Wear office casuals or formals while delivering the course. Studies show that wearing formals is perceived as more professional and invites engagement.
Avoid bright-colored clothes and flashy accessories that may distract the learner from the training being delivered. The only value driver during the training is your knowledge.
Your hair should be well-groomed. Your head and shoulders should be clearly visible and centered in the video. Look at the camera while speaking and maintain a pleasant countenance.
Begin the first session with a short introduction to your course. As a best practice, begin each session by sharing the syllabus (as finalized with the client) on the screen and highlighting: a) the progress so far, b) the points to be covered in the current session.
If needed, keep a hard copy of the course outline handy to help you keep track of what you are covering.
Use easily understandable language and avoid jargon. Jargon may create a huge communication gap. Strictly refrain from using slang, abusive, sexist, or derogatory language or actions.
Be relaxed and make the sessions interactive and engaging. This increases the learners’ comfort level with you, thus making them more receptive to your delivery.
Always keep your video on, even if you are sharing slides or content. This builds the human connection and improves communication because it allows learners to pick up on the non-verbal cues too.
Ask questions at regular intervals to make the sessions more interactive. It is important to ask the right kind of questions. Make the question as specific as possible and thought-provoking. For example, “What do you think Product Management is?” may not get people engaged enough to answer, whereas “Steve Jobs was a Product Manager. Do you agree?” ignites the learners to think and form an opinion. Encourage doubts and even dissenting points of view and thank the audience for their participation.
Encourage learners to share their feedback at the end of each session and use these as inputs for course correction, where needed, to deliver the maximum take-home value for your client.