How To Nail Your Next Video Interview Or Presentation

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

With business remaining mostly virtual for the foreseeable future, some Accela team members recently participated in a series of training sessions with renowned public speaking coach Victoria Mintley. We focused on how to “do yourself justice” in public speaking situations such as a client pitch and presentations, while ensuring that your key message is always clearly communicated with confidence. They key thing to keep top of mind is to ensure you have presence and impact in your presentations, pitches and meetings. 

Almost everyone is meeting and pitching over video now, whether it be a new idea to your team, a job interview or meeting clients. What we learned with Victoria was valuable pre-COVID, but has become even more valuable in this strange new world dominated by virtual conversations and constant cries of “Can you hear me? Can you see my screen?” This extended period of remote work that we find ourselves in presents a host of new challenges and when we’re not face to face, clear, concise and confident messaging is even more important. Read on for more important virtual communication skills and tips we learned that can easily be applied and adapted to suit pitching and interviewing over video.

Body Language is Everything

This might sound obvious, but whether you are physically in a room with someone or in front of your laptop, body language is everything. Pay attention to your posture, sit upright and plant both feet on the ground. This not only helps you feel more in control but stops you from fidgeting and allows your lungs to open up for your voice to project clearly. Studies have also shown that good posture boosts individual engagement and shows the audience that you are engaged.

Be Mindful Of Your Background

Make sure that your camera is at face level and that you have a clean, clutter-free background – you don’t want week-old laundry peeking out of the bottom of the screen.  

Lighting is also important. Being well lit will improve not only your confidence but also your presence. Try and position yourself with a light source behind your screen to remove any harsh shadows and always avoid having your back to the window. 

Make A Connection 

One of the biggest parts of walking into a pitch or meeting in-person is gauging the chemistry with your audience and building relationships. This is a lot harder through a screen, but beginning the call with a conversation starter is a great way to break the ice and get to know your audience a little better.

Not everyone will have their cameras on, so if you’re relying solely on audio, your delivery is key. Make your presentation interactive and allow time for people to ask questions to ensure everyone remains engaged and involved. Patience is also crucial. Give your audience ample time to respond without cutting them off, as they may be taking a bit of extra time to unmute themselves. If you do find yourself talking at the same time, be courteous, apologise and invite them to finish. This way, you maintain control but also demonstrate your interest in what they have to say. 

Reading people via Zoom is much harder, so make sure you are looking and watching for people’s reactions and take cues. That goes both ways too. It can be easy to slouch or act more casual when you’re in your own space, but you still need to be respectful as you would in any professional setting. Engage with your audience, and keep your eyes on the camera. Also remember, even when you are not presenting you may be appearing on camera on the other person’s screen – so throwing in the odd nod and smile here and there will show that you are paying attention. 

Your Delivery 

Ensuring that you are delivering your message or idea effectively via video requires a different approach, however the principles of engaging during a call largely remain the same. Keeping your tone upbeat, projecting your voice clearly and regularly pausing to engage is even more important during a video call as, let’s be honest, they can tend to get monotonous and people can easily switch off. Look directly at your camera when you are speaking and be sure to switch up your tone, pace and volume. Flat, emotionless delivery is boring, so make sure that what you are speaking about sounds exciting, and excites you. 

Prepare In Advance

It might not be possible for your whole team to be together for the pitch or meeting, or even prior, so it’s more important than ever to ensure that you are prepared. Take time as a team to run through the your key points so that you all know what to expect. If you need notes, make sure that they are in a clear spot so that you can avoid your eyes wandering when you are presenting. Two screens are handy for this and if you have a notes app, try and position it as close to the camera as possible. 

Great Design  

Without physically being in front of your audience, the creative design and format of your deck is vital. Keep it simple and straightforward – clear and clean slides help to get your point across quickly. Your slides need to tell a story without being too wordy, so imagine taking your audience on a journey, while still getting the main points across. A clear structure will also really help with the flow of your conversation. 

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Are you in the process of interviewing for new roles, or seeking to hire new talent virtually? Get in touch with Accela Talent to see how we can help: [email protected].