14.3 Presenting in a Virtual Environment

Presenting Remotely

Technology has progressed over the past decade to effectively interview, meet, or present from anywhere, with internet resources.  It’s important to understand that you can truly put your best foot forward even if you don’t step into the same room with your interviewer or audience. There are a few differences between interviewing or presenting in person and interviewing or presenting online. Preparing for an online speech or presentation can be more time-consuming than an in-person one.  Because there are many elements you can control and need to prepare for, you’ll do the same preparation you would for an in-person interview/speech/presentation, plus some. Rehearsal is key.

Online also has the unique challenge of not receiving immediate feedback from your audience, especially if recorded or if you can’t see them.  You must anticipate their needs ahead of time.  Are you providing enough clarity or boring them to death? You don’t know! The opportunities for interference are increased in terms of where you are, technological interference, and interference where the audience is.

Other unique challenges include adapting your nonverbal communication and preparing your environment (Adler, 2019). Adapting your nonverbal communication is crucial. Gestures that might seem minor on a stage or in a classroom can seem enormous on screen. Be aware of this and assess your body language, facial expressions, and eye contact during practice. Well-planned, deliberate gestures motivated by your speech are most effective. Pacing is also key. Many individuals tend to accelerate in pace from their rehearsal to their live presentation. Yet, a quicker pace may be advantageous for recordings and online formats. Maintain a brisk tempo, as viewers are accustomed to fast-moving videos.

Controlling Your Environment

There are 5 things to consider when preparing and executing an online interview or presentation.  These are things that you can control that will help your audience focus on you and not become distracted. 

Setting: The setting is very important and can include both visual and audio elements. You want to find a space for your presentation free from clutter and potential noise intrusions. While a closet may be quiet, it may be too cluttered. (See Image 14.3.2) You can prepare for this by finding a clean background (See Image 14.3.3) and letting people know that you will be interviewing, which may include securing pets. Using a virtual backdrop may also be a helpful tool for creating a setting free from visual distraction if the application being used allows for it.  

Lighting: Think of this as a Goldilocks method: not too dark, but not too light to wash you out.  One way to avoid poor lighting is to not position yourself in front of a window. (See Image 4.3.4) This can cause too much backlighting and counteract how the camera is able to pick you up.  Adding some front lighting in addition to the room's natural light is a good idea.  You can add front lighting by placing a lamp nearby to illuminate you further.  Check this ahead of time so that you can be seen in the best light, pun intended.

Framing: Framing is how you set the lens for your interviewers or audience to see you. Make sure that you don’t cut off the top of your head!  You also don’t want to be a floating head or be only a large face consuming the screen.  Unless otherwise instructed, it’s important to see your face and a bit of your upper body for effective framing. This helps your audience to see your facial expressions and experience a bit of your body language.

Other Preparation Notes

Once you have controlled your environment, you’ll want to determine or become familiar with the software and hardware needed to complete this interview or presentation. Some examples of synchronous presentation platforms include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Web-Ex, Skype, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, and Google Hangouts. Keep in mind that many of these resources also provide a recording aspect for an asynchronous presentation.  If you are recording a presentation, you might choose to use a phone or tablet such as iPhone or iPad or a computer webcam.

After figuring out the details, it’s important to practice! Seeing and hearing yourself on camera can be strange or even disorienting, but you can remove the surprise element of this by practicing. You can also make sure that you are meeting your time goal. You’ll want to evaluate all the aspects of your visual environment, including personal appearance, ahead of time. This way, you can gauge what your audience will see and hear by recording yourself in practice and reviewing for any amendments you may need to make. You may even have to practice utilizing the software or device you’ll use for your recording or live event. Test your technology ahead of time. And if you aren’t sure how something works, trouble shoot using online resources and tutorials.

References: 

Adler, R. B. (2019). Communicating at work: Strategies for success in business and the professions. (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.