Working from home has become more popular than ever, but with that newly found freedom comes an additional expectation––virtual presentations. Some of us have mastered professional attire from the waist up, but if you’re looking to create a successful virtual presentation that will leave your colleagues highly impressed, we’ve got you covered. In this blog, we’re giving you tips that will enhance the virtual experience for you, your clients, and your teammates.
Less is more.
So, you’ve written out everything that you want to discuss in your virtual presentation. Now, you want to ensure that your presentation, above all else, is concise and cohesive. Believe it or not, people appreciate simplicity; most professionals are already stressed having to attend a Virtual meeting, so it’s best to eliminate additional stressors to ensure they remain invested in what you have to say.
Aesthetically, you want your viewers to have a user-friendly experience. This means that slide consistency should be a priority. Every slide should have a central point of focus (which should include the main point you’re trying to express). When applicable, use a plain or white background, as the color scheme you choose will contrast well for your viewers’ eyes. In the same vein, using a bold font gives your audience an easier read and keeps you from packing your slides with excessive text.
Use visuals to enhance the importance of your subject matter.
Who likes a presentation with no visuals? Adding visuals to your presentation will establish a deeper connection between your audience and the subject matter. Additionally, visuals are typically able to:
- Decrease the text density
- Summarize research findings and analytical data
- Increase audience engagement
- Clarify confusing information
Allow your audience to interact with the presentation.
As you continue to craft your virtual presentation, keep in mind that you are more likely to keep the audience engaged if your presentation:
- Animates certain elements: By adding slide transitions or animating single objects like images or certain emphatic words, you draw the audience’s attention to those focal points. If you’re using bullet points, it’s also good to individually animate them, so as to add more emphasis on single ideas.
- Includes links: In your webinar or presentation, you can add links to other helpful resources, such as PDFs or YouTube videos.
Make sure you have a stable environment.
The bane of our technology’s existence is poor internet connection. If it turns out that your connection is weak, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to provide a seamless experience for your audience. Interruptions could include the delay in slide transition and the beautiful effects that you’ve created to keep your audience’s attention. Furthermore, if there are connectivity issues, members of your audience might not stick around to see if you’ll resolve the issue. If able, try connecting to the internet with an ethernet connection, as doing so provides an uninterrupted connection.
Next, check that your laptop is connected to its power supply. By doing so, you avoid your computer shutting down during your presentation.
Above all else, create a clean background environment. If your bed is in the background and is covered with a pile of unfolded laundry, your audience will see it. Wherever your ‘office’ is located, make sure that the background is neat and tidy before turning on your camera. Your audience will thank you, and so will we, your brothers at Alpha Kappa Psi.
