How to stop your virtual audience voting with their clicks

Most of the speakers I’ve been working with this year are all too aware that audiences in the virtual world are just one click away from ‘walking out’ on them. We no longer have our audience held captive in too-tight seating layouts in conference rooms. Back then, a mediocre presentation might result in people playing with their phones (or having a snooze!) until the good bits. In virtual presentations – there’s simply no need for anyone to hang around.

So how can you captivate your audience’s attention and keep them engaged when giving virtual presentations?

There are lots of techniques that help, from improving your delivery, to interactivity, creating striking visuals and having the right mindset (please note that I do not include ‘hilarious’ virtual backgrounds in this list!). However the fact is that there is a limit to how much these help if the audience isn’t really interested in what you have to say.

In the virtual world, your content has never mattered more.

Here are just four of the ways I’ve been helping clients to get the attention they deserve through the content they create:

1 – Always start by asking yourself, “what does the audience want from me?”

It doesn’t really matter what other tricks you use, if an audience member can’t see the value in your content – for themselves personally – they’re not really going to pay attention. Too often speakers start by asking themselves ‘what can I say about this topic?’. This leads to presentations filled with way too much background and generic content, never really getting to the heart of what the audience really wants to hear. How often have you watched a presentation that’s covering the same old content – and wanted to shout ‘get on with it!’? Perhaps silently banging your head on the desk?! Don’t be that speaker! Instead frame your content around answering the audience’s burning questions. Be ruthless and throw out anything they already know, and let the really valuable content shine.

2 – Get straight to the good stuff! 

Forget introductions – they can wait! Surprise your audience from the word go by getting straight into your content. Start with a story, a question, a bold statement or fact. You can make it intriguing or make it fun – just focus on capturing the audience’s attention, and, as per my first point, make sure it’s all about THEM, not you! At least 90% of the presentations I see still start with ‘Hello, my name is…. and I’m here to talk about…’ – which is basically just a cue for the audience to sit back and relax (and maybe let their mind wander and start thinking about their to-do list, or perhaps what's for dinner...?!). Don't let that happen! Find your way to make your audience sit up & lean in from the moment you start to talk. 

3 – Make it easy for your audience with a clear structure

Let’s face it – these days we all have too much to do and think about. This makes us quickly impatient and easily distracted, especially in front of a screen. Which means you can’t afford to make watching your presentation even an ounce of hard work for the audience. Set up a clear, simple structure at the beginning and revisit it throughout your presentation at moments of transition. Don’t gloss over transitions – use them as key moments to create clarity around your overall message and keep the audience with you. This is crucial to making it easy for your audience to stay engaged and, possibly more importantly, be able to tune back in easily if they have become distracted.

4 – Ditch the script!

There is little more dull and hard to listen to than someone reading from a script, and yet in virtual presentations, I'm seeing it more and more. Unless you have years of media training, and weeks of rehearsal, scripts can make the most intelligent of people sound like they don’t know what they are talking about! Instead, prepare well, but keep notes to a minimum. Trust yourself and tell your story from the heart. Remember that the reason you’ve been asked to present is because you have unique knowledge and experience to share. Remember you’re most probably presenting to the same kind of people you work with 1-1 on a regular basis - these are ‘your people’! An authentic and conversational tone is far easier to engage with on the virtual platforms than when a speaker is being too formal. 

I could continue, but considering that one of my other points would be that ‘less is more’– I’ll save it for another day! If you’re interested in hearing more, please do comment or get in touch.

Andrea White supports speakers to deliver presentations with impact, online and in person. Using two decades of experience working with senior executives at some of the world’s largest conferences, Andrea helps speakers to connect with their audiences using strong messaging and authentic delivery, crafting memorable presentations that get results. www.andreawhite.co.uk