Remote Presence: How to Project Through A Screen
by Alba Villamil
One of the challenges of online speaking is having “stage presence” without being in the same room as your audience. It’s much harder to command their attention when the audience can’t see or feel your energy. So here are three strategies I use to help me project through the screen.
Strategy 1: Annotate your speaker notes to signal vocal delivery. When your audience can’t see your face or body movement, your voice becomes an even more important storytelling tool. I put cues in my notes to visualize how I should deliver a line for maximum impact. For example, if I want to convey the gravity of a fact or argument, I bold my font. This reminds me to slow down and deepen my voice when I get to that part of the talk.
Strategy 2: Treat your remote workspace as a stage. I sound more energetic when I’m on my feet so I use a standing desk as a podium. I also dress as if I’m on stage even if the audience can’t see me. That bright red blazer that makes me feel confident? I'm wearing it.
Strategy 3: Start your talk with a bang. You have at most a minute to grab the audience's attention at the beginning of a talk. Instead of introducing yourself right away, kick-off your talk with a funny example or provocative story--anything that signals to the audience that they should sit down, close any other windows they have open on their computer, and focus on you.
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