Take your business online with virtual presentations
If you are reading this post chances are you have given some thought to becoming an entrepreneur and/or freelancing. I was in your shoes 11 years ago. At that point, I decided virtual was going to become my new reality. I was going to take my business on line, coaching virtual presentation skills.
Global Communication for Small Business
Last week I hosted a 1:1 coaching session with a woman on how to perfect her virtual presentation skills. She was located in Germany and I am located on the West Coast, USA. We used a virtual collaboration platform for her coaching session. We also took advantage of the web cam for personalized eye contact, we used VoIP for audio and by the end of the session we were both buzzing with positive energy!
Starting a Business or Freelancing?
If you are considering starting a small business or freelancing, you may think the scenario above is close to ideal. You may have questions like:
- Do people really generate additional revenue coaching people in other countries?
- How do I establish a global client base?
- [Tweet “How do I conduct business and establish credibility in another country?”]
- How do I decide on a webinar platform?
If these are some of your questions you are on the right track.
In 2002 I joined a company called WebEx Communications. I had no idea what the term “virtual collaboration” really meant when I signed my employment contract. [Tweet ” I was just a single Mom hoping to find a great job with an innovative company.”] I absolutely loved my job, but really needed to work from home 2 days per week so I could spend more time with my 6 year old daughter. Since senior management declined my request, I established my own small business (leaving my well paying corporate job) in 2004 and that same company is still thriving 11 years later.
Communicate Globally
To communicate globally takes a bit of research. As you may imagine there are things to consider such as language barriers, time zones, cultural diversities, etc. If you are considering launching a small business or freelancing in the global marketplace I would highly encourage you to clearly identify your target market and spend some time figuring out how to meet their needs.
[Tweet “Meeting the needs of your audience is key to your future success.”]
Once you have established the global marketplace is the best choice for your next business venture you will need to determine how you will communicate globally.
Here are my 3 main tips to get started with virtual presentations:
Tip 1 – Choose the right platform
I encourage you to choose a platform such as WebEx, Citrix, Adobe, Talk Point, On Point, etc. to conduct your business. Each of these platforms offers something unique such as video conferencing, interactive features like chat, VoIP for the audio with global audiences and much more.
Tip 2 – Repurpose your content
Your content will need to be repurposed from its current state to something acceptable for the virtual environment.
Download your complimentary copy of our Virtual Presentation Design Template Here
Use this structure as a foundation for your next presentation and I guarantee it will be better than your last!!
Tip 3 – Get some training
Once you have repurposed your content, you will need to spend some time training yourself on the differences between live presentations and virtual presentations. And there are many! Even high level professionals, underestimate the transition to shifting their content to virtual presentations. Many of the most basic tips, such as how to make eye contact via a web (be sure the camera is facing slightly downward to your face as this is the most flattering angle) are new.
Most forget simple place holder slides while verbally describing the details of any feature, or making sure images are properly paired with talk tracks to make the best impact.
Achieve your dreams
In the end, I can honestly say I would never have imagined this path for myself. Even though I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs I never dreamed I would be conducting my own business globally. I always thought I would climb the corporate ladder and help break the “glass ceiling” or I would own a very small retail business in a very small town.
The most important lesson I have learned along this journey is that [Tweet “you have to be willing to fail to succeed”]. It may sound cliché but it is so imperceptibly true.