Tips for Making Group Presentations Over Zoom

Now that much of the workforce is remote, online presentations with tools like Zoom have become the norm. While it may seem a little less intimidating to present in front of a computer as opposed to a room full of people, there are still plenty of challenges with virtual presentations. The lack of physical presence, body language, and eye contact can make it difficult to engage your audience. Even though you are not speaking in person, the way in which you present your material is still very important. Consider the following tips for delivering a professional and successful group presentation over zoom. 

Design Custom Slides

Now isn’t the time to pull out those tired PowerPoint templates that everyone has seen again and again. Since you aren’t face-to-face with your audience, your group needs to capture audience attention with engaging visuals. Start by creating a custom background that is more interesting and unique to your audience. The background can be simple, but shouldn’t look like an old-school template. Also, be sure your text is easy to see and keep the content on each slide minimal. Too many bullet points or text is boring and too much to read. 

Use Relevant Images

Images are a great way to make your information easier to understand and they also make your slideshow more visually appealing. Charts and graphs are a great way to show data and research while maps are perfect for presenting geographic data. Icons and illustrations can make your slideshow more interesting while videos are a great way to make your presentation more engaging. High-quality stock photos can also add value by helping you set the tone, tell a story, or visualize an idea. 

Make it Interactive

The most challenging part of presenting over Zoom is keeping your audience engaged. One of the best ways to do this is by making your presentation interactive. There are several interactivity tools you can use to add some pizzazz to your slides such as animation and hover effects. These are useful for emphasizing important points. You can also add links to your slides which allow your audience to take quizzes or polls. 

Assign Points to Each Person

Just like if you were presenting a group presentation in person, you want to assign specific points to each person. This makes for smoother transitions during the presentation. You want to make sure each person is well-prepared to fully discuss and answer any questions pertaining to their specific points. 

Rehearse

You would never walk into an in-person presentation unprepared and the same should be true for Zoom presentations. It can be even more difficult to wing it when you aren’t physically in the same room with each other. Do a demo meeting prior to your presentation to be sure everyone is on the same page about when to chime in. This is also a great time to practice handling the technology to be sure everything is working properly.