5 ways to make your next VC more engaging

Like you, I've listened to and watched a lot of Webinars and VC's over the past 5 months. The quality is varied. The usual issues (too much content, poor vocal skills, busy slides, irrelevant long winded stories, poor structure) around effective presentations still exist. However, there are some things that are even more important when presenting via VC than face to face. 

Here are 5 tips to help you make your next VC more engaging. Interaction is critical. If there's no or little interaction, audiences will switch off quickly. You must make your presentation different to watching a You Tube video.

Audiences don't want to be lectured to, they want to be involved. 

My top 5 suggestions for delivering more engaging VC's:

1. Start well - You need to grab your audience's attention right from the start. If you fail to grab them at the start, you'll find they are easily distracted, checking their phones, social media and email throughout your session. If you can provide your audience with 2 or 3 pieces of very useful information, right at the start, they will be more likely to stay engaged for longer. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Don't waste it. 
2. Build response potential - To maintain your audience's attention, it's crucial you get them enthused and excited about what's coming up. Learn from the worlds of Radio and TV, where they constantly tease you about what's coming up soon. I like to think of my audience having one eye on what I am covering now, and one eye on what's coming up.
3. Invite contributions - Audiences want to be involved in a VC. Unless you have the cure for Covid-19, I can guarantee you, the longer you are speaking for, the faster you will lose them. There are a variety of options available to you to keep your audience engaged; using people's names, hands up, head nodding, write something down, small group activity (break out rooms).
4. Use a moderator or have a technical support person available - They can assist you with handling questions and any technical issues, allowing you to focus on your content, timing and audience engagement, ensuring your delivery flows smoothly.
5. Regular summaries - Unlike face to face presenting, in VC's, audiences are more likely to drop in and out during the session. By providing regular summaries you ensure that people who are dropping in at different times, can be quickly brought up to speed. 

Join me on the 19th August, 2020 for more useful tips, tools and techniques on how to make your next VC more successful.

Click here for more information.

"A great course that outlined how to do the basics of presentation brilliantly – it crystallised for me how to approach, prepare and deliver great presentations." - Brian Atkinson, Product Manager, (Aria Technologies) 

"This program is very on point. It’s easy to understand and very effective web based training. I would definitely recommend it to others." -  Donna Bjerring, Territory Manager, NZ (Norbrook Animal Health) 

Posted in Presenting; Tagged Presenting; Posted 10 August 2020 by Steve Herzberg