Now that we are forced to stay behind our computer, we see that meetings and presentations can be held perfectly well remotely too. After all, there are plenty of tools that can easily be deployed for this. Teams, Zoom, Hangout and others are perfect tools for holding meetings online and giving a presentation. In the beginning, presenting remotely was still a little awkward for most people. Sharing the presentation in Teams or in Zoom, for instance, could sometimes be an issue for many people who were not yet familiar with these programmes. Fortunately it did not take long before people started to get the hang of it a little. However, to really make an impression with your online presentation, which you give from behind your computer, you do have to take a few other elements into account.

Giving an online presentation is, in a few respects, different from a presentation where everyone is physically present in the same room. The most important thing is the lack of personal contact. Because everything happens via a computer screen, you will have to try harder to retain constant attention from your audience. Aside from all the technical possibilities available in well-equipped meeting rooms, in this blog post I will assume a presenter and audience who use a laptop or desktop computer to give and/or follow the presentation.

The most important weapons you have to give a good presentation with your laptop/computer are:

• A logically and strongly built story
• A graphically (visually) supportive PowerPoint presentation
• Your own presentation skills

10 handy tips to be more successful in your next online presentation.

The PowerPoint presentation

1. Build up your story well This is of course just as important for a physical presentation as for an online presentation. Only, the attention span in an online presentation is shorter than in a physical presentation. Because of this you will have to be more specific in the build-up of your story. Give your audience a clear frame of reference from the start so that your PowerPoint presentation in Teams is easy to follow. Sketch the problem and its consequences What is the solution you propose? Features and results of your solution Steps that have to be taken Any financial necessities Summary and a clear representation of the 'new' situation
2. Text and font size While showing your PowerPoint in Teams, bear in mind that the PowerPoint will not fill the listener's entire screen. So make sure the text on the slides is easily legible. You do this by, on the one hand, not putting too much text on your slide and, on the other, using a font that is large enough. According to Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule, 30pt is the minimum font size. Personally I find that rather large but for an online presentation I would not go smaller than 24pt. By putting your text large enough on the screen, it is clearly legible and the audience does not have to move closer to the screen to understand what is on the slide. It gives comfort to your audience. Just as with a physical presentation, it is impossible for your audience to read and listen at the same time. By putting too much text on your slide, you increase the chance that they no longer listen to you. So limit the amount of text on one slide. That way the slide works best as support for what you tell. If you make more slides for that reason, that is no problem but above all worth it. After all, just because you have more slides does not mean your presentation has to last longer. By putting less on your slides, you have to click through to the next slide more quickly. And that actually increases attention.
3. Strong and original visuals The more visual your slides are, the more supportive they are and the better you will hold the audience's attention. Think of graphic elements, icons that are a representation of a particular concept or images / photos that are a symbolic or exact representation of what you tell. Graphic / visual elements give space to a slide and will be better remembered by the audience than a boring list. The better the graphic element aligns with the explanation you are giving at that moment, the better your audience understands and remembers what you say.
4. Interactivity You add interactivity within a PowerPoint presentation by placing a hyperlink on a text block or graphic element. It allows you to navigate through your presentation and not be dependent on the fixed order of your slides. In an advanced PowerPoint you can in this way even add navigation to the presentation as we know it from a website. By adding interactive elements to your presentation, you are able to respond to specific questions that are asked. You do not have to start rummaging quickly through your slides, but with one or a few clicks you are on the right slide to continue your story. The result: you keep the attention of the viewers at home on your presentation in Teams!
5. Slide build-up Many speakers find it difficult to build up their slide with different clicks. After all, it requires some attention and coordination between what you tell and managing your PowerPoint presentation. Yet this ensures your slide follows what you tell. If you put everything on the slide straight away, the audience is inclined to start reading it and they lose their attention for you as the speaker again.

The Presenter

As a presenter you are of course a good deal more limited during the presentation because you sit neatly in front of your laptop's camera. You cannot use your whole body because it is only partly visible.

1. Positioning in front of the camera Make sure your laptop's camera is at eye level. That way you keep your head straight and can look straight into the camera. Take enough distance from your screen so that your head and shoulders are in shot. Better just a little too far than far too close in shot. Try to mimic the physical situation as much as possible.
2. No backlighting Look carefully at where you are going to sit for your online presentation. Choose a deliberate spot so that, for example, you do not sit in front of a large window. It causes too much backlighting, making your face much darker than the background. So sit in front of a neutral wall (as little distraction as possible from objects and people) and make sure enough light falls on your face. Your audience wants to be able to look at you as well as possible.
3. Sound & microphone The built-in microphone of most laptops is sufficient to transmit good sound. If you are not alone in a room it is sometimes handier to provide a separate headset (earphones). It is sometimes also more comfortable for yourself because that way you receive better and clearer sound. Your audience will also experience less echo, which arises in the room you are in, as a result.
4. Speak more slowly Just as with a physical presentation, in an online presentation it is advisable to speak just a little more slowly than you are used to. It gives your audience the room to understand better what you tell. After all, it sinks in a little more slowly…
5. Use your facial expressions Because you cannot use your whole body, you will have to use your face for the supporting non-verbal communication. It is not engaging to keep looking at a face from which nothing can be read. So be aware of your facial expression and provide enough variation. Do you want to know and learn more about this, then I can certainly recommend the Body Language Academy.

Do you have to give an online presentation soon?

Book a free online meeting to look at the content of your presentation together. In 30 minutes we look at the goal of your presentation and how you can make the storyline more powerful and convincing.