Delivering Virtual Presentations Like a Pro!
When "on the stage" becomes" on the screenshare" and "behind the scenes" becomes "behind the screens", our skills desperately need to migrate to the virtual world of presentations. For the last installment of our Mastering Presentations Series, we'll discover hacks (read: creative ways to use apps) to guarantee smooth and professional delivery online. We'll also explore diverse presentation personalities, learn to make an adaptive delivery plan, and prepare for challenges with interacting with audiences virtually.
In this post:
Yes, the camera works with your personality too. Watch people of different personalities captive their audience
Adapt as you go [COMING SOON] Always finish on time with forward planning
What's wrong with my audience? [COMING SOON] Tips for dealing with a challenging audience
Presentation App Hacks! Use your phone as a webcam Seamlessly present webpages Share phone screen Use presenter mode on PowerPoint
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Yes, the camera works with your personality too
"Make strong eye contact, use your body to talk, don't use a monotonous tone." We've heard this generic advice before. It works. But it is not the only thing that works. And it doesn't have to be your way of presenting.
On camera, I'm very animated. My facial expressions are expressive, and I talk just as much with my hands as I do with my words. Here's the catch. I'm like that off camera too. It feels natural to me, and it guides my style of presentation; Your style of presentation might be different.
Below, I've collected three different presenters. Each of them have a different style of delivery. Their jokes and their level of assertiveness is very unique. However, each of them had a message to get across, and the audience loved them.
Example A: Nicholas Braun from WealthSimple
Example B: Hans Rosling on TEDx
Example C: Verna Myers on TEDx
We feel most comfortable when we don't have to fake a personality. Our audience will feel comfortable when we're comfortable. If you are passionate about your message (shout out to part one of the series), it will speak louder than your personality.
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Presentation App Hacks!
My presentations would not run smoothly without my favourite tools and tricks. Let's have a look.
Use your phone as a webcam
I've been using DroidCam since before it became popular. It is reliable, free, and saves me from purchasing a dedicated webcam. You'll need to download the app to your phone and on your desktop. Now your virtual meetings will recognize your phone as a webcam. I've used it successfully with Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft Teams on a Windows PC and an Android phone.
(Hint: You'll have to turn on developer mode on Android. You'll feel like a genius hacker working on super secret important stuff while doing this. Instructions here)
Link to DroidCam
Seamlessly present webpages
Does your presentation require you to demo a live website? This trick makes a subtle difference, but presentation is all about the details. Here's how to make a seamless switch from PowerPoint to Browser and back again. (Assuming your PowerPoint slides have URL links)
Open a browser window in full screen. I use Google Chrome. You can press F11 from your keyboard or select full screen from the options menu.
Present entire screen using Zoom, with your PowerPoint opened up front
Click on the links on your slide This will open a new tab on your fullscreen browser window. Having the bookmarks tab and URL bar hidden gives a professional feel to your presentation.
To switch back use ALT+TAB (on windows) or COMMAND+TAB (on mac) Now you are back to your PowerPoint.
Share phone screen
This time, you're demoing a phone app. That sounds exciting! Here's how you can screenshare your phone.
Vysor lets you control you phone from your desktop. You'll need to download the app on your phone and computer (I'm using Android and Windows). Similar to DroidCam, you'll have the option to connect your devices using Wifi or USB.
Link to Vysor
Use presenter mode on PowerPoint
Are you used to using presenter mode on PowerPoint and frustrated by it's loss in the virtual space? Or you have no idea what presenter mode is.
Presenter mode on PowerPoint allows you to see your notes and a preview of the next slide while presenting. Here's more about presenter view.
Now, you can use it in Zoom, using the advanced sharing options. Here's a detailed tutorial.
Presenter view allows you to see the current time, and an optional stopwatch while presenting. Having this is a lifesaver during longer presentations.
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What now?
Well, that brings us to the end of our series. Thank you for sticking around!
If you missed anything, here are some links to catch up on:
Download PowerPoint (or all of Office365) for free
Check out The Ultimate Toolbox for you slide design needs
Happy presenting! You got this!