By Malcolm Kushner from Presentations For Dummies

The key to a successful virtual presentation is the same as the key to a successful face-to-face presentation: it is preparation. Consider the following guidelines to ensure that you're ready for your virtual presentation.

Knowing which non-virtual rules apply

Always remember that a virtual presentation is still a presentation. Apply the following basic rules for making an effective presentation:

Identify the purpose for the presentation. Make sure you know why you're presenting. No one wants to hear a presentation, virtual or otherwise, that has no real purpose. Identifying the purpose of your presentation is critical for knowing how to construct it and deliver it.

Know your audience. Find out as much as possible about your audience.

Organize your presentation. Choose a pattern that suits your topic (for instance problem and solution; past, present, and future; theory and practice; or whatever works). Make sure that your audience can easily follow your message.

Write an introduction and conclusion. Just because a presentation is virtual doesn't mean it doesn't need an opening and a close. The introduction has to preview and lead into your talk. The conclusion has to wrap it up.

Provide materials in advance. This allows audience members to become familiar with the proceedings beforehand and get more out of them. You can easily distribute materials via e-mail. Consider giving out the following:

• Agenda: The audience wants to know what will happen and when. That's the purpose of an agenda. So provide one. An agenda makes it easier for audience members to keep track of the presentations.

• Support material: Providing support materials such as presentation notes and outlines in advance also helps attendees get more out of your presentation. These can be sent easily and cheaply through e-mail.

• PowerPoint slides: For presentations given on the Web, it may be smart er to distribute PowerPoint slides beforehand rather than using PowerPoint during your presentation.

• Contact information: A list of all audience members' names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses should be distributed so that they can reach one another in the event of a technical problem.

Check the room(s). It's standard advice to check the room in advance of a presentation. You want to make sure that it meets your needs: Check to be sure that it has enough seats for the people participating in the meeting, that the room layout is conducive to discussion, and that the equipment you plan to use is in working order. In the case of a virtual presentation, you won't be able to visually inspect all the meeting rooms, but do check the one that you'll be presenting from.