Ace online presenting
rachel Coffey
5 key tips to help you shine online!
We’ve all been speaking into a screen for almost a year now. However, #workingfromhome it can be easy at times to forget how we are coming across.
From lawyers who look like talking cats, judges ruling half naked from home after forgetting the camera is on to surgeons attending court hearings mid-surgery in full scrubs. It is incredible what people are prepared to put on screen as their ‘professional persona!
I mean, ok, I’ll admit, it was tempting to turn myself into a coaching cat for a few hours - but it doesn’t really add to the gravitas does it?
What we forget is that we owe it to our colleagues, customers, listeners to allow them to have some trust in what we are saying. Make their time worthwhile. Do your audience and yourself a favour - it’s time to #shineonline!
Perfect your eyeline
Record yourself presenting and watch it back. When you do you should look as though you are looking straight at yourself. A comfortable distance from the camera. Books or anything stable can be used to raise the height of your camera, or you might want to stand or change the height of your chair either way they will help you level up. As a point of reference, think newsreader - good gaze, trusted, confident and on your side.
Brighten your body language
If you look like you can’t be bothered, then your audience won’t be bothered either. What’s the point in them investing their time in listening if it looks like you just hopped on a call as a momentary distraction from lounging on the sofa? A good, tall, relaxed posture, with moderately parted arms will look interested and positive. Oh and ditch that old sweat top too!
Don’t shout, resonate!
Shouting online just creates reverb and is impossible to listen to effectively. Be aware if there is too much echo in your room. It’s usually created when sound bounces off hard surfaces or airy spaces - wooden floors, glass desks, high ceilings. Record how you sound, add in some warmth with a warm up, simply humming will help. Invest in a good mic and you’ll be half way there. Rugs & soft furnishings can also help to dampen the echo. Remember to leave enough pauses when you ae speaking too - that delay on the wifi can really hamper communication otherwise.
Switch your eyes on
Look bored. Now look in the mirror. Now look tired and look in the mirror. Now look happy - as though you’ve just had some great news. That’s the difference between having your eyes ‘switched on’ and not. We need to bring that extra level of attention to flick the switch and turn those eyes on when working online, because dead eyes kill connection. Think bright, relaxed, interested and alive!
Smile!
Yup, I’m not talking a big goofy grin or a permenant scary clown face, I’m talking assred, reassuring, happy to be there, good to see you kind of smile. Smiling works wonders in all kinds of ways. It will improve you voice (genuinely!), your look, your body language and openness. Warmth and charisma ooze confidence and an authentic smile will go a long way toward achieving that!
We can’t all expect to be top presenters, but we can be kind to our audience and to ourselves by bringing our best self to our online presenting and communications. It feels a whole lot more interesting for your audience and much more rewarding for you.
We all have our fingers crossed, hoping that the pandemic as we know it will be coming to an end but online presenting and online communications will be here to stay in some form or another. It’s so important that we get on board and look and sound like the accomplished, cofident professionals we are.
If you are interested on improving your online presenting and online speaking skills here at Rachel Coffey Coaching I run private sessions for professionals as well as small group programmes for execs, group online sessions for your team and large scale programmes for corporations/ institutions. Get in touch and we can scope out a soloution to suit your needs and your budget. Once allowed we can also offer a face to face option for C-suite groups that works minor miracles on your top team!