Why are good presenters far less effective in a virtual environment? There is a certain discomfort – and we turn on our lecture mode in order to deal with it. What makes us feel uncomfortable is the technology. When we're worried about which button to push and when we know that everyone can see and hear us very, very well, we are less focused on how we deliver our presentation.
Less interactions means no feedback
Because we don’t feel comfortable, we often don’t allow the use of chat and webcams, which could make our presentations much more interactive. When you get in lecture mode and can'tsee your audience, you aren’t getting the feedback you need. In a standard talk you get a lot of visual input. You see your audience smiling, nodding, or perhaps looking confused. That enables you to respond accordingly. For example, you know whether your jokes have been a hit.
But you need feedback, right?
So ask for it. Simply stop talking, pause and encourage your audience to ask questions – or you can ask them. From time to time, also give the people a chance to process what you’ve said or showed, advises an article on the management-issues.comwebsite.
Voice and body language still matter
Even if your audience can’t see you, your body language and volume come across to your audience. Speaking in a monotone or even reading your script will make them sleepy.
-jk-