3 Helpful Tips for Your Next Zoom Presentation

Zoom presentations require a different set of skills than do in-person presentations. Even if you’re an experienced presenter, you may feel slightly nervous, anxious, or uneasy about presenting virtually.

While Zoom presentations may sound like they’re easier to plan and deliver, many people struggle to engage their audience just as effectively using a virtual platform. It’s not easy to get—and keep—the audience’s attention. While this skill comes naturally to some people, it can be trickier to engage the audience when everyone is looking back at you through a screen.

If you’re apprehensive about your next Zoom presentation, take a deep breath and read on. I’ve rounded up three tips to help you present like a seasoned pro.

1. Polish the Introduction

If you’re an experienced presenter, you know the importance of compelling content. Typically, there’s no reason to prioritize the introduction, body, or conclusion—every part of the presentation should be equally effective.

When it comes to Zoom presentations, this strategy needs to be tweaked. Since you and your audience are in different places, you can’t afford to lose their attention. While regaining lost attention is easier during a traditional presentation, it’s a lot more difficult if you’re presenting virtually.

That’s why you should put more effort into the introduction. Sure, the body and the conclusion are still both important. However, the introduction should be your primary focus. Grab your listeners right away so they don’t open their email or look at their phone.

Consider using a relevant statistic, example, or anecdote to get the audience’s attention. Instead of diving into the complexities at the very beginning, start off with something exciting. Your audience will appreciate the effort and zone in on what you have to say.

Recommended Read: How Leaders Can Inspire Through Their Words

2. Organize Your Thoughts

When you’re presenting to a group of people through video, you can easily lose your train of thought. There’s a lot that you need to think about.

Is the Wi-Fi connection stable? Is your audience engaged in the presentation? Are you covering the right points? Are you making proper eye contact?

Suffice to say, a Zoom presentation can easily get stressful and overwhelming if you’re not careful.

Make sure you organize your thoughts more carefully than you would for an in-person presentation. Create a speaking outline, or a list of talking points, to seamlessly stay on track. You don’t need to write out every word. Instead, focus on the key points that you want to convey.

Recommended Read: Public Speaking: The Path to Success

3. Ask for Help

A successful Zoom presentation requires excellent communication and persuasion skills. If you’re having trouble delivering an engaging and effective presentation, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

As a virtual public speaking coach and presentation expert, I help people deliver top-tier presentations that leave a lasting impact on the audience.

Whether you’re delivering a virtual keynote speech, sales pitch, conference presentation, or TED-style presentation, I’ll provide the insights and guidance you need to engage and empower your audience.