When we gather together in person, we create atmosphere. We use the term: ‘he/she was the life and soul of the office or party’ to describe someone who influences this in a positive way. Great presenters raise the energy of the room and others follow.
This energy still needs developing when we are not together. If we don’t, it puts remote participants at a disadvantage during presentations, especially those that are conducted in a hybrid workplace.
The pandemic has shifted most of us to remote settings when presenting important material, and this can take away the presenter’s ability to read the room; to see the facial expressions and feel the energy from the audience. If we’re to achieve results in a hybrid and/or home-working world, we will need to do a lot more presenting virtually, and we’ll need to do it well. Virtual presentations still require us to connect with an audience mentally and emotionally, just as much as when in-room, if not more so.
It’s the primary role of the presenter to set the right tone for the presentation and inspire people to engage and get involved. The remote nature of presentations doesn’t mean we just surrender to creating passive experiences for those who are logging on. However, in a hybrid setting, whilst having the best intentions, the presenters’ attention is likely to be naturally drawn towards those who are in the room, which might make the online participants feel less heard and seen. To fully engage with the audience, it’s effective to dedicate specific times during the presentation to remote participants where the focus is on messages that are specifically relevant to them. In addition, when creating breakout rooms or putting groups together, where possible, mixing the remote and physical attendees can help to avoid the divide between the two groups.
Face to face interaction is essential to experience the full presence of the audience in hybrid meetings. To speak with impact, it is critical for the presenter to be able to engage with the entire audience visually, not just those who are physically present in the room. This requires online attendees having their camera switched on, so that they can not only see their co-workers in the office, but also vice versa. Eye contact might also be more challenging during hybrid presentations, but it’s critical to remember that a presentation is a conversation with your audience – it’s not about speaking at them, it’s about speaking with them.
The concept of hybrid work doesn’t simply mean mixing remote and office work. Hybrid work is a new, third way of working that requires careful planning and structure, and for many it will take time to get used to. Presenters need to allow for different room scenarios, different audience perspectives, and be aware that delivering a hybrid presentation won’t be like the in-room presentations of the past. It will also be different than the virtual only presentations experienced during the pandemic. To speak to the audience so that they are fully present and engaged, will require a new set of skills that secure full engagement and inspire people to act to deliver key outcomes.
At Soul Corporations® we have developed a Speaker Coaching Programme, aimed at helping individual leaders and key professionals develop enhanced authenticity, presence, and impact when they speak online and face-to-face. This is an individually-tailored, action-based coaching process to help participants build on their natural style and improve their ability to communicate in a persuasive and effective way when speaking to key stakeholders. Please contact Nicholas Brice at nick@soulcorporations.com to discuss how we could help to improve the ability of your team to speak with soul.
