Dos and Don’ts to Improve Your Online Presentation

How to give online presentation

When you are hosting an online presentation, such as a webinar, there are many things that you’ll have on your mind. Most of them will have to do with making the best possible impression and achieving your goal. However, there are many things that you can be doing in your preparation and during your performance that can make a significant difference to the overall quality of your production.

Use the following do’s and don’ts to help to guide you through the process of improving your online presentation so that it will be more effective and successful as a whole. Each of them is quite simple to implement but can make all the difference to outcome. Be sure to include them all, starting right away.

Do – Repeat questions posed by audience members

Internet performances are frequently utilized as an online element to a presentation that is being held in person. If someone within your audience asks a question, make sure that you repeat it into your microphone before you start to answer it. This will ensure that your online audience will be able to continue following the topic.

If you would prefer not to have to repeat every question – which is especially important when they are long or phrased with some complexity – you may also choose to place an additional microphone out for use by the audience so that online viewers can hear the audience member themselves.

Don’t – Film long stretches of dead air

Whether or not a long period of silence has been planned as a part of your online presentation, it can be confusing, unpleasant, or awkward for viewers over the internet. To make this easier for your online audience, include your program in the note box or chat box before the presentation begins, or arrange to have music played during dead times.

This will indicate to online viewers that there are no technical difficulties and that the presentation will still follow, but that there simply isn’t anything happening at that precise moment.

Do – Eliminate as much background noise as possible

Any little sounds in the background of your presentation can be highly distracting and may make it difficult for listeners to make out what you’re saying. A microphone may pick up any little sound such as shuffling papers, pens dropping, audience members coughing, or conversations being held on the side.

If possible, attempt to hold your performance within a room that is as quiet as possible. Arrange for a place with a reliable internet connection, and be sure to speak clearly (without yelling) so that you can be heard above any noises that do occur in the background.

Don’t – Make your presentation any longer than necessary

As much as you may be passionate about your topic, one of the key things that you need to accomplish during your presentation is brevity. Your audience doesn’t want you to go on and on. Instead, this medium requires you to be as concise as possible. Make your point completely, but make it in as short a time as possible.

Though many people struggle with this goal, it remains very important. When you’re giving a presentation over the internet, the more value you can add to every second, the more powerful it will be. Any unnecessary “fluff” will only weaken the impression you leave.

Do – Use stories to illustrate your point

When you add a story to your performance, you bring your point to life. It is the difference between reading a dictionary definition for a word, and actually seeing it used in a real sentence. Once you are done explaining your topic, tell a short but applicable story to provide greater depth of understanding to your audience.

Don’t – Give a flat and monotone performance

There is something to be said about drama in a presentation. Though this doesn’t mean that you need to go overboard, you should still use inflection in your voice, visual aids, or even props to help to capture and maintain the attention of the audience.

Do – Keep your promises to your audience

Above all, don’t forget that when you give a presentation, you have made a promise to provide a certain amount and type of information to your audience. Always deliver on that promise. The last thing that you want to do is give a “bait and switch” where you offer something popular to get people watching, and then talk about something else. You will lose your audience and harm your reputation.