VIRTUAL PRESENTERS: UNCLUTTER YOUR CLUTTER

If you walked into someone’s house and there was clutter and debris all around, what would you think? If you walked into a doctor’s office and it was dirty with clutter, would you be comfortable with the physician’s capabilities? Probably not. Your first impression might be that they are dirty or disorganized or even lazy and incompetent. The reality is that we judge people based on our first impressions of them. This judgement also takes place in the world of virtual presentation as clients can see the area you are working in.

Our first impressions come from our core values which we learned early in our lives from our parents, friends and experiences (Gokenbach, 2018). Our values are not right or wrong, they are just who we are. For instance, if you were raised in a religious family and still practice that religion, that would be one of your core values. If you were raised to be neat and organized, you would maintain a clean environment around you.

Experiences shape your values as well. I was robbed at gunpoint walking into my gym one evening and from that moment on, I feared all people that resembled the gunman. Although I have learned to deal with this fear, there is still a gut reaction to that experience. These experiences lead to unconscious biases whether we are aware of them or not, and they can subconsciously influence our choices. In other words, first impressions for you as a professional are very important because it can affect your ability to impress clients and possibly influence their choice of selecting you as their coach. This can also affect whether you will be hired for corporate opportunities. To present yourself in a professional manner you need to be conscious of the environment in which you are teaching, your appearance and your demeanor. We will briefly cover all of these.

The Environment

Teaching in the virtual space is challenging, lacking the ability for casual communication as you would experience in person. There is less of a chance for your clients to get to know who you are in the casual setting, making it more difficult for them to connect emotionally with you. This starts with their observation of your environment. Your presentation space needs to be clean and free of debris. There needs to be enough room in this space for you to be able to travel and execute the moves correctly. Lighting and sound are extremely important because your clients need to be able to see you and hear you. All these factors are necessary to ensure safety for your clients. It is also important for you to observe the environment that your clients are in. The National Safety Commission (NSC) (2024) identified the major cause of falls being clutter, rugs and slippery surfaces. If your clients have a cluttered environment, it is important to coach them on what to do with their space and how to improve safety for them. It may also be necessary for you to modify their program to fit their space.

Your Appearance

Just as we spoke about clutter and dirty spaces, your appearance is critically important to making a great first impression. If you appear disheveled or sloppy, the client may believe that you are disorganized, lazy or simply don’t care about them. You need to be impeccable in your dress including your hair and makeup. This shows your clients that you respect and care about them. Your dress also needs to be appropriate to the class you are teaching. If it is a group of older adults, you probably don’t want to wear something provocative. You can save those for your young clients.

Demeanor

Lastly the way you conduct yourself in the class is important. Never swear, use foul language or slang. You are the role model for those around you. I recently took a class from a very large online program and the presenter swore four times throughout the class. I never went back, and I will never use this company again. I did send them my concerns and never heard back from them. You would not be in this business if you didn’t want to help your clients improve their health but also to be successful.

Rock Star Virtual Presenter Network Is dedicated to your success as a presenter and wellness educator. We can provide you with all the skills to be the best that you can be in any virtual setting. To learn. more, dicover us at www.RockStarVirtualPresenterNetwork.com/menu

References

Gokenbach, V (2018). Tap Dancing Through Life: Seven Steps to Finding Your Personal Rhythms and the Life of your Dreams. Advantage Media. Charlson, S.C.

National Safety Commission (2024) Slips, Trips and Falls - National Safety Council (nsc.org)