One
of the great benefits of technology is mobility — people can connect
and work together from practically anywhere. To adjust to this workplace
shift, small businesses often turn to online presentation software like
join.me. However, join.me
can't fix everything — like, say, a boring presentation. But with a
little action on your part, you can make almost any presentation not
just bearable, but valuable.
Here are five tips to keep awake and attentive during the dullest presentations.
1. Be an active participant. Just
because the presenter is droning on and on doesn't mean you have to sit
there and take it. Instead of tuning out, why not engage in the
presentation? join.me's
annotation feature gives you the ability to participate in the
discussion. If you don't want to be vocal you can make notes, comment,
and suggest changes the speaker can see. It's like drawing on a
whiteboard. You can even send a message that says: "Please, keep it
moving!"
2. Make to-do lists. Inactivity
often makes people zone out when they're staring at a screen for a long
time. Keep active by finding action steps from the content. By looking
for items that will help your cause, you'll stay alert. Then just as
soon as the speaker stops and you're done with the online meeting, take a
moment to clarify next steps and make a to-do list before hanging up.
Use tools like join.me's meeting scheduler to lock down a time for the next presentation and eliminate unnecessary scheduling hassles.
3. Have a little chat. If
the presentation isn't stimulating enough, enhance it by chatting with
some of the other attendees. If you're bored, it's likely they are too.
Crack jokes and contemplate how you might help the presenter initiate
some group involvement. On join.me you can do this quietly and privately
without disturbing the other people involved.
4. Be a critic. Sitting
through a boring presentation is actually a great learning opportunity.
Everyone needs to hone his or her presentation skills. Now you can
review the presentation at hand and dissect what makes it ineffective.
Keep a list of each offense and determine what you would do differently.
Think about how you might present on the same topic in an exciting and
compelling manner. Afterwards, you might constructively share your
feedback with the presenter so that the next presentation isn't quite as
tedious
5. Go out and about. Why chain yourself to your desk during a boring presentation? join.me
has free features that allow viewers to participate using their mobile
devices. So instead of falling asleep on your keyboard, you can take the
presentation to lunch, out for a walk, or even to the park. Then you
can sit and enjoy the scenery, feed the pigeons, or people-watch while
being available whenever the discussion turns your way.
