How to Polish Your Presentation Skills For Zoom Calls, Facebook Live, and Public Speaking
Whether you are new entrepreneurship or you’ve been a business owner for some years, it’s important to keep your presentation skills polished and professional. While in-person presentations are happening less at the moment, Facebook lives and Zoom calls are becoming increasingly popular.
Having valuable content is important, but delivery is key in a presentation. According to surveys, up to 70 percent of people agree that presentation skills are critical to career success. Without it, you’re limiting yourself and your business. If you can’t properly communicate to your audience or make your point clearly, your presentation will be a failure.
5 Tips to Polish Your Presentation Skills
1. Know Your Platform and Programs
Whether you’re giving a presentation on a stage or hosting a Facebook live, knowing where you’re giving your presentation and how is critical so you can avoid needless errors. This could mean asking in advance about the room layout where you’ll be delivering the presentation, or making sure you understand how Zoom works and how to record your presentation if you need to.
Feel free to walk around the room where you’ll be giving your presentation if you can. Feel free to take a practice Zoom call before your scheduled presentation, or a practice Facebook live if you can manage it. Just make sure you understand your platform and get as comfortable as possible beforehand so you can eliminate whatever technical errors you can.
2. Be Yourself and Show Your Face
Human beings connect well with other human faces as well as with authenticity, so don’t be afraid to show your face and personality. Your customers want to know you. This is especially important in virtual presentations when human connection becomes much harder. You want to do as much as you can to connect with your audience and build relationships virtually.
3. Practice Using Your Voice
This doesn’t just mean talk for the sake of talking, but rather to pay attention to how your voice comes across. Whenever you’re in front of an audience, especially if you take away the physical aspect of in-person presentations and give a virtual one, it’s important to keep your tone from being unclear, monotone, or difficult to hear.
Practice by recording yourself talking, then analyzing how it sounds. The way you talk might sound different inside your head then it does out loud, so just like vocal artists have to practice to hit the right notes so their song sounds pleasing, a presenter ought to practice their presentation to be sure it sounds right.
4. Bring Visuals
People like having something to look at and you can keep them interested for much longer if you have ways of keeping their attention. Offering charts, data, pictures, or bullet-pointed summary slides to accompany your presentation will help your audience remain interested and follow along with what you’re saying, especially during a virtual presentation where it’s much harder to gauge your audience’s comprehension levels.
5. Embrace the Silence
Embracing the silence is one of the most difficult things to master in a presentation. You want your audience to be engaged and interested, so silence is often thought of as a bad thing… but this doesn’t have to be the case. Online audiences can be incredibly passive just by nature, leading many presenters to “fill the silence” with more words and monologues. Unfortunately, this only serves to discourage the participation even more since not all the information is valuable or it’s an information overload.
Make space for pauses. Use it as a tool to give your audience a chance to process what you’ve said. Use it as an opportunity to refocus on your point or check your notes. Use it as a strategy to be purposeful. Don’t fear the silence, but rather use them to build anticipation and reveal something valuable.
Final Tips
When giving a presentation, especially now with practically everything going virtual, it’s important to check your WiFi connection, log in early, and keep a glass of water nearby to sip on when you need. If you have any more questions or need help with your virtual presentations, don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
Now, more than ever, people are finding themselves stuck at home with the possibility of sitting at a desk or staring at a computer all day. About 4.7 million people in the U.S. alone were already working from home before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Now, remote working has become the norm for millions more.
If you’re in school – including university – you might also be spending more time in front of a computer than usual. Even if you’re just tired of ‘social distancing’ and you’re trying to feel more connected, you might find yourself staring at a screen more often than not these days.
Unfortunately, sitting in front of a computer all day isn’t necessarily good for your health. It can cause problems with both your physical and mental health if you don’t take some precautionary steps to take care of yourself.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of those steps and how you can protect your mind and body if you’re spending more time on the computer than you’re used to.
Pay Attention to Your Posture
If you’re sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time, you might have a tendency to slouch, look down at your screen, lean back too far, etc. If you’re going to be in one spot for a while, it’s important to pay attention to your posture.
One of the best things you can do is to make sure your computer is at eye level so you don’t have to strain your neck to look down. An ergonomic chair can also help you to sit upright and avoid injuring your back.
How can you tell if you don’t have the correct/healthy posture while you’re working or using the computer? You’ll feel it. Your back and neck might start to ache or feel stiff, you may have a hard time sleeping at night because you’re uncomfortable, and you might actually be in pain when you wake up each morning with stiff muscles.
Correcting your posture when you’re sitting for hours at a time can help to alleviate that pain and reduce your risk of negative long-term effects.
Get Up and Get Moving
Another way to keep your body healthy when you’re in front of a computer all day is to take frequent breaks. Not only is it good for your mental health, but it will give you the opportunity to stretch, get your blood flowing, and relax.
If you have the time, try to get outside for a break at least once during the day. There are many health benefits to simply being out in nature, including:
It boosts your energy and fights fatigue
It can reduce stress
It can mitigate pain
You will boost your immune system
It can trigger creativity/inspiration
Even if you can’t get outside each day, be sure not to pass on the breaks. Make sure you stand up, walk around, and stretch as much as possible. Try to avoid using other electronic devices, like your phone, while you’re on your break. Instead, talk to someone in your home, read a book for a few minutes, or play with a pet. Anything that will keep you distracted from your computer will help you to get the most out of every break you take.
If you have a hard time reminding yourself to get up and move, you might want to invest in a standing desk. Not only will it force you to move throughout the day but you will have much better posture.
Blink More Often
You probably don’t think about how often you blink in any given moment. But, if you’re starting to notice things like headaches or eye pain after a long day in front of the computer, it could be because your eyes are drying out. Staring at a screen can actually cause you to blink three times less than you normally would. So, make a conscious effort to blink more, and your eyes will be more comfortable.
Additionally, make sure you aren’t sitting too close to the screen. If you do, you might cause eye strain which can lead to some pain and discomfort.
If you wear glasses, it might be time to consider a new brand. Some glasses are specifically designed for people who spend a lot of time in front of a computer. The lenses help to block out the “blue light” that emanates from screens, causing less strain on your eyes. Talk to your doctor about those lenses if you’ve been noticing some irritation with your eyes or problems with your vision.
Stay Hydrated
You probably already know the importance of getting enough water each day. But, it’s especially important if you’re staying in virtually the same spot. Not only will drinking enough water help to give you more energy and improve your focus, but it will also force you to get up and move.
The more water you drink, the more often you will have to get up and take a bathroom break. That might sound a little tedious or even annoying at first. But, if you have a hard time tearing yourself away from your screen, having to go to the bathroom is a great excuse that you can’t ignore.
Do a Detox
We’ve talked before about the benefits of doing a social media detox, even for just a short period of time. But, sometimes that isn’t enough. If you’re feeling burnt out from being in front of the computer, it could be time to step away from screens completely – at least, for a while.
If you’re in front of a computer for work, it can be worth it to your mental and physical health to take a personal day and step away from the screen. Spend as much time outside as possible, or doing activities that have nothing to do with electronics.
Even if you can’t afford to take a full detox, make sure that you’re filling your time away from your computer with things that don’t involve technology. So, don’t immediately go from your computer to your phone or tablet. Take the time to do things you love away from screens. By the time you do have to sit in front of a computer again, you’ll feel refreshed, more energetic, and ready to get back to work.
Set Up a Routine
If you were working in a traditional office setting or going to school in-person, you would have to have some sort of routine in place. That would likely include waking up around the same time each day, getting ready, and going to work.
Your nighttime routine would be something similar, and you would probably end up going to sleep at about the same time each evening.
People who work from home or don’t have a regular work/school schedule might find themselves drifting away from any kind of stable routine. Unfortunately, that can lead to a variety of problems. You might find yourself working late at night to play “catch up” because you slept in. Or, you might have to finish an assignment while the rest of your family is enjoying their evening.
Not having a routine can throw off your work-life balance. That leads to burnout, extra stress, and can even contribute to anxiety or depression.
One of the biggest challenges people face when they’re on a computer all day is staying productive. Setting up a routine for yourself will help you to get things accomplished on the computer during the day, so you can still maintain some balance in your life.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough rest each night should absolutely be a part of that routine you’ve set up for yourself. Aim for 7-8 hours of restful sleep each night in order to feel alert and full of energy the next day.
Sleep is more important than most people realize. It is necessary for everything from muscle repair to cognitive response. If you don’t get enough sleep, your brain will start to be more “sluggish” and your response times won’t be what they should. You might have trouble focusing or concentrating on one thing for a long time.
Unfortunately, spending all day in front of a screen can actually impact the amount of healthy sleep you get. So, be sure to step away from your screen for at least an hour before you decide to go to bed at night. If you try to go to sleep just after sitting in front of the computer, it can take some time for your mind to “shut down” and your eyes to adjust.
If you find yourself in front of a computer screen more than ever lately, you’re not alone. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make your mental and emotional health a top priority. Keep these tips in mind to stay healthy, whether you’re working, connecting with others, or taking classes online. You’ll feel so much better by taking these precautionary steps, and you may even find that you can do more on your computer because it’s easier to focus and stay energized.
Whether you run a restaurant, catering service, or a food eCommerce, you need an effective marketing strategy online. Word of mouth only goes so far, and nowadays, potential customers will go to the internet first for whatever product or service they’re looking for, including food. If you boost your online presence you’ll, therefore, be able to draw in more business. You’ll also develop more or a name for yourself and boost brand recognition. Here are a few handy tips on how to market your food business online.
Focus on your branding
Whether you have your own restaurant or run a successful business from home, you need to focus on your branding. This is especially important online. You need to create consistent branding that fits in with your image and tone of voice. Think about your target audience and create buyer personas. Focus your branding around the personality of your typical customer, this includes the language and visual content you use. This will help you be able to relate to your niche.
Social media targeting
Social media is a great tool. Choose the platform that is most likely to be used by your niche and advertise your business. This way you’ll be able to target the right people. Keep an eye on your advertising and social media campaigns to see what works best. With social media monitoring, you’ll be able to improve your marketing strategy. It’s very useful in the food and beverage industry.
Work with influencers
If you would like further support on social media you could also work with influencers. These are people your customers will trust that can endorse your product. It’s important to choose the right influencer to suit your business, however. Here are some more tips on how to work with influencers. The more important links and connections you create, the more legitimate your business will appear online.
Network with other businesses
You can also network with other businesses in the Food Services industry. Reach out to other small or local businesses and share links and promotional material online. This way you’ll create a fair exchange and you help each other to grow your businesses. You can even exchange services or work together in the local community. This is a great way to save money and promote your business at the same time. If your business is just starting, you will definitely benefit from relationships such as these, and you can network on easily on social media.
Write a blog
If you want to market your business online, you could also write engaging food blog posts. These will have two purposes. The first is creating engaging and informative content that will entice your readers and the second is that it will boost your SEO. Include relevant keywords in your blog that potential customers might search for Google when they’re looking for a food business similar to yours. This will help your site get to the top of the search engine results pages and boost your credibility.
If you’re selling something online, then you probably should be using a sales funnel. That’s because these funnels offer you, your business, and the product or service you’re trying to sell too many advantages to ignore.
Regardless of if you’ve had success in the past without a deliberate sales funnel, or if you haven’t considered making changes to your current marketing setup, you should look at how a sales funnel would benefit your business and improve your sales before brushing off the idea. While you might have a quality product and service, more often than not, prospect customers need a bit of guidance before they’ll convert into actual customers.
Why Your Business Needs a Sales Funnel
Keep in mind that it’s completely impossible to define the exact process of activities that every customer needs to follow through before making a purchase since every business is different. Finding a process that converts prospects into customers is going to be unique for each unique business. There’s no exact pattern or template you can follow since your business and your target market are unique.
This is precisely why you need to put effort into determining an appropriate sales funnel for you and your business.
As prospects move through your sales page, website, or newsletter, they should follow a unique buying process designed specifically for them. They should be guided by branded, skillful persuasions that represent your business appropriately. Think of your sales funnel as your opportunity to create a personalized, unique sales experience for your prospect customers.
How to Create an Effective Sales Funnel
In order to develop a sales funnel that’s functions well and converts, you need to fully understand your own business, product, service, and audience. Without understanding these things clearly, you won’t be able to develop a strategy that works for converting prospects into customers.
Take a moment to get an outside perspective and view your business as it can be seen from the outside. Not everyone understands your passion and vision like you do from the inside. Do your best to translate these things to potential customers in order to create a connection.
Just like it can be hard for someone else to see your passion, it can be difficult for people to understand why they need your product or service… unless you show them. Reveal the value of your products and services by showing what problems they solve and how they’ll make your prospect’s problems go away.
In order to communicate any of these things well, however, you need to understand who your customer is. Define your target market. Who are they? What do they need? What interests them most? What kind of sales funnel process will keep them most interested?
Once you’re able to answer all of these questions, you’ll be that much closer to being able to develop a functional, effective sales funnel that gets more conversions than you’ve ever seen before!
Conclusion
We no longer live in a world where you can launch a product and automatically get sales. There are too many opportunities and options out there to choose from. The great thing about sales funnels is that they are applicable to a wide variety of businesses. Whether you’re a business coach, author, start up, or a well-established company, a sales funnel is the ideal way to boost your sales potential.
If you’re looking for help in building a sales funnel that’s perfect for your business and your target audience, click here and schedule a call with me.
2020 has surely been a wild ride for most of us if not all. It probably threw all of us off our game at some point or another. On the one hand, it’s hard to believe we’re approaching the year’s final quarter; on the other, it can’t come soon enough.
No matter what complications, challenges, or struggles you and your business have encountered this year, it’s still possible to wrap up the next few months in a way that will benefit your business and set you up for success. All you need is a proper plan, a clear understanding for how to follow through, and the trust that your business is worth it.
Here are my 5 Tips for Finishing the Final Quarter Strong
1. Learn from the Past
This might be a strange year to look back and try to learn from, but there’s always something you can measure to help you prepare better for the future. For businesses to create success moving forward, business owners must be willing to look back and note things that didn’t work out, could be done better, or those that were a huge success. So, what goals did you have this past quarter? What worked and what didn’t? Are there strategies that could be duplicated, or do they need adjustments?
2. Set Your Goals
Once you have some clarity of what’s worked before and what hasn’t, goal setting is key. Goals drive your business. As 2020 clearly shows, you never really know what life will throw at you and your business, and you never know how your goals might change, but that shouldn’t keep you from setting objectives and pushing after them.
Take some time to really think about your goals for this last quarter. Where do you want your business to be? How do you want it to maintain or grow? What do you want to see more of or less of? Don’t make it too complicated, but feel free to stretch yourself. Once you have some, break the big goals into smaller, bite-sized goals you can work on weekly or even daily. Then focus on accomplishing those smaller pieces.
3. Get Some Accountability and Actually do the Work
It’s way too easy to decide what you want, set some goals, and determine a plan for how you’ll accomplish everything… and then let that organization sit in a drawer somewhere while you distract yourself with other things. Don’t let disorganization and lack of prioritization keep you and your business from having a killer final quarter. Instead, find a buddy who you can talk to who will keep you accountable.
This can be a friend, a business associate, a mentor, or even a coach. Tell them your goals. Let them remind you of the direction you want to go. They might end up being what helps you get unstuck during your most unmotivated, uninspired moments.
4. Give Yourself Grace and Balance
You can’t possibly work or be business motivated all day, every day, for the rest of the year. That’s okay. There are going to be times when your body needs rest, when your business lags, or when you need to take a step away for family, social activities, exercise, or other rejuvenating opportunities. Make room for these respites. Embrace them. By allowing yourself to rest and enjoy other things, you’ll find yourself better able to handle what your business needs you to handle and push through the hard work ahead.
5. Relax and Enjoy!
Seriously. You’ve learned from the past, set your goals, are doing the hard work, and you’re making progress. Don’t forget to enjoy where you are. You’re a business owner who’s making their way through one of the craziest years yet and that’s something to be proud of!
Are you looking for support on your next launch, funnel build or virtual summit? If so, click here and let’s talk!
