Presence Training

Nowadays, more people than ever are doing online presentations and online talks with an audience. Whether it is webinars or business calls on some of the online conferencing software options, you are probably experiencing the same shift. 

There is little doubt that online conferencing comes with a set of challenges, which are different from when you are doing in-person public speaking. And while you may be well-experienced to handle the in-person task just fine, the online part is a bit different. There are various things you may forget to address, which will negatively impact your performance. Do consider them all: 

• Lighting – many people use lighting that comes from behind them. Sometimes this is not a problem if it is a moderate amount. But, if you are standing in front of the window, and the camera is facing it, and there is a lot of sunlight coming through, you will make it very difficult for people to see your face. Your face will be a shadowy silhouette, which makes it rather uncomfortable to look at. Instead, you should have a light fixture that delivers soft glow from the front, so that it illuminates your face. The idea is that you want to be as visible as possible, and not have others squint at you. 
  
  
• Noise – sometimes, this can be difficult to address. If you have a pet at home, it can be near impossible to have them make zero noise. Same goes for children if they like running around and yelling. The best thing you can do is find yourself a quiet room and close the door. Ask any members of your family to leave you in peace for the time of your online presence. As fir noise coming from outside your home, that is not entirely under your control, so nothing can be done. 
  
  
• The way you dress – some people take advantage of the fact that their online audience will only see them from the shoulders up, and pay little attention to the way they are dressed. They can be in shorts, or sweatpants during an important presentation. But that is not the ideal way to go about it. First, you want to feel like you are standing in front of the people in-person. This will change the way you speak and the way you behave. Second, it will affect the way you stand in front of your camera. You may think these are subtle things, but in reality, they can affect your performance quite a lot. 
  
  
• Camera – the best position for your camera is the same level as your face or just a little above that. Many people just leave their cameras pointing upwards, showing their faces from a really strange angle. You want to make it feel for the others like you are standing on the same level as them. This makes it easier for them to track your face and everything that you are saying. 
  
  
• Ignoring your audience – one thing about online presentations is that the presenter can forget to give their audience a chance to participate. The main issue comes from the fact that others might not feel comfortable interrupting. And while during an in-person presentation someone can just raise their hand to ask for attention, they cannot do the same during an online talk. Instead, you should consider this and ask if anyone else has any questions up until this point. You can also have others ask their questions at the end, as long as you strictly give them the word. 
  
  

These are all important aspects of online presentations that you should not forget about. They can secure the success or lead to a failure of your presentation. 

© Presence Training