and blurry. If possible find a quiet room to keep out any screaming children or attention-seeking pets.

Challenges

One of the hardest things about presenting online is the lack of feedback from your audience in terms of body language and eye contact. It’s also really easy for them to be distracted with email, web browsing or just wandering off to get a cup of coffee or a snack. You need to work harder to keep them engaged and focused on what you have to say.

Engaging your audience

Keep your audience engaged by:

looking at the camera
using interesting visuals
not spending too long on each slide
varying your tone
asking direct questions to get them thinking

You can also build in audience participation during your presentation using:

whiteboard activities
reactions
polls
chat

Depending on the length and type of presentation, you could also use the breakout rooms to get participants to talk about a point you’ve raised. If you're using any of these features, make sure you've practiced with them before the big presentation.

Resources

10 Secret Zoom Tips for Masterful and Stress-Free Online Presenting by Lea Pica
Virtual Presentations – 5 Tips Every Presenter Needs Right Now by Maurice Decastro, mindfulpresenter.com