5 Tips for Giving a Virtual Presentation

Despite many people receiving vaccines and more offices opening for in-person work, virtual presentations are bound to continue for a while as teams are both in-office and remote. Virtual presentations can be just as daunting as standing in front of a crowd of two hundred people, so it is crucial to prepare. We’ve outlined five tips for giving virtual presentations below to help you get ready and feel confident, no matter the topic!

Maintain Your Surroundings

Your environment is a great place to start to make sure you are comfortable during your presentation. Whether you are home or in the office, make sure you have an uncluttered space so you can focus on your computer with little to no distractions. Your background should also be clear and professional so your attendees are paying attention to you, not what’s behind you. Virtual backgrounds are another way to make sure you are the center of attention, but choose one that is simple with solid colors and your company logo to maintain any standards. Lighting is also important so everyone can clearly see you. Make sure you are facing any windows so there are no shadows across your face, and keep the sun angle at the time of your presentation in mind.

Logistics Check!

Once you know that your surroundings are in order, the next important step is to check your logistics. This includes confirming the platform that will be used (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc.) so you can practice, double-checking your internet connection is strong, and making sure that your PowerPoint or other slide deck is advancing correctly. Although these logistics have become second nature working from home, anything can go wrong before a presentation, so it’s important to prepare for the worst (like your internet failing!). Running these checks will give you peace of mind and the ability to quickly troubleshoot on the day of your presentation.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice is critical to a successful virtual presentation. In the weeks or days leading up to the event, you should go through your presentation at least a few times. Send a meeting invite to friends, family, or coworkers to ask for advice or feedback. Make sure you are practicing in the same place and with the same platform you will be giving the presentation, so everything will be the same and distractions or connection challenges are minimized. With multiple practice runs, you will be able to hone your message, confirm appropriate word choices, and use transitions or animations that fit your timing. This is also a good opportunity to again check that your background and connection are flawless before the actual day. Remember to build in time to remind your audience to stay on mute during the presentation and use any hand-raising tools for questions that might pop up while you are speaking. 

Relax

Presenting virtually can be a stressful process and make you overthink your messages, slides, or even your background. It is important to relax beforehand and trust that you are well prepared. Rather than performing full run-throughs the day (or hours) before your real presentation, take a break to simply review your slides or logistics. Building in practice time a few days before will give you enough time to get comfortable and prepared, while still taking a break beforehand. 

On the day of your presentation, get comfortable! Make sure you have water nearby to sip on as necessary during the presentation, perform a few breathing exercises, and be ready an hour beforehand so you don’t have to scramble with any technical difficulties. Sit up straight with your shoulders rolled back, and wear clothing that is professional but comfortable to be in during the duration of the presentation. You’re ready!

Have Fun!

The most important part about any presentation (virtual or in-person) is to enjoy yourself! You put so much time and energy into your preparation, and you should be confident that you are ready and knowledgeable. Your audience will notice that you are invested in the presentation and will be excited to participate, and hopefully have plenty of discussion points or questions at the end of your slide show. 

These tips can be easily transitioned to in-person presentations or any time that you need to talk to an audience. We hope you enjoy yourself and stand proud giving these presentations - good luck!

Taylor Borowiec is a marketing coordinator living and working (and writing!) in Boston. You can follow her for book recommendations and hiking pictures @teaylur.

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