Beyond the Tool: Mastering Virtual Speaking Gigs as a “Professional Who Speaks”

11 Tactics that Transcend Tools – How to Nail the First Few Minutes

Most people aren’t “professional speakers” who get speaking fees, write books, and figure out the business that accompanies the craft.

But you ARE likely a “professional who speaks," speaking at webinars or trade shows or to other corporate teams as part of your day job.

I also argue, as I did recently to the Professional Speaking Associations of UK and Ireland, that it’s not the tool that helps any professional succeed, it’s the skills and strategies for really connecting through technology rather than just to it.

Further, thinking like a professional speaker who must create change and real value would be useful for professionals who get their checks signed a different way.

For PSA-UK, I shared in two sections – the first deconstructing the opening sequence I used to understand how many different engagement tactics can really be employed in a short period of time. The second (in a companion post to this one) were some ideas about being the kind of speaker that meeting planners and promoters love to work with (including the crew here at V2 who, with the exception of yours truly, our crew here at V2 are producers who know a lot of stuff and help professionals who speak show up awesome on a virtual event).

Today, the tactics I use in just the first few minutes of a presentation:

What follows isn’t necessarily an exhaustive list, it’s just what I did for this particular event. It’s easily duplicatble for pros who speak. In order:

Start the conversation ‘in the hallway’ even before the event begins

With the exception or pure keynotes, most subject matter experts, trainers, etc., talk like real people to real people…including as attendees are arriving and finding their seats. Why don’t more virtual events do the same? It’s a missed opportunity.

Set the expectation of connection/interaction from the outset

Note the presupposition that you want to create connection with your audience. And the less interactively you do it, the more easily you are replaced by YouTube or AI. If you establish a norm of engagement right away, audiences who’ve been enculturated by “talk AT you” webinars sit up and take notice.

Interact more frequently than you would in person

It’s a simple continuum – we command attention bettern in-person than live+online, and live+online has the potential to do so relative to video on demand. Bonus: Go read John Medina’s Brain Rules. Think about how frequently you interact in person. Then, in a shorter-attention span environment, decrease duration of talk time by comparison.

Explicitly ask for attention and participation

Don’t assume your audience is paying close enough attention to have heard your inference or implication (the poll pops up, so they’ll vote, right? Nope). Direct attention and give a clear “type your answer into chat below” or “Find that thumbs up button and give me a quick emoji.” “Look at this poll and choose the checkbox that...” is heard even when someone’s not looking at the screen.

Put instructions on a slide

Go read the previous point. Then imagine putting instructions into a slide (e.g., screenshot w/arrow pointing at the emoji button). Bonus: YOU don’t forget there was a poll there between slides 5 and 6, too.

Blend your interaction tools

It’s the researcher in me, but different tools measure things differently (assuming you want to measure). For instance, a poll measures quantitatively, whereas answering in chat answers qualitatively. Do both at the same time. Here’s what I do:

                  Which of the following reasons do you eat?

                                    I’m hungry

                                    I’m angry

                                    I don’t have to cook

                                    Other (if “Other,” use chat to share) (<<- yes, write it out)

Use people’s names

Nothing cuts through the virtual fog like hearing a name, particularly your own. But even for those whose name you didn’t call, nothing says, “Real person connecting with real people” like a verbal address. Bonus: This works great with the previous tip about blending interaction tools.

Apply the ‘popcorn principle’ to polls

What happens to microwave popcorn if you leave it in too long? When do they tell you to take it out? Before the last kernel pops. Do the same with polls to avoid losing momentum or waiting for someone who’s not actually at their computer. I usually target about 80% response rate.

Direct attention visually and verbally

Eyes follow movement, but then there are those attendees who might not be looking at exactly the right moment. “Look at the upper right portion of the slide at what I’m drawing a circle around and you will see…” is unobtrusive and triggers the brain (in a good way!).

Reward live attendance

Many organizations enculturate their audiences into passivity, both in terms of the live events and by promising a recording thereafter. So…if you get the message that the recording is everything that the live event is, why show up at 11am on a Tuesday? That costs (soft cost) the invitee more than watching when they want. And yet we know that some recordings barely get watched. Solution: give something away in the live event rewards people for being there.

Pause for questions naturally

Unless you’re a pure keynoter (like a TED talk), most ‘real’ meetings, events, and seminars include audiences informally being able to raise a hand or otherwise connect along the way. So why is a webinar 45 min + Q&A at the end? Unnatural enculturation of poor practice. In fact, pro speakers are taught never to end on Q&A…to always have a final closing bit that reinforces the key point and sends people off with momentum if not inspiration. Pause for questions naturally throughout. Don’t assume 45min+Q&A because other people do it.

The bottom line

In one important way, "professional speakers" and "professionals who speak" have the same job: to communicate in such a way that your communication creates change. Your ability to connect and compel (if not move your audience along the process of conversion) is dramatically affected by how you engage and connect in the first few minutes. The bar is low if you want to be "just another webinar," which means the opportunity to stand out is ripe. It's not hard, just different. Even one of these tactics will help you step in that direction.

Part Two can be found here.