How to Present with Impact

In the last year we have all been forced to communicate far more virtually. For many attendees of meetings, they are presenting themselves in a way that wouldn’t be the case in face to face meetings. Whilst we are now returning to some presentations face to face, virtual presenting is here to stay.

The Main meeting provider Zoom, has reported a 355% increase in revenue in the last year. And for many people we speak to, they are reporting having back to back meetings virtually. This means they are presenting themselves, on screen all day. This results in fatigue, stress and for presenters having to work harder to make an impact when they present information.

This is something that for many, many talented executives and experts, is something new. We were all used to being in a meeting where you contribute to the conversation when it is appropriate, or prepare a presentation within a meeting. Now, we are expected to present, or even contribute to a meeting where everyone can see us. Add to the challenge that there are more Hybrid meetings and presentations where there are people on screen and in the room. And the trend for more remote workers is not going away. We need to be effective in presenting information virtually in order to make an impact.

Now we are all ‘presenting’: being visible to the entire meeting

Many people are not used to being SO visible and having to present with impact: not only to their own colleagues and team, but also clients, prospects, stakeholders, more senior people….. AND there are some important differences between virtual and face to face presenting.

I want you to present with impact whether you are in the room, hybrid or virtually.

As well as being visible all the time – and I do advocate you keep your screen switched on, there are a number of differences, and modifications to make for virtual or hybrid communication.

• You can’t read other’s body language in the same way. When we are in the room: in meetings or for presentations, we are able to ‘read the room’. Everyone demonstrates non-verbal messages – whether they are facial expressions or body language. In a virtual or hybrid setting we don’t have these cues. And need to create new ways of understanding the reaction of your audience.
• Our focus and attention is reduced online. We have to be aware of this when we have to modify our content so it engages the audience and avoids their attention wandering. Pre-pandemic, we relied on glossy slides, music and gimmicks to add engagement. Now we are presenting largely in a hybrid and virtual way, we have to develop other techniques to engage our audience.
• We have to make modifications to our content and the way we deliver information. If you watch presentation after presentation, or you are engaged in back to back meetings, we get fatigued and our minds wander. We don’t hear key points, particularly if the presentation is long or the content is too detailed. There are SuperStar Communicator™ techniques that aide presenters to ensure engagement and impact is increased.

In order that you make impact, here are some key tips.

• Techniques to ensure your content is concise and structured to make the most impact: as we have less focus and attention; there are more distractions, we need to ensure we keep our content to “Headline Level” to ensure focus and attention is maintained. Avoid going into too much detail.
• Skills in making your voice interesting in an online meeting or presentation: how often have we attended a presentation – virtual or face to face, where the presenter’s voice and presence is, well, boring. They have a monotonous voice; no energy; a lack of interest in the topic. When we are presenting virtually or in a hybrid format, we have to work even harder.
• Making it as easy as possible for people to listen to you speak: We all know that tech options don’t ALWAYS work. And there are added challenges of hybrid presentations AND people not being used to being back in the room. One way we can assist our audience is to make it as easy as possible for them to listen to us. Speaking clearly; with pauses, variety; avoiding mumbling and ensuring we are audible, are all ways we can do this.
• Using the Superstar Communicator™ Methodology to ensure you communicate with presence and credibility: we use our internationally used techniques to ensure everyone has simple models and systems in order to present with confidence.

At SuperStar Communicator we deliver a range of workshops, masterclasses and virtual workshops on presentation skills and virtual presentations. They are perfect for employees at all stages of their career.