Delivering online presentations is hard! I recently gave an online presentation to the Wharton Funders and Founders group on improving customer engagement during uncertain times. Unlike many Zoom meetings I present to, I could not see or hear the audience. All I saw was my slides. It was a bit unnerving.
It was ironic that in a presentation about improving engagement, I felt so unengaged from my audience. But there I was.
My concerns are backed by data. The Harvard Business Review did a survey to find out what employees really do during a conference all. All online presenters should beware!
- Other work 65%
- Sending an email 63%
- Eating or making food 55%
- Going to the restroom 47%
- Texting 44%
- Checking social media 43%
- Playing video games 25%
- Online shopping 21%
- Exercising 9%
- Taking another phone call 6%
I knew it would be tough to connect, so I planned several things to develop a rapport with my audience. I began with an online poll so everyone could participate and feel heard right from the start. That proved to be a great icebreaker. It got many people commenting, asking questions and involved with the presentation.
While I was a little uncomfortable with the inability to see my audience, when all was said and done the meeting reviews were quite positive. The audience felt engaged, listened to, entertained. And I was relieved and pleased. And if you are interested, you can listen here.
Getting Customers and Employees (Re)-Engaged
I am not alone in feeling awkward about delivering online presentations. My clients, colleagues and peers often tell me how hard it is to present online, especially with online-fatigue and pandemic-fatigue so widespread. This feeling is common in our new world of distributed employees, remote teams and online everything. I don’t think it will change anytime soon,
And it motivated me to create a workshop to help anyone deliver online presentations with impact.
Experience TalkShop’s Engaging Workshop
In this engaging two-hour workshop, you will learn how to develop the best material for online presentations, use slides effectively and increase engagement whether presenting to a small audience or large. You will leave with tools and techniques to create engaging presentations that ensure people will be listening to you.
Make your meetings, as well as the ones you attend, more enjoyable and engaging. Take the workshop with your team and increase your online impact.
Interested? Check out the Talkshop website or DM me June Bower for more information.
I hope to see you online soon!
