How to Give an Online Presentation on Camera
Test your sound, place your notes where you can use them and rehearse with the screen-sharing setup you will actually use. Present one clear idea at a time and tell listeners where to direct questions. Online speaking gets easier to manage when the technical tasks have a simple plan.
Test the actual meeting setup
Use the microphone, camera and connection you expect to use. Speak a normal sentence and check whether it is audible and understandable. Arrange light so your face is visible if you will be on camera. Choose a comfortable position. You do not need an elaborate studio, but you do need to know which microphone is active and what the audience will receive.
Put notes within useful reach
Place reminders near the camera if practical, while keeping the screen and controls available. You can glance at notes and participants. Constantly staring into the lens is not required. If you read a script, make the type large enough and test scrolling. Keep an outline available independently of a presentation window that may become hidden when sharing begins.
Share only what the audience needs
Use a prepared window or document and check it for private information. Close unrelated material and manage notifications before you begin. Rehearse switching into and out of sharing. When demonstrating, tell people what area of the screen matters and describe the action aloud. A cursor moving quickly across a crowded screen is difficult to follow.
Agree on the audience’s route back to you
Tell people whether to use chat, a hand-raise feature or spoken questions. If the group is large, ask a host to watch for questions while you explain. Allow time for people to respond; connection and participation delays can make immediate silence misleading. Do not assume that an attendee with a camera off is inattentive.
Prepare for a dropped connection
Know how to contact the host and whether they have a copy of essential materials. If you reconnect, ask where the audience lost you and resume from that point. You do not need to restart the entire talk. If a demonstration cannot continue, explain what you can cover and agree on how the remaining material will be handled.
Rehearse the changes between speaking and operating
Practice the opening, the first screen share and the return to questions. These transitions often require more attention than an individual slide. Keep the content simple enough that you can manage the controls without narrating every click. The audience needs the explanation; the meeting software should stay a support for it.
More help for your next talk
If you want a practical guide to preparing, delivering and recovering during a talk, Speaking for People Who Don't Speak brings those skills together. Get the paperback on Amazon.
Next: How to Keep an Online Audience Involved Without Forced Participation · What to Do When Your Presentation Slides Stop Working.
Browse practical speaking help · Ask Michael about a workshop for your team