Virtual Presenting 101

Jess is a Forbes Top Rated speaker with past clients like Zappos, Netflix, Canva, Edward Jones, Harvard, TEDx, and more. She’s also a LinkedIn Learning and TED Education instructor on Public Speaking.

In 2018, she founded Mic Drop Workshop®️, a company with the mission of empowering more women to share their message as a public speaker and author. 

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Why am I here?

The best speaker solves a problem for the person listening, so before a presentation, shift your focus back to the goals.

Be a lighthouse speaker: “How can I best guide the audience?”

Not a spotlight speaker: “What does everyone think of me?”

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Am I making eye contact?

The age old question, where to look in a virtual meeting room? Simply fix your eyeline at the green dot of your laptop camera. It’s common for our eyes to drift back to our box, so if this distracts you, try turning off self-view. It removes you from your view only. 

Watch out for:

Prolonged staring at your slides

Scrolling through the chat unless intentionally directing attention there

Glass glare if you wear glasses

A complicated tech setup that causes you to look at several screens

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Am I bringing the energy? 

We can easily lose enthusiasm and body language in a virtual setting. Try scooting back from the camera or standing up so hand gestures are more easily seen. To highlight a key point, give purpose to the pause and allow it to sink in.

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Do I have the right tech?

Checklist:

Hardwired internet 

Mic and wireless earbuds so you can move around

Notifications on silent

Alternated between slides and YOU

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