Delivering Presentations Virtually

Recent work and world events have convinced me that practically everything you say and do as a leader must be thought of as a "media" appearance. It's likely that your video meeting is being recorded for playback. You're in a small box, competing with multi-taskers and so you must heighten your voice, expressions, and body language to convey energy and hold interest. And if you're speaking while sharing your screen, you're in an even smaller box! Think about it: Every audience member is in possession of a video and audio recording device. Almost every meeting is recorded and transcribed. Even if you can't see the device, you should proceed as if you are being audio recorded. So, speak as you were trained to do in media appearances: 👄 Use vocal variety: Vary pace (fast & slow), pitch (high & low), pause, power (volume), placement (where in the body) 👋 Use your hands so they are visible on the screen. Put down your pen and your notes! 👀 Use your eyes and eyebrows to convey emotion. 💬 Speak in short sentences that are easily editable on the periods. 🌍 To the extent possible, provide context in each sentence. 🌉 When answering questions, don't repeat negatives. i.e., Not, "No, we're not disappointed" but rather, "We're very happy that..." And, use bridging language to return to the message you want to deliver. i.e., "Let's go directly to our solution..." 🌟 Use highlighting language, such as, "The most important thing to know is..." and "The real issue is..." 👓 If you are going to read your notes, print on only the top 2/3rds of the page so you are not looking down and losing eye contact with the audience. #leadershipcommunication #presentationskills #mediaskills

Think your executive presence only matters in the boardroom? Think again. It matters just as much on Zoom–maybe more. Today, most of our first impressions don't happen in offices or conference rooms. They happen in Zoom boxes. Interviews. Client pitches. Critical team meetings. The “first look” is often virtual–and research shows those impressions are just as powerful (and permanent) as in-person ones. I’ve landed roles and won business without a single handshake. The feedback has been notable: my energy and how I showed up on Zoom made a difference. Yet too often, people treat Zoom like a utility. They focus on showing up, but not on how they show up, and what their presence in that little square is actually saying about them. Mastering your virtual presence isn’t vanity; it’s strategy. Here’s how to own your square: 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆).  These are the basics that people notice subconsciously. Get them wrong and you have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously.  • Camera at eye level: Prop your laptop up if needed.   • Natural lighting: Your face should be clearly visible.  • Clear audio: If your voice is muffled, so are your ideas.   • Professional background: Simple, neat, distraction-free. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿).  This is where you make a real connection. 🎯 Talk to the camera, not the faces on the screen. This = direct eye contact.  🎯 Sit up and lean in: Your posture broadcasts confidence (or a lack of it). 🎯 Modulate your voice: Avoid the monotone drone. Speak with clarity, energy, and variety. 🎯 Listen to be seen: Nodding and reacting intentionally shows you’re engaged. Bottom line: Executive presence is not platform-agnostic. How you show up on screen directly shapes how you’re seen as a leader. What’s the most memorable (good or bad) virtual presence habit you've seen? 

It's Saturday as I post this. Today, I have a request for virtual conference presenters. This is not typically a topic for me, but I feel like it's worth bringing up! I have attended a couple virtual conferences again recently, and what stood out to me is how many distractions came from some presenter's environments. In one case, while the presenter was presenting well and had good content, their presentation suffered based on the delivery location: a kitchen/break area. Great observations were interrupted by kitchen noises, people's voices, phone vibrations and sounds, and worst of all - a sporadically running faucet. Can I make a few suggestions? A pre-presentation checklist would be something to consider. It's not 2020 anymore, and people do notice these distractions more now that we've experienced many such presentations. Virtual conference stage presentations need to elevate our presence from our day to day Zoom calls. This isn't a comprehensive list, but these are things I noticed plaguing just ONE of the talks given this past week. 1. Use the most reliable wifi/internet connection you can find. Hiccups can always happen, I get it, but test the connection in the location ahead of time if you haven't used it before to avoid blips or picture pixeling from low signal strength. 2. Use a decent camera that supports minimum 720 but preferably 1080 resolution. Blurry resolution is not a good look. 3. Use a good mic. Air pods and most laptops do not count. Test your mic with other people ahead of time. Your voice will be missing its depth and warmth otherwise. 4. If you can use noise suppression and/or audio leveling in your software, turn it on. Check your mic gain too - sometimes your voice can be hard to hear otherwise. 5. Find a low traffic location to minimize background noise. When you don't, I'll spend as much time trying to figure out what that background noise is as I do listening to you. 6. Unless it's something you've customized for yourself, find a simple background (or use a virtual one). People walking by or having lots in your background for me to look at will keep me from listening to you. 7. Don't mute your phone, set it to do not disturb. Same for your desktop apps, especially Slack and email notifications. The vibrations and the pinging noises are crazy distracting - they also have me checking my desktops and my phone instead of listening. 8. Don't sit in front of a window without strong front lighting. We can't see your smiling face. 9. Don't be on mute when you start talking. What would you add to this list?

Ever notice how awkward it feels when presenting to a blank screen? You're not alone! It’s common to freeze up or talk non-stop when we can't see our audience's reactions or body language. Luckily actors have been developing techniques to talk naturally to a camera for decades! One of my favorites that I share in my book, Look Me in the Eye, is called "Acting As if." Here’s how it works: Imagine your ideal customer sitting right there in your camera lens. Yes, actually picture their face, their expressions, even their reactions! (p.s. Using a photo doesn’t work the same way as it’s not as dynamic as your superior imagination.) When you project a specific person's image onto that lens, something magical happens. Your brain shifts from "presenting to nobody" to having a natural conversation. Your pace becomes more engaging, your tone is more authentic, and suddenly that virtual barrier melts away. Whether your audience has their cameras off or you're recording a video message, this simple mindset switch can transform your virtual presence. Give it a try - your audience will feel the difference! #VirtualPresence #VirtualSelling #PresentationTips #ZoomMeetings #CommunicationSkills #salestips