Preparing to Present

Presenting virtually means you can choose where you will deliver your presentation, which means you will be in a comfortable and more relaxed environment.  Presenting virtually shifts the feeling from “everyone is watching you” and instead, places the emphasis on the presentation itself and technology.  

Through no fault of your own, while presenting virtually your audience will be distracted by other factors and they may wonder off.  The top three distractions being: working on other material, sending an email, or eating.  Capturing and retaining your audience’s attention is paramount.

Body language will not be as important as your voice because you will not be as visible to your audience. As a result, you will want a good microphone setup and you will need to speak slowly and clearly, altering your pitch. Make sure you choose words that will help you persuade or motivate your audience.

Try to spark interest and lure in your audience with a great title. Your title sets the stage for your entire presentation, so keep the audience curious.

You can win over your audience with personal anecdotes or crafty jokes.  Laughter can help you connect with your audience and bring your presentation down to a more personal level. 

Check out our Storytelling section for ideas on how to connect with your audience.

Use relevant visual aids, with charts and graphs, to force your audience to move their eyes. This helps prevent them from wandering. Using animations also keep things  moving and help hold audience interest.

Check out our Designing Your Slides section for tips on crafting your visuals.

Be sure to keep an eye on the clock.  Rehearse to make sure your timing is right. A good presentation also leaves time for questions or comments.

Learn some tips for rehearsing on our Preparing Yourself to Present page.

Project and enunciate your words. Slow down your presentation and vary your pitch.  Add pauses during your presentation to emphasize and allow your audience to reflect on what you just said. 

We talk about using your voice in our Preparing Yourself to Present section.

Being familiar with your technology helps you prepare for your presentation and gives you the confidence to handle any technical difficulties when they arise.

Take a look at our Preparing & Testing Your Technology section to help prepare.