THE NEW NORMAL - What 75+ Webinars Taught Me About Delivering Online Presentations For The New World Of Work
Posted 17th August 2021 • Written by William Arruda on forbes.com • • • • •
MAKE IT STAND OUT
Sizzle from the start. Even after the return to the office, you’ll still be spending a lot of time on Zoom. To counteract Zoom disdain, make the initial interaction with your presentation unexpected, provocative, intriguing, calming, exciting (add your adjective here).
First impressions last. So nail the kick-off and you’ll have your audience primed to participate.
Know your role. You are not a participant, so don't act like one. Delivering your presentation seated might be right for a one-on-one meeting with a colleague or client, but not for your online presentation—where your goal is to inspire, educate and compel. Stand up to stand out. Your stance signals that you’re about to offer something different.
Ban the bullets. If your slides are boring bulleted lists, you’re doomed. Replace the 26 letters of the alphabet with rich media to create visual appeal and to deliver a magnetic communication. If you must use words, use a font size of 36 points or greater so people can actually read them on their mobile device. It will also help you keep to 12 or fewer words per slide (try for fewer!).
MAKE IT STICKY
Don’t fight the wrong battle. Everyone is so focused on shortening attention spans, they’re making their presentations brief but inadvertently making them boring. Banal. Bland.
To counteract this, focus on amplifying the fun, not cutting to the chase.
Seek to surprise.
Surprises can come in many forms: an unexpected guest, or switching from live to recorded video, or coming back from a breakout dressed in a different shirt or standing in front of a different setting.
MAKE IT MEMORABLE
Don’t pontificate. Give your audience questions to ponder, exercises to complete and polls to contribute so to they remain connected. And when you include breakouts where audience members can work together, not only do you keep their attention, you help them connect with each other. Even a 30-minute presentation has room for some interaction.
Tell stories. Enough with the facts, stats, lists and data. Replace them with stories to draw your audience in and keep them connected. It will also make your message unforgettable.
Repeat yourself. Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.
Even in a post-Covid world, many of your presentations will be delivered online. It’s time to broadcast your skills and stand out from others so you can showcase your strong and enviable personal brand in the digital world.
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