What are the Hallmarks of an Advanced Virtual Presenter?

In the workplace, you must have noticed by now that each of your colleagues has a unique way of virtually presenting. But there are a few colleagues whom everybody would unanimously agree are exceptional.

So what do these exceptional presenters do? 

We asked ourselves the same thing a year ago, at the beginning of the pandemic. After hours of watching presenters, practicing, and then putting ourselves out there for audience feedback, we found the four hallmarks of truly exceptional virtual presenters.

1. They leverage the tech

An advanced virtual presenter not only has a plan of what to say, but they also have a plan for how to leverage the technology on Google Meet, Zoom, or WebX. For example, they know how and when to:

• Play music to welcome people into the virtual room

• Guide people to put ideas into chat to get interaction

• Share slides to reinforce a talking point

• Stop sharing slides to invite the audience to discuss

• Use breakout rooms to get deeper engagement

Virtual presentations are still new to many people, and audiences are more willing to go along with speakers who are confident and comfortable moving an audience through this new medium in efficient and productive ways. To get there, these speakers have simulated the experience multiple times in practice.

If you are getting ready for a virtual presentation, don’t just practice saying your content, practice using the tech. Minimize the number of mouse clicks to make it at least look like you are in control of the tech. 

2. They know a good virtual set up is key to connection

An advanced virtual presenter knows how to connect with their audience. They check to make sure that: 

• Their  face is well lit, so the audience can easily see them

• Their face is framed centered in front of the camera

• They are looking directly into the camera as much as possible 

• Their background is free from distractions

• Their mic makes it sound like they are in the room 

If a presenter doesn’t invest  the time to tweak to their virtual set up and to get feedback from colleagues, their audience might feel disconnected and might begin to multitask, making the speaker question whether their audience is getting anything out of the talk. 

On the other hand, an advanced presenter takes it upon themselves to control what is within their control and increase that sense of connection during a virtual presentation by tweaking their set up. You should do so also. 

3. They invite the audience to participate

An advanced presenter knows that if they want their audience to continue thinking about ideas in their presentation, they need to engage them. After observing countless presenters and diagnosing what makes for an exceptional presentation, we saw a pattern in how they do it. We have formalized and we call it The Engagement Triangle:

Step 1: They invite their audience to answer a relevant question that is quick and controlled. They ask a closed question that asks the audience to raise their hand to agree or disagree. Or, they ask an open question and then give directions for the audience to answer in chat or verbally share to the group.

Step 2: They deliver structured content that makes it easier for their audience to follow along. They avoid monologuing for minutes, they keep the message brief to hold the audience’s attention. 

Step 3: They assess their audience’s understanding by once again inviting the audience to participate. This time in Q+A, a robust discussion, or a brainstorm.

If you incorporate the Engagement Triangle into your next presentation, you will be a breath of fresh air to your audience. You can use it to structure your entire presentation. Or, you can use one Engagement Triangles for the introduction, one for the body, and one for the conclusion, linking them together. With multiple interactions, your audience will feel like they are a part of the conversation, rather than witnessing a monologue.

4) They make it conversational

Advanced presenters know how to make their presentation sound conversational, partly because they are confident with the tech, they know how to connect, and they have a plan to engage their audience. But it’s also because they know that if they sound canned or stilted, the audience will lose interest. 

To make your presentation more conversational, do a combination of the following: 

BEFORE: Practice your presentation 5-6 times so you know your content well enough that you can get through  the presentation without fretting. About 6 times is what it takes for the information to move from your short term memory to your long term memory. Then you can relax. Then, before logging in, breathe to center yourself. Count the seconds breathing in, and then double that count for your breath out.

DURING: if you feel your body tighten, take a breath, and remember to loosen up. The more you relax, the more your delivery will be your natural speaking style.

AFTER: If you have recorded your presentation, watch it to notice if you sound and act like yourself. With awareness, you can notice if you look and sound as you would if you were talking with your friends at a lively dinner party. 

Overall, when advanced presenters present, their audiences don’t even notice it’s a presentation. Within the first few moments of the virtual presentation, the audience feels connected to the speaker and their content and they feel engaged in a meaningful conversation. While the audience thinks nothing of it, advanced presenters know how to prepare, practice, and then get out of their own way.