Zoom presentations have become increasingly common for team and client communication. Although the Zoom platform is user-friendly and easy to manage, giving a virtual presentation still has its challenges. Continue reading for some best practices to keep in mind in order to give a captivating zoom presentation.
Horrible lighting can be extremely distracting for your audience. Whether you’re in the office, working from home, or presenting on the road, make sure to have flattering lighting. If you find yourself backlit, shadowed, or flushed out, address your poor lighting situation by reworking the layout of your workspace or investing in a lighting kit for your Zoom calls. You can keep the light in your laptop bag so you have it with you whenever you need it for your Zoom presentations.
Television noise, chatting coworkers, and a visually busy backdrop can all distract from your presentation. If you don’t have ready access to a quiet office or room that is distraction-free, use a virtual background and a microphone placed close to your mouth to make sure that your audience is captivated by you and not what’s going on around you.
When you’re presenting to your team or your clients, make sure their attention is on your slide deck. You can direct the focus to your slides or videos by rolling over your video window and selecting “Spotlight Video.” Only the host and co-host have access to the spotlight functionality, so coordinate with the meeting’s creator to make the most of this feature. Your viewers will have no choice but to focus on your information.
Hiring a professional specializing in freelance presentation design takes this tip one step further. Chances are you’ve sat through your fair share of dull, cookie cutter slide decks. Spotlighting your intentionally-designed slides will grab your audience’s attention in more ways than one.
Gone are the days when you used one monitor to maximize efficiency during your workday. Hook up your second monitor, or borrow one from a teammate, and use one monitor to display the Zoom window with the presentation deck full-screen, while you display your presenter view with notes on the other screen. Using two screens allows you to easily deliver a captivating presentation to your audience without worrying about clicking through tabs or losing your place as you speak.
Notifications and accidental background noises are distracting to you and your audience. Before you begin your presentation, mute everyone on the call in addition to your notifications and alarms. This includes your cell phone and any other devices you might have around you that could be audible in the background.
You are probably planning on giving the entire Zoom presentation by yourself, but you can increase the experience for you and your audience if you enlist the help of a colleague or assistant to take care of non-speaking duties. Ask that person to keep an eye out for attendees stuck in the waiting room after you begin your presentation. This person can also write down action items or other notes that would otherwise distract you from nailing your presentation.
Even if you have a co-worker or assistant helping you facilitate the meeting, be sure to save the chat log and record the meeting for future reference. When you’re put on the spot, it’s difficult to respond to every question or concern fully. The chat log is your opportunity to get a sense of how effective your presentation was. It might also be a pleasant surprise to read how much your audience loved it!
If you’ve got all these points covered and you’re still looking for help with creating a captivating Zoom presentation, I have years of experience providing professional freelance presentation design to clients just like you. I’ll deliver unique visuals and carefully crafted slides to ensure that your presentation is a success!
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