I’ve always wondered if it was easy for stage actors to make the transition to the movies or television screen. After all, they are different mediums. The stage requires actors to present themselves as bigger than life — using bold gestures and vocal projection to communicate to an in-person audience of hundreds, from the front row to the top of the balcony. The screens require actors to use more subtle facial expressions and vocal nuances to convey the right meaning to an audience of millions.

The answer is no. It’s not easy.

How do I know? Funny you should ask. Because I was just forced to do the same thing, albeit on a much smaller scale. In any given year, I might give six to ten keynote addresses to audiences in the hundreds if not thousands. I’m quite comfortable presenting; I went to a performing arts high school where I learned (very quickly) to get over stage fright. Live presentations come with the job and, quite frankly, I enjoy them.

And then the world went virtual.

Suddenly all of those keynotes and speaking opportunities were being moved to a digital platform with the expectation that they would be delivered with the same exuberance, content, and skill that many prolific speakers have honed over the years. Plus, a big part of a successful in-person presentation is the connection you make with your audience. In case you haven’t noticed yet, eye contact over a digital conferencing app can be tricky.

So, in preparation for my own digital events, I watched a number of the early converts to see what I could glean from their performances. It quickly became clear that these mediums are very different and require an entirely different set of skills. You cannot simply take a written-for-stage keynote and expect it to play well on Zoom.

So here, I offer some thoughts on how to deliver a keynote-worthy presentation (even if you’re still in your fuzzy slippers).

Preparation is critical. More and more, people are using speaker’s notes for Web-based presentations, which is fine. But I’ve watched so many just read, assuming that if they have their notes in front of them, it will be easier and they don’t need to prepare nearly as much. That’s a huge mistake. If anything, your online presentation needs to be even more polished and engaging. Minds wander when people are sitting and staring at a screen. And, nothing puts an audience to sleep faster than someone reading out loud rather than actually performing.

It’s harder to engage. You may be presenting to thousands but, at the same time, there is no audience. I once did a presentation in a quiet theatre and it was the most terrifying and unsettling experience because you don’t get that all-important feedback you have in a traditional audience setting. The same is true with a virtual event.

And yet, there is so much more opportunity to engage — if you think it through, plan ahead, and step up. I participated in a Leadercamp featuring La’Wana Harris last week. And La’Wana used the chat function within the platform to take the pulse of the audience and relay back to them what she was hearing. It was a perfect way to engage with a large crowd (3.5k!) while still making it feel like an intimate event.

Do I sit or do I stand now? Live and in person, I am a “stage walker.” When I present, I gesticulate loudly, I move across the stage, and I look directly at people in the audience. It’s just what works for me. What doesn’t work? Standing to present at home because that natural inclination to move and walk becomes distracting to an audience. I had to redo one of my keynote addresses because I couldn’t keep my body still while presenting. So, for me, the best way to present is to sit tall at my desk, face close to the camera because it forces me to stay in one place.

Yes, lighting is key. It’s why you’ve seen ads across social media for web meeting light kits (at least I have). Fortunately, my desk faces two windows, so the natural light provides just the right amount of highlighting. If, however, you can’t leverage natural light, a lamp or desk light can be beneficial in eliminating those shadows that can mask your expression.

What you say matters. All of this is window dressing to the real star: your content, which really has to shine. We don’t have the benefit of stage lights, dramatic music, and intro videos (web platforms seem to abhor video — something I’d suggest they work on) to augment our speeches. Instead, now is the opportunity to make sure that your content is really worthy of the time and attention your audience is investing.

We’ve all faced challenges over the past several months. And I’m heartened by the way so many of my colleagues and customers, friends and family have risen to the occasion. Of course, I look forward to speaking to a group again in real-time and real-life. But, until then, I’ll continue to make presentations via digital tools.

Aren’t we lucky in such a disconnected time to have so many ways to connect?