I was on YouTube the other day researching some information on advanced presentation techniques when all at once a video caught my eye. It was a video from a presenter that I know very well and would consider to be both engaging and credible. I looked at the comments below the presenter’s video and was horrified at how negative they were. It enticed me to see what the presenter could be doing to possibly garner that barrage of negativity. I clicked on the video and realized immediately what they had done wrong.
The presenter had made a mistake I see more often than I care to admit. They had delivered the presentation as if it were live and in a large room instead of on camera and intimate. One of the first rules you learn as a presenter is to ask as many questions and get as many answers as you can about both your audience and the room you will be delivering your presentation in.
There is a big difference between how you handle a presentation for a small room, a big room, whether or not you are on a stage or podium, is it for 1500 people or is it in front of a camera. Rule of thumb the larger the venue, the larger the gestures need to be. Gestures that are large enough to convey your message to the last row of 1500 people are going to appear to be exaggerated and unnatural to the person watching you on close video. KNOW YOUR VENUE!
I will go into discussion on gestures in a future blog but for now just know that all gestures when you are standing should be at least waist level or above. When seated at a table, they need to appear above the table. When standing, the gestures should be placed away from the body. When seated they will be closer to the body since you may have someone seated next to you and don't want to put their lights out.
When delivering to the media, your gestures are very close to your body and up closer to your heart area. This is so that your entire image, face, gestures and all, can fit into the small video frame. I am sure you have all seen people on webinars who you know are moving even though you can't see the movement because the movement is happening below the picture frame. This is very disconcerting and takes the focus of your attention, as an audience member, off the message and onto the movement. Since this movement cannot be seen, it has no purpose and is a detracting factor.
Also, when recording to video make sure you practice. Do not read directly off a teleprompter. The audience knows it immediately. I used to do voiceover work and I know immediately when someone is reading off a script. Know your material so well that all you need to do is bullet point what you want to say and let the rest come to you naturally as in a normal conversation. Focus on being relaxed and conversational no matter what venue you are in and you will find you are much more engaging to your audience.
Had the presenter in question delivered her message to the proper venue, not read from the teleprompter and been more conversational, I am sure you would have seen them to be as engaging and credible as I know them to be.
Debbie Darling - © 2013 – The Presentation Pros™
The presenter had made a mistake I see more often than I care to admit. They had delivered the presentation as if it were live and in a large room instead of on camera and intimate. One of the first rules you learn as a presenter is to ask as many questions and get as many answers as you can about both your audience and the room you will be delivering your presentation in.
There is a big difference between how you handle a presentation for a small room, a big room, whether or not you are on a stage or podium, is it for 1500 people or is it in front of a camera. Rule of thumb the larger the venue, the larger the gestures need to be. Gestures that are large enough to convey your message to the last row of 1500 people are going to appear to be exaggerated and unnatural to the person watching you on close video. KNOW YOUR VENUE!
I will go into discussion on gestures in a future blog but for now just know that all gestures when you are standing should be at least waist level or above. When seated at a table, they need to appear above the table. When standing, the gestures should be placed away from the body. When seated they will be closer to the body since you may have someone seated next to you and don't want to put their lights out.
When delivering to the media, your gestures are very close to your body and up closer to your heart area. This is so that your entire image, face, gestures and all, can fit into the small video frame. I am sure you have all seen people on webinars who you know are moving even though you can't see the movement because the movement is happening below the picture frame. This is very disconcerting and takes the focus of your attention, as an audience member, off the message and onto the movement. Since this movement cannot be seen, it has no purpose and is a detracting factor.
Also, when recording to video make sure you practice. Do not read directly off a teleprompter. The audience knows it immediately. I used to do voiceover work and I know immediately when someone is reading off a script. Know your material so well that all you need to do is bullet point what you want to say and let the rest come to you naturally as in a normal conversation. Focus on being relaxed and conversational no matter what venue you are in and you will find you are much more engaging to your audience.
Had the presenter in question delivered her message to the proper venue, not read from the teleprompter and been more conversational, I am sure you would have seen them to be as engaging and credible as I know them to be.
Debbie Darling - © 2013 – The Presentation Pros™
