Virtual Meeting Etiquettes for Effective Online Presentation

Jan 2, 2024 Reading time : 5 min

Attending or giving virtual presentations induces the well-known and feared sensation of butterflies in the stomach. Virtual presentations are a step up; they provide extra obstacles of a different kind.

Consider this: You can’t read anybody’s body language, and you don’t even know whether they’re listening to you. Since virtual presence is such a big equalizer, your efficacy is in jeopardy. Then there’s the danger of personal matters intruding into public matters.

All the while you’re attempting to sway that big sale or that managerial decision in your favor! That is why virtual meeting etiquette is crucial.

People are being compelled to work remotely and provide online presentations as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are woefully under-equipped in terms of tools and methods of thinking about virtual presentations. People with these skills, on the other hand, will rise and shine: they will be the lords of the Virtual Domain.

Use SlideUpLift to access an online collection of eye-catching free PowerPoint templates and Google Slides templates to deliver an impactful presentation.

Here are our top 12 virtual presentation ideas:

1) Dress Up Appropriately

No matter if it is an audio-only discussion, you must dress up appropriately in a formal manner. While it is undoubtedly comfy in your pajamas, you run a psychological risk of slipping into a comfort zone, which can take the edge off your virtual presentations. Be fully groomed, look proper so that you can deliver presentations perfectly.

2) Warm-up Before the Presentation

When you’re on a chilly, dry phone call, you don’t have that human touchy-feely warmth. We are all humans, believe it or not, we do require a little small chat. Going directly to the point might give the impression that you are just interested in the presentation and not in the other person.

A little pre-presentation warm-up may go a long way. While most conversations these days begin with virus chatter or weather, sports remain safe all-time favorites. One challenge is to locate an opportunity to get right to the point without allowing the beginning to infringe on your main content.

3) Check Your Background

If you’re using video, a crowded background may destroy everything, so use MS Teams if feasible and blur the background or use a white background.

4) Don’t Touch the Keyboard

The sound of your typing is quite distracting, whether you are taking notes during the meeting or conversing with a buddy. It not only prevents you from concentrating on the meeting, but it also distracts everyone else in the room.

5) Keep Yourself Muted

Nothing is more vexing than hearing those painful sounds from other mics. It also keeps unwanted sounds from accessing your microphone.

6) Jazz Up

Your lovely physical presence will not be appreciated by the audience. Make up for it by using high-quality slides. A general guideline is that slides must speak for themselves since, like it or not, many people will scroll ahead and go through everything while you are speaking and form their own impressions, which can be difficult to modify.

7) Avoid Eating in Between the Meeting

Would you ever bring something to a meeting to eat? Then leave it out of your virtual meeting as well. This is especially crucial if others can hear you eating because it can be distracting for everyone.

8) Take Care of the Time Frames

Always keep an eye on the clock to ensure that your virtual conference begins and ends on time. This reflects your professionalism and encourages others to be punctual.

9) Mind Your Body Language

Body language is an essential component of virtual meeting etiquette. Even if you can talk and present flawlessly, your facial expression and posture when presenting online convey more than your words.

10) Protect Confidential Information

Make sure that just the appropriate content is visible if you share your screen during online presentations. Close any unneeded browser tabs before starting a virtual meeting. Launching a new browser window and preparing ahead of time will assist in keeping sensitive information private.

Choose the option to share the screen only one screen or one tab (i.e. simply a Powerpoint presentation) instead of your entire screen for more control over what others view during your virtual presentations.

If possible, provide pre-reads a day ahead of time for complex topics. It will give you a lot of unseen power and give you the strong sense that you are in authority. Then, instead of going over the content, limit your presentation to areas that merit discussion.

To prevent clogging your audience’s inboxes, we recommend sending pdfs. The audience will notice and thank you from the bottom of their hearts.

12) Lower Your Pitch

Speak at a slower pitch than your normal conversational cadence. This is because most individuals wear headphones during meetings, and you will be speaking straight into their ears via earbuds.

Wrapping It Up

Virtual presentations are a great way to communicate with your company and bring them together. However, without proper planning and the use of appropriate tools, they risk squandering participants’ time while accomplishing little value.

To make your video conference more efficient, follow these 12 virtual meeting etiquette recommendations during your next virtual meeting and urge your team colleagues to do the same.