Before I jump into the tipsto create that kick-butt first-rate virtual presentation, I'll take a little detour.Here at HealthEconomics.Com, we have created the first and only virtual environment specifically for the health economics and outcomes research audience, and we call it HE-Xpo. I invite you to visit this link , register (for free), and take a look around. And of course, join us on December 11, 2014 from 8am-5pm for an incredible virtual Summit entitled Real World Evidence: Practical Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Multiple Stakeholders . Register here and we'll see you there! No travel required. And it's free, sono credit card required either. How cool is that?

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Now, onto the Tips for Virtual Presentations... Its a sign of the times, this movement to virtually-delivered summits, meeting, and events. Welcome to the future! Youre a trend-setter if you've attended one of these, and most certainly if you've presented in this virtual environment. But this translation to the virtual world is not a natural one for many of us. Even if youve presented in dozens of webinars, delivering a presentation in a Virtual Arena is even more challenging, because there are so many more things competing for attention the Exhibit Hall, Chat with Attendees, Social Media Lounge, web surfing, email, and more. But, if youre prepared, YOU will be the one they pay attention to! So, please review these tips and suggestions to help you to powerfully engage a virtual audience and deliver a clear, credible, and compelling message in a virtual venue. YOUR SLIDES:

Tell a Story and be Audience-Centric! Help your audience see THEMSELVES in your story, address what they care about, and need. Dont know how to tell a story? Use S-C-I-P-A-B, from Mandel . Set the Situation (their current state of business), Identify their Complication , show the Implication for failing to act, state your own Position (i.e., Opinion) about what to do, and lay out an Action for what listeners should do, then tell them the Benefit. Then repeat it at the end, to sum it all up.

Relate to the overall theme of the Conference. Don't be an island unto yourself..help the audience know why you're there in terms of merging with the rest of the speakers and theme.

Add Color Spots - planned interactions and engagements with your audience . Approximately every 5 minutes, include polls, questions asking for feedback using the IM chat, invite audience membersto meet you in the virtual Lounge after the presentation to dialogue, and tweet to you (provide your Twitter handle, and the hashtag for theevent)

Use pictures. Use animation! (But not too much of either; this isnt a Warner Brothers cartoon!)

Use Sound-Bites to summarize key points on your slide: 3 is good; 6 is too many. Dont write in complete sentences unless its a quote.

Your slide title is your headline for the entire slide . Use it; its precious space!

Create robust speaker notes (and stick to it! If youre composed, its much easier to listen to you if we cant see you.) Then, practice.

Less is more . Provide additional slides or detail as back-up materials only.

Reference the Speaker before and after you. Contact them and have a conversation prior to the meeting, if at all possible.

Dont sell from the stage, neither you, your company, your products, your children, or your used car! :-) (You can, of course, mention your company/products/publications, but strike that perfect balance, ok?)

Reminders about the Virtual Environment: Include a slide (or tell the Attendees) to: Visit the Exhibit Hall and come into your companys virtual booth (if you have one) to interact more with you and other employees of your company Visit theLearning Center to download relevant documents directly into their Briefcase (accessible by clicking on the bottom navigation bar) Visit the Lounge and engage with you after your presentation Email/tweet you (provide your Twitter handle and remind to usethe hashtag for the event). Use the Chat button inside the virtual environment to communicate with you and other audience members.

YOUR DELIVERY:

Be Animated. Speak with Conviction. Remember, we cant see youwe just see the slides. So we need to be drawn to your voice!

Laughter is wonderful and infectious. And it makes me stop and pay attention to you!

Dont race. Use apause, rather than filling thespace withuhm.

Speak to me (the audience) like Im in front of you! Some presenters like to have someone in the room listening to them, so they can talk to them as if theyre the audience.

Sit up, breathe deep, smile, and gesture! Yes, smile and gesture! We hear this in your voice!

YOUR Q&A ANDAUDIENCE INTERACTION:

Prime the Pump . Have 4-5 questions ready to suggest and be ready to answer them.

Answer the questions concisely and straight-forward . But, if you dont know, ask audience to give feedback!

Coordinate in advance with your Session Chair on the Q&A .

Be culturally aware . The audience is international, will be from multiple environments/countries/settings, and they will be in different time zones. Consider this diversity in your slides, pictures, and comments.

Limit the jargon, if the words aren'tglobal.

YOUR ENVIRONMENT WHILE PRESENTING:

Be someplace quiet when you deliver it (office, conference room).

Be prepared: headset, high quality audio delivery, clean desktop, and things you need (water, tissues, phone).

Manage distractions while presenting . Mute your phone, turn off bells on your computer, limit Instant Messaging notifications, or email notifications, etc.

Plan for back-ups. Technology can go awry, so have a phone back-up, write down any dial-in numbers, email addresses, etc. But if something goes wrong, well help on this end, and just be calm. The world wont come to an end. :-)

YOUR COVENANT:

Stick Within Your Allotted Time Frame . According to the Gospel of TED from TED Talks , Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them That Follow Thee. :-)

Now, go out there and give a kick-butt first-rate virtual presentation. And join us onDecember 11, 2014 from 8am-5pm for an incredible virtual Summit entitled Real World Evidence: Practical Strategies for Addressing the Needs of Multiple Stakeholders . Register here and we'll see you there!