Here's how you can transform your presentations for virtual platforms.

1. Use Clear Visuals: Incorporate simple, engaging slides and graphics to make your points clear. 2. Practice Your Timing: Rehearse to keep your presentation within the time limit and maintain audience attention. 3. Engage Your Audience: Include interactive elements like polls or Q&A to keep viewers involved. 4. Check Your Tech: Ensure your equipment and internet connection are reliable for smooth delivery. 5. Be Concise: Keep your message brief and to the point to hold attention and avoid overloading information.

The first impression! Your 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 has to be on point, especially in a virtual session. Use a story (anecdote), ask a question, or even start with a bit of humor. The initial hook will keep them focused on you. Be 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 of your audience and their diversity. Be aware of your tone and volume. In a virtual meeting, this carries a lot more weight. Keep backup plans for your backup plans. You don't know which of your engagement tactics would work. Establish Objectives to help the audience understand what would be their takeaway.

To improve your virtual presentations, make your content engaging and easy to follow. Use clear visuals and keep slides simple. Include interactive features like polls and Q&A to involve your audience. Ensure your audio and video are clear, and practice speaking directly into the camera to connect with viewers. Finally, rehearse your presentation to avoid technical problems and ensure everything runs smoothly.

Use humor! You've probably heard the saying “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Research suggests that people who laugh together like each other more and that laughter creates connection. When you share your own humorous stories or simply tell tactful and tasteful jokes or funny anecdotes, your audience will know, like, and trust you more deeply.

To enhance virtual presentations, begin with an engaging hook to capture your audience's attention. Use a compelling story, question, or surprising fact relevant to the topic. This sets the tone and keeps participants focused in a distraction-filled environment. Keep energy high and content clear to maintain connection throughout.

1. Interact with the audience. A strong hook with a question (e.g.: can you relate? Give me a hand up if yes.); something like a quick poll using Slido or Mentimeter. Would love other ideas for interactivity using technology from other contributors. 2. Underscoring what has been said already--in addition to the above, using clear, uncluttered visuals that are on-brand and on-message are a must. You don't need a lot of slides, but if you use slides, keep em clean, easy to understand, and try and limit text (my general rule is no more than 10 words).

Use changes in pitch, volume, and pace to maintain interest and emphasize key points. Avoid a monotone delivery to keep the audience engaged and make your content more dynamic.

As I point out in my TEDx Talk ("Music As a Model for Public Speaking"), most non-verbal elements of communication are minimized when presenting virtually. Sitting in a chair, "head-and-shoulders" on-camera, there's no body language. Your hands are mostly off-camera, so gestures play a lesser role. Your face may be visible, but its size is minimized in typical "Gallery" display -- and de-emphasized even more when you're presenting graphics. Users who aren't on-camera themselves probably aren't looking at your face, and may not even be sitting at their desks. BUT EVERYONE HEARS YOUR VOICE! The most important element of virtual communication is vocal variety. Be dynamic by varying your pitch, tone, volume, rhythm, pacing / pausing, etc.

Incorporate interactivity to make virtual presentations engaging and dynamic. Use polls, Q&A sessions, or chat functions to encourage audience participation and gather feedback. This breaks up the presentation, keeps attendees engaged, and provides insights into their thoughts. Active involvement makes the experience more personal and impactful.

Using humor within interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, or chat can energize your virtual presentation and keep your audience engaged. For instance, kick off a poll with a fun option like, "How's my Wi-Fi holding up? A) Strong as ever B) On life support C) About to disconnect!" During Q&A, light-hearted responses can ease tension, such as, "Great question! I’ve been waiting all day for someone to ask that." Injecting humor into these interactive moments not only encourages participation but also makes your presentation more memorable and enjoyable for everyone involved.

Plan for interaction and engagement as you plan your presentation, don´t leave it till the end. At different points in your presentation, ask yourself: How can I make this more fun/memorable/interesting...? Keep your audience on their toes by adding fun, gamified rewarded small tasks that will keep the audience excited. Adapt any activity to different personality traits, and needs, so that everybody feels included and valued. Avoid wordy slides, keep them punchy, very visual and aesthetically appealing while catering for different needs and requirements.

Become proficient with virtual presentation tools and software. Ensure you know how to use features like screen sharing, polls, and chat functions. Test your equipment beforehand to avoid technical issues.

Continuous improvement is crucial for mastering virtual presentations. Seek feedback from your audience to understand what worked and what can be enhanced. Review recordings to assess your performance, focusing on transitions, eye contact, and session flow. Regular self-evaluation helps refine your skills and enhances your overall communication effectiveness.

Start with a compelling true story and add humour. A story that relates to the topic but connects you with the audience always helps. I follow trends on social media and find this useful. During one of my presentations I used the « of course » method. It connected well to the audience and I have found adding humour really helps.

Engaging Visuals: Use high-quality visuals, such as slides and videos, to support your message. Ensure they are clear, visually appealing, and relevant to the content. Interactive Elements: Incorporate polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive activities to engage participants and encourage participation. Clear Structure: Organize your presentation with a clear agenda and smooth transitions between topics to keep the virtual audience focused.