This simple 5-item checklist could save your next online presentation
Surgeons use them when operating on a patient, as do pilots before takeoff and landing. Checklists help to ensure that you don’t forget something critical when doing complex work. An online presentation isn’t the equivalent of surgery or flying a plane, but with lots of moving parts, reviewing these five items before going live can save your professional life (and your participants’ experience) all the same.
At first glance, the checklist below might seem pretty basic, but I can tell you from experience that when the pressure is on, it’s easy to forget these essentials. Virtual presentations and training sessions are not going away any time soon, so keep this checklist next to your notes to save your mental energy for the task at hand--your online session.
#1 Power and internet connection
Make sure to plug in your computer. If you frequently use your laptop in various spaces, this is surprisingly easy to overlook. Always opt for a hardwired connection over wifi as it tends to be more stable.
Real-life proof
I recently hosted a dry-run for a public engagement session with a power generation company. The organization planned to bring more than 75 people together from across the province to discuss ideas and values regarding future energy planning. The stakes were high, and the organization had never engaged this many people online in an interactive, dynamic event—no death by PowerPoint here.
Before we started, I jokingly reminded the internal team to ensure they had their computers plugged into a power source. Wouldn’t it be ironic if a presenter dropped off the call due to a lack of power? Sure enough, it happened, but it wasn’t a fellow team member; it was me! Although I had my laptop plugged into the wall, Mac users will know that you need to “click in” the connection cable to secure power---I missed that step. An hour into the presentation, my screen suddenly went black.
#2 Assign a presentation co-host
Zoom and other similar video conferencing platforms allow you to assign a host and co-host. For the love of all that is good, use this function. If something happens to the host’s internet connection (see above), the co-host can take over to save the day.
C’mon people, we are way more funny, interesting, and creative than this! A few weeks ago, I joined a training session with people from across Canada and Australia. One person started talking while muted, and you could feel the room about to erupt with the dreaded phrase. Suddenly, one woman put her arms up at a 90-degree angle (by her ears) and started bobbing back and forth. We all immediately went quiet, having no idea what she was doing (and briefly thought she might have suffered some type of Zoom fatigue cognitive side effect). At this point, she unmuted herself and, with a great laugh, said, “Right. I forgot you don’t know what I’m doing.” She explained that at her workplace, they came up with this visual and non-verbal cue to indicated the speaker is on mute. This alternative allowed for the following:
The speaker immediately realizes what’s happening
No one has to utter those dreadful words
The meeting can resume quickly
When we employed this new technique, I also noticed that it brought a smile to everyone’s face, and we all had a wonderful moment of connection. So let’s be trendsetters and resolve never to use the words “you are on mute” again. Come up with an easy non-verbal cue. Who knows, if we’re really creative, we could end up doing a guest appearance on Ellen.
#3 Make sure everyone knows their roles
Most online presentations require a few people with key responsibilities for it all to go smoothly. Don’t assume everyone knows what they’re doing. Review these routine jobs:
Lead facilitator
Support facilitators/presenters
Chatbox lead
Technology support
Presentation slide manager
Real-life proof
“Know your roles” again sounds like simple advice, but imagine the following scenario. You have about 100 people signed up to attend a live and interactive event. You’ve got break-out rooms, presentations, polls, and chat cues planned. You’ve got 20 internal team members supporting the many small discussion groups; you’ve got five technical subject matter experts at the ready and three C-suite executives participating. People are watching, people are judging-that’s just a reality.
If you are going to pull this off without a serious hitch, people need to know the plan, their job, and what to do if they get lost or stuck. In addition to having a detailed plan for your lead facilitators, you may also want to consider developing a Host & Note-Taker Guide for the support crew. Consider including the following:
The role of the host clearly defined
Options for what to say or do next if you get stuck
If the options above don’t work, who to call for help
The notetaker role clearly defined
How to take helpful notes
Make your “report back” (when you share the highlights from the group discussion) is effective and efficient
#4 Go over your slides and notes - AGAIN
In an online environment, it’s easy to forget things that are elemental when delivering a session in person. Reading slides is NOT presenting; it’s reading. Even when looking at a computer screen, your audience will know. Review your slides and commentary one more time before going live. Use your notes as a prompt, NOT a script.
# 5 Give a great tech orientation
Nothing can derail an online presentation faster than participants having technical problems. Think of how to simply describe the platform and technology you’re using to participants. It’s wise to go over the basics with your audience right off the top.
Need some ideas on what to cover and how to get started? Below is a short technical briefing excerpt I used at an event I hosted recently. You might need to change these instructions depending on the technology platform you choose, but it should give you an idea of what to include:
Let’s begin with a short technology moment and introduction so that everyone is comfortable with the different features as much as possible. Allow me to direct you to the black toolbar along the bottom of your screen. It will display several icons and titles underneath each one:
Video – You can turn the video displaying your face on and off here. We plan to be on video, and you are welcome to use yours if you can.
View – There is speaker view vs gallery view - Selecting one of these will change whether you’re looking at the speaker alone or the whole group.
Chatbox – This is a place to type in all your questions and comments.
Polling tool – We will use this tool to capture group question responses. Let’s try one out as a test.
Note that different devices (desktop vs smartphone vs tablet) might require participants to dig around to find the above features, which sometimes means they are in other places.
If we experience major technical issues, go to your email inbox, and we will send out additional instructions for what to do next.
If this overview hasn’t provided you with enough information, you can also contact our technical support person (insert name and phone number), and they will do their best to support you. (Put this number in the chatbox)
It’s all about being prepared
Virtual platforms for public engagement and other presentations have been a godsend for keeping business moving throughout the pandemic. But, as we know, technology isn’t foolproof and with any activity that involves multiple elements and a lot of humans, having a checklist to guide your process and event will increase your chances of success.
If you’ve got a question about online presentations or public engagement, give me a shout.