"Use Body Language when Speaking Virtually. You Have To!" Gary Genard
https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/bid/160370/
Self-isolation for the coronavirus has reminded me that communication is and has been changing. More and more people work from home and interact virtually. With the virus, many more are doing so. We in toastmasters are likely to go online for some of our meetings and this drove me to investigate tips for presenting online. Gary Genard is a speech coach that uses theater-based performance techniques to help executives improve their messaging and provided six techniques in this article to improve virtual presentations. First and most importantly, he suggested adding some physical actions or gestures to emphasize vital points in your presentation. Second, if using visuals, direct the audience's attention to what they should focus on. Don't count on the audience to know what is most important from a very quick view of a slide. Because you are not able to gauge audience attention, you need to grab their attention. Genard provides a tip sheet for ideas on how to grab attention of a virtual audience. Though many of us will not have one, the article recommends using a headset to make your voice appear warmer and closer. Use emotion and stories to help the audience remember your presentation by saying things like "let me tell you about an incident that illustrates this point." Finally, he suggests building in interaction by asking questions you can answer and using words like "you" and "we" instead of "I" and "me." These are all good tips and the author offers a link to a number of tip sheets he provides for free to improve public speaking. Check it out and stay safe!
Key Quote: "As technology expands and travel budgets shrink, you'll be speaking more virtually.[S1] "
