I know, we’re exhausted hearing about it, but it’s been 2.5 years and covid is still impacting the way we do business.
2022 started with many conferences making the optimistic decision to get back to in-person events. Unfortunately, there’s too much timely evidence that in-person events can become covid “super spreader” events. I found out about two recent conferences that suffered the same fate. One was the Society for Emergency Medicine convention held in May of this year. The other was a National Speaker Association conference held in Atlanta, GA, a couple weeks ago.
Due to the uncertainty around how long covid is going to be a problem, more and more small businesses, groups, organizations, and associations have decided to continue hosting their meetings and events virtually. In one way this is great for speakers. There’s no traveling, which means no traffic, or paying $5 a gallon for gas! But there’s also the danger of becoming so comfortable with virtual platforms like Zoom that it’s easy to forget there are best practices for getting and keeping a virtual audience’s attention. Here are three major aspects of speaking virtually to consider.
Your Message: It’s the whole reason you were invited to speak! Your audience wants to hear what you have to say, so jump right in and give it to them. Lead with your most important point. This is your best chance to capture people’s attention. Even online, it’s up to you to make each person feel like you’re speaking to them. In fact, online, when you’re making eye contact with your camera, each person is more likely to feel like you’re actually sharing your message directly with them, and more likely to take you seriously as a result. Do a good job with this and it will make their decision to continue paying attention to what you offer a no-brainer.
Your Verbal Delivery: It’s imperative to remember that how you say something is every bit as important as what you say. When you speak, you want to deliver your message in a manner that lets your personality come thru without sounding rehearsed. This is where the time you spend practicing how you’re going to deliver your content is so critical. When practicing, try using your voice in different ways until you’re comfortable that both your message and your emotions are shared in ways that will engage and keep your audience’s attention.
Your Physical Space: Back when speaking in person was the norm, presenting your content included decisions about whether or not to stand behind a podium, to sit or stand, to stay in one spot or move around. Virtually, you don’t have to make those physical choices, but I think people are forgetting that platforms like Zoom are powerful business tools. This means paying attention to how you’re physically showing up.
If you’re not sure how you’re showing up, check yourself out using Zoom’s recording function. Record yourself delivering your talk out loud as if you’re actually speaking to an audience. Then watch it. In addition to the obvious of taking notes on your presentation skills:
Check your background. Does it convey what you want it to convey? Is it complimentary or distracting?
Do the clothes you’re wearing match the occasion? Do they reflect you as a professional/expert in your topic?
Check your position within your virtual frame. Are you front and center? Are you sitting too close or too far away? How is your eye contact? Are you looking right into the camera as if you’re actually speaking to someone? Do your hand gestures complement both your delivery style and your message?
As speakers, being adaptable has always been a requirement. It’s our ability to adapt that makes it possible for us to deliver our signature content to those who will benefit the most. It’s pretty clear the world is adapting to using covid free virtual platforms as a viable way to continue doing business as usual. Making sure your best-practice virtual skills are evident is one more way to be recognized for all the right reasons.