In the world of work, presenting online has become our go-to approach but did you know that a 2023 study by Prezi revealed that 75% of people attending virtual meetings admit to multitasking or not paying full attention during presentations? That means three out of every four people on your virtual meeting aren’t fully listening to what you’re saying. Eeek!
This statistic shines a harsh light on the awful reality of many online presentations. Too often, presenters rely on dull and busy slides, speak in monotone, or forget that online audiences have shorter attention spans and endless distractions just a click away.
The result? Your important messages can be missed, misunderstood, or completely ignored. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Why online presenting is so tricky
Presenting in person gives you energy from the room. You get nods, smiles, even the side conversations. Online, because you’re supposed to be looking at the camera (which means you can’t actually see their faces) it’s easy to feel like you’re talking to a void. Plus, technical glitches, background noise, and the temptation for your audience to check emails or scroll social media make it harder than ever to keep attention.
The good news? Presenting online well is a skill that can be learned quickly. You just need to know how to connect and communicate clearly through the screen.
How to keep your audience hooked
To beat the “multitasking” epidemic, you need more than good content. You need engaging delivery. That means:
- Clear structure: Use Disney’s Storyboarding to design your message flow so your key points are sequenced logically, and you avoid overload.
- Visual interest: Use slides that support, not distract, with images and minimal text.
- Audience interaction: Stop sharing your slides as often as possible, ask questions and expect them to answer, encourage chat participation, use people’s names throughout.
- Energy and tone: Look into the camera but imagine the faces of the people you’re talking to. Let the appropriate emotions out, let your natural vocal range do what it does when you’re speaking to another human (not a robot), and make sure you are convinced about your message so your passion comes through the screen.
Invest in your skills for real impact
If you want to nail your next online presentation, training makes a huge difference. That’s why we offer dedicated presentation skills training online that helps you master techniques tailored for virtual delivery.
For those based in Sydney or nearby, my presentation courses in Sydney combine practical exercises and expert feedback to build your confidence both online and face-to-face.
If you prefer a focused approach, our presentation skills course online gives you the flexibility to learn at your own pace, with guidance every step of the way.
What’s the bottom line?
Don’t let your next online presentation join the 75% of forgettable meetings. With the right approach, you can capture attention, inspire action, and make your messages stick – even through a screen.
If you’re ready to become a confident, engaging online presenter who commands attention and influences outcomes, check out my Presentation Skills Training options and let’s make your next presentation a standout success.
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One presentation skills training course once is all you need. Become a more confident, engaging and persuasive business presenter & stay true to your natural style! We promise no hand holding and we will not video your presentation for feedback purposes because it’s not necessary for awesome improvement!
©2025 MICHELLE BOWDEN is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. She’s run her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 1000 times for more than 13,000 people over the past 26 years and her name is a synonym for ‘presentation skills’ in Australia.
Michelle Bowden is a multi-million-dollar pitch coach to her client list that reads like a who’s who of international business: banking and finance, IT, pharmaceutical, retail, telecommunications plus many more.
Michelle is the creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile®, a world-first psychological assessment tool that reports on your persuasive strengths and weaknesses at work, the best-selling internationally published author of How to Present: the ultimate guide to presenting live and online (Wiley) and her new best-selling book is called How to Persuade: the skills you need to get what you want (Wiley).