One of the biggest pain points I see and hear about from leaders, especially in their virtual
presentations is the lack of engagement.
You put in all of this effort to craft a concise and impactful message.
You amp yourself up to deliver your ideas with emotion and conviction.
And then by the time you ask your audience for their inputs, you receive some good old,
wait for it, crickets.
It's frustrating.
It's deflating.
You start to wonder if anyone is paying attention and if they even care about what you're saying.
Hi, I'm Riaz.
Welcome to the Every Conversation Counts YouTube channel.
This is the channel that helps leaders, sales reps, coaches, and instructors make a connection
and elevate your impact every time you speak.
Subscribe to this channel and hit the bell for the heads up when the latest content is
released.
Now in recent virtual keynote presentations, I've had the chance to experiment with a powerful
tool called Mentimeter.
This is an interactive presentation software that helps you amplify engagement and make
every voice heard in your meetings.
And full disclosure, I had the chance to team up with Mentimeter for this video, given this
is a valuable tool to enhance your virtual presentations.
In fact, here are five key ideas to boost audience interaction and avoid ever experiencing
those virtual crickets ever again.
Number one, create interactive word clouds.
This is a great, great feature.
One of the strategies I recommend, especially in virtual presentations, is to start your
presentation by listening to your audience.
Now you can do this by either asking a question or polling the audience with an idea that
gets them involved.
The goal is to activate them and let your viewer know you want to hear their input.
Instead of jamming your traditional chat box with a pile of responses that just zip down
the screen instantaneously, Mentimeter allows you to create strong visual impressions with
these interactive word clouds.
And these word clouds represent what the audience is thinking and feeling, so everyone can understand
what stands out for each other right out of the gate.
This allows you, as the presenter, to quickly collect this data, and then customize your
message in a way that speaks to your audience's priorities.
And this info can be referenced throughout your presentation to help elevate your impact.
Now number two, and this is a personal mantra, look at you is greater than look at me.
I'm going to say that again.
Look at you is greater than look at me.
If we want to make a connection with anyone, this is the mantra I have always lived by,
and this is a tool that helps you get creative to fulfill that mantra.
Now, when you get into your presentation and you want your audience to be seen, a fun way
to do this is the Pin on Image function.
This is especially helpful when your meetings involve people across a big geographical distance,
say, it might be across the country or even from around the world.
Now you immediately will be able to see where people are joining in from.
And it puts the spotlight on your audience, which will enhance their sense of inclusion.
The Pin on Image is a simple and quick icebreaker that allows your audience to feel seen.
Number three, let's talk about your aesthetics here, elevate your slide design.
Now, as I'm talking about this, at this point, you might be thinking, "Okay.
Riaz, I already use PowerPoint.
And then I have to share my screen on Zoom, and adding another layer is going to give
me heart palpitations because virtual communication, look, it's stressful enough."
I get it, but here's the thing.
You can build your presentation inside Mentimeter, or even import your PowerPoint presentation
into this interactive software, so it all runs from one place.
The Slide Design function has a nice user-friendly interface similar to designing your presentation
in PowerPoint.
And there are builtin templates that help you present a clean and polished look, so
that you can deliver your message without distracting your audience with too much clutter
on your slides.
Now, number four comes down to safety and how you can share your ideas in a safe space.
Because more and more, I'm hearing one of the other major challenges in the virtual
world is that people fear alienating themselves or losing their sense of belonging if they
say the wrong thing.
Now for those that are reluctant to speak up, Mentimeter promotes inclusion as it provides
anonymity to freely express your opinions and your ideas.
Usually, it's the extroverts that get ahead by contributing to the conversation.
This software creates an even playing field for all to have their voice heard.
Your audience could vote, ask questions, engage thoughtfully without the fear of judgment
or being reprimanded.
And number five, I encourage you to change the pace often.
You are both a showrunner and a broadcaster when presenting remotely.
You want to get creative with your audience engagement.
Instead of asking the dreaded, "Hey, does anyone have any questions?"
Be more intentional with your curiosity and use the tools that will light your audience
up.
By frequently changing the pace with a variety of questions, polls, and maybe even word clouds,
you'll be able to listen to your audience and give them what they need.
Virtual communication has created this new choreography for connection.
And if we want to succeed in this medium, we need to listen to our audience.
If we're going to make them active contributors, we need to listen.
The ultimate goal is to avoid experiencing another boring and emotionless video call
by creating a dynamic virtual experience.
And Mentimeter is a tool that will level up your presenting game by enhancing your presentation
design.
It'll bring your audience into the conversation.
And above all, it creates a fun environment where everyone can learn from each other.
Now you tell me, what has helped you boost your audience engagement in virtual presentations?
I want to know your best tips, your best practices.
Share your ideas and those tips in the comments below.
For more ideas on how to connect with others, you can download the free guide, The 5 Secrets
to Making Every Conversation Count.
That link is in the description.
Thanks so much for watching this video.
If you want to beat your speaking anxiety or learn some key tips on becoming a better
listener, check out these videos.
If you've found this content valuable, be sure to hit the like button, subscribe to
the channel, and feel free to share this content.
We'll see you in the next video.