Are you learning how to have more impact online?

As a manager for learning I was doing presentations and training online literally every day for many years. This made me think a lot about the way I was doing online presentations and trainings and how I might need to change to improve and increase the effect. There were many thoughts going through my head at that time:

Engagement and communication

First off, I realized that engagement and communication were quite difficult in the online environment. I was frustrated and wondering what to do, and my thoughts were racing: Am I really connecting with my team? Maybe I was sticking to the same old routine for too long and doing like everyone else did. But wasn’t it time to inject some life into my boring presentations? I mean, I already found it hard myself to pay attention during other online meetings, and I didn’t want my meetings or trainings to be the same way. They shouldn’t be like just any other dull online meeting, I wanted it to be more of an experience, and I was wondering how could I make it fun, interactive, and engaging? I wanted it to be as if I was in the room with the people.

Enabling collaboration

Then I realized that there was a huge opportunity for team building and global collaboration during online trainings, like in real workshops. But why was I missing the mark here? I was sticking to the usual routines and functions that the online tools offered, but was that really enough to foster unity, enable easy sharing and learning amongst the teams? I realized it was not just about the content of my slides; it was about creating a vibe, passion and a connection like in a real meeting. Had I been neglecting that? Maybe, if you are doing online presentations as part of your communication with people, it is you need to take a hard look at how you are contributing to the team dynamics online.

Adapting to the change

And then there were the overall trends driven by the new way of working remotely and the ever-evolving, high-speed business landscape. I was wondering how I could keep up, or if I was already falling behind? Maybe I was a bit too comfortable with my style and just copying how others were doing, and the world around me was already evolving. I noticed people complaining about shorter time slots, less attention during meetings, various messages on numerous channels. How quickly was I adapting to these changes? It was time to make a change, and I did.

Business Impact

What really drove me through my own change was the whole aspect of how I needed to influence my audience. I was pondering on how crucial it was to be able to sway a group of decision-makers—be it top managers, the steering committee, or clients—while doing online presentations. It was not just about sharing the slides with the information; it was about meeting the people where they were, sparking enthusiasm, and getting buy-in and leading the people’s thoughts in the right direction. In today’s fast-paced business world, I am convinced that there are many decisions that need to be made swiftly, and being able to influence a group is like holding the keys to success. If you are not sure how to captivate and persuade your key players during presentations, I wonder if you couldn’t contribute more to the success of your business? I realized, if I wanted people to pay attention to what I have to say, I had to accept that they were easily distracted. I had to develop ways to present online that were totally different. I started to change my narrative and help my audience to steer their focus towards success. Perhaps it’s time to reassess what you need to change to increase the effect of your virtual presentations?

So, there it was. It was not just about doing my job; it’s about doing it in an environment that has changed dramatically. It’s about doing virtual presentations in a way that truly connects, considers everyone, fosters team unity, and keeps up with the pace of the world around. If you are thinking maybe, it is time for you to shake things up and inject some new life into your presentations and trainings in the virtual environment, then it is time for you to step out of your comfort zone too, I guess.