How To Present Via Video

 Let’s consider best practices for presenting using synchronous video conferencing.


Synchronous Video Conferencing

Video conferencing capability has come a long way, and it’s gaining momentum for becoming a standard delivery technique for meetings, presentations and training.


Here are 5 best practices for your next video conference:


1.  Understand Lag & Synch Issues 

It’s important to understand that there may be some lag and that the video and audio may be out of synch. This causes people to unintentionally interrupt and trip over each other.

Our recommendation is to be patient with others, and pause before speaking to ensure that the previous speaker was finished. This means that the conversations will be slower paced than face-to-face, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When communicating via one-way radio, it’s common practice to say “over” when you’re done speaking. Perhaps you can implement an equivalent process? This may be particularly useful when there are more than two locations dialing in.


2.  Assign One Person to be the Moderator

The moderator can be the host or someone else, but make it clear at the beginning of the video conference that this person is in charge. When the discussion gets going and people start tripping over each other, this person should step in and moderate.


3.  Pay Particular Attention to Your Eye Contact 

You should look into the camera’s lens when speaking, not at the person’s eyes as they are projected on the screen or monitor. When you look into the lens, the people you’re speaking to will feel as if you’re looking directly at them. If you look at their projection, you’ll appear as if you’re looking elsewhere as you speak.

This is difficult to do, but once you master it this technique won’t feel so awkward.


4.  Adjust Your Lights

To the degree possible, adjust lights in your room so that your face can be seen on video. In general you want more light in front of you shining on your face and less light behind you.


5.  Don’t Yell 

I’m not sure why people do this, but many people tend to raise their voices when on a video conference. Speak in your normal tone and in the general direction of the microphone. Check in with people, especially at the beginning, to set or correct your volume level.


So there you have it: best practices for presenting in a virtual world.


All the best