The MUST “have to’s” on Delivering Virtual Presentations

by Karen Cortell Reisman | Feb 2, 2021

Just because you’re virtual does not mean you have a completely new set of rules on how to design and present compelling presentations.

Classic Best Practices

Know the joy and pain of your audience and how you can exceed their expectations.
State your purpose and amount of time you’ll be talking.
Provide an ROI so your listeners know why your message is relevant.
Share your CTA (Call to Action) near the end – what the next steps are for you and your group
Begin with an engaging open.
End with a dynamic conclusion.
Use “Velcro” – the sticky stuff – to nail your 3 – 5 points. Velcro examples: stories, humor, metaphors, good visuals, examples and understandable stats.

New Basic Truths

Clarity: 30 minutes is the new hour. Keep your message length equivalent to the time constraints of your audience.
Micro-gestures are the new gestures: Your stage is now a screen showing mostly your upper body. (Recall your mom’s rules on good posture.)
Facial expression: Be congruent with your message and look “alive”.
Eye contact: No longer do you look into the eyes of others. You now look at the camera. HINT: put fun pics next to your camera.

Your Virtual Playbook

Credibility: What does your background say about you? HINT: Call us to critique with objectivity.
Delivery: If possible, stand up to deliver your message vs. sitting. Your audience will see more of you and your energy.
Variety: Vary your use of visuals, props, polls, breakouts, and group exercises.

What about Stage Fright?

Unfortunately – it’s still a thing. And we’ll give it this clever name: Virtual Stage Fright.
Follow the strategies we’ve talked about in previous blog articles.
HINT: Breathe, prepare, practice out loud, rehearse with technology (although your internet and tech always work in rehearsal!) and call us. We are ledge whisperers.

Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, #AlbertEinstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.