Ron Cameron-Lewis
This is the last of a 3-part series on how to improve your public speaking. Part 1 & Part 2 were devoted to large and small groups, respectively. This one is for speaking in online meetings.
In the Zoom Room: Control your environment & yourself
How many of us peek at ourselves while in Zoom meetings, and don't like what we see? Or listen to the recording afterward, and cringe?
Actor, acting teacher, and speaker Ron Cameron-Lewis has trained many thousands in the art of speaking in public, including adjudicating more than 2,000 theater productions. We asked for his tips for hosts and participants in online meetings, such as Zoom and Teams.
Some Basics
Whether you are a participant or the host:
- Go to the bathroom beforehand.
- Test your audio & video in advance.
- Keep the background uncluttered.
- Don't blink a lot!
- Don't eat or drink on camera.
Step 1: Ready your space
"You want no distractions," says Cameron-Lewis. Put your phone away and on mute. Close the door, keeping pets and children out. Shut the window.
Be mindful of lighting. While a circular bulb with a warm tone is ideal, you can get good results by placing a small lamp to one side, or overhead and in front enough to banish deep shadows on your face.
Step 2: Prepare your equipment
Set your camera up—or know where it is located on your computer—so that you talk directly to it, and not to the faces you see. This is counter-intuitive (you want to talk to people's faces!), and may require practice.
Record a dry run so that you can see what works and what doesn't. This is particularly useful when giving slide presentations. "There are free teleprompter programs that you can put at eye level," says Cameron-Lewis. "Practice with that and you'll see how you're coming across, and get exactly the right talking speed."
If using slides, keep the text extremely short to read or, in the case of charts, easy to view. "Try to stick to three lines of text in a large, bold, sans serif font," he advises. Use a blue background, the "cleanest" color, and yellow highlighter. If doing a slide sequence, use an ellipse (...) to indicate there is another one to come.
"Restart your computer before you go live, to refresh everything and get rid of slowdowns due to applications running in the background. Test the video and audio too!" Ensure that the volume of your voice is correct: neither too loud nor too soft.
lllustration by Mohamen Hassan; used with permission.
Step 3: Now that the meeting is starting...
"You want to take up about 50% of the screen," Cameron-Lewis recommends. "It's really important to keep the focus on your face."
To help allay speaking anxiety, talk to one person and forget the rest. "It helps if you can think that you're talking to a very good friend." But be alert to raised hands.
When speaking, "take a full breath at the end of every sentence to allow the listener to absorb your words." Linger on the key word in each sentence, and don't be afraid of silence. If someone else is speaking, turn slowly to look in their direction, which helps guide the audience's eyes to them.
Keep your fingers soft as you gesture—don't stab at the screen!—and save gestures for important points. Alternate hands, because gesturing with just one, repeatedly, can be hypnotizing for viewers.
Finally, read the room! If people look bemused, invite them to speak up: ask if they have any questions or need clarification.
Read more of this week's issue of Pallinews
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