Future-Proof Your Virtual Presence: The Science and Strategies You Need

In a hybrid world, your virtual presence is your presence. It’s how people feel your energy, intent, and credibility… and all through the little rectangle of a mobile device. There is good news though. With a few intentional tweaks to your set up and delivery, you can grab the attention of your audience and keep them in the palms of your hands! 

Thankfully, virtual presenting has come a long way. I mean, at least we have cameras these days (I remember the early days of WebEx 🙄). Sadly, many sessions still fall a little flat. Too often, slide decks take centre stage while the presenters stay motionless – just another postage stamp video amongst a sea of black squares. The audience’s energy goes down whilst their multi-tasking goes up.  

Read on to discover more about the importance of virtual presence and find out what you can do to take control of yours.

Why Presence Matters, Even When You’re Not in the Same Room

Humans are sensory creatures. We’re constantly reading micro-expressions, posture, space and energy. Online, most of that gets stripped right back. If you’re only showing up from the neck up, you’ve cut off most of your communicative bandwidth… literally. The trick is not to look polished, but to look whole. 

Cognitive science backs this up. Thinking doesn’t just happen in your head, it’s distributed throughout your body, your environment, even your gestures. Annie Murphy Paul nails this in the excellent book,  The Extended Mind: when you move differently, you think differently. 

So, if you’re slumped in a chair mumbling at your slides, you’re not just less engaging for your audience but you’re also dumbing down your own thinking. It goes without saying that your virtual presence will take a nose-dive!  

Add to that the fight for attention. In the early days of Zoom and Teams, video calls were still a novelty. Now, we practically live in Teams meetings and many people believe they can confidently multi-task in meetings and trainings. So this means that when we are presenting, we need to fight for the attention of our audience like never before. 

The Science Behind Virtual Presence (And What to Actually Do About It)

1. Stand (or perch) for stronger energy

Posture affects breathing. Slouching literally reduces your lung capacity, which in turn impacts your voice projection and clarity. Amy Cuddy’s research on power posing may be controversial, but I can’t deny that I feel more confident and in control if I’m my posture is strong. So, when you are presenting next, try standing, or perching on the front edge of your chair, and notice the impact on your voice, focus and confidence levels. 

2. Shrink your hands to grow clarity

Move your hands too close to the lens in front of you and they balloon to cartoon size, which can be really distracting for your audience. This also means that your gesturing hands fill the screen and cover your face, which is what people connect with. Keep gestures within your torso frame so that they read as confident, not chaotic. 

Consider the angle of your camera altogether as camera distortion can play havoc with your face (and double chins too!). 

3. Gesture to help others think

Gesture provides our audience with cognitive scaffolding. In fact, research by Goldin-Meadow and others shows that when you gesture, people understand and remember more. You’re actually helping their brains keep up!

In the Extended Mind, Annie Murphy Paul talks about the power of gesture at length, even sharing research around how babies with parents who gesture a lot pick up language skills quicker too.  So with that said… 

4. …Frame more than your face

Head-and-shoulders framing = zero body language. And yet so many presenters’ webcam set up means their face fills the entire screen. Although it’s helpful to see facial expressions, we know (as per the previous point) that gesture plays a really important part in your communication too. So step back and check your set up – make sure we can see your upper body. Let your gestures and posture do some of the talking too!   

5. Use direct gaze but sparingly

Eye contact is trust currency. Studies on video-mediated communication show that when you look straight into the lens, people feel more connected. They are also more likely to engage and less likely to multi-task (as it feels you are actually looking at them!). 

You don’t need to spend your entire presentation staring at the camera though, as it’s also important to be scanning the videos of your audience to check on engagement levels and reactions to what you are saying. So how can we strike the balance? 

The most important time to look directly in the camera is when you want to have the most virtual presence. This could be when you are introducing yourself, asking a killer question, landing a really important point, telling a great story, cracking a joke even…  deliver these right down the lens of the camera. 

Pro-Level Virtual Presence Boosters

These are the small, deliberate things that fuel your energy, confidence and control. When you take the time to feel sharp, you show up sharp, ready to lead the screen rather than just appear on it.  And when you do, your audience can feel the difference too – you come across as more present, more credible, and far more engaging. 

1. Dress for how you want to feel

Sure, no one can see your pyjama bottoms and flip-flops, but you’ll know. If you’re half-smart, you’ll feel half-present. Put in a bit of effort to look more professional and see if it makes you feel any different. 

2. Move before you speak

Don’t roll straight out of one Teams meeting into your presentation. Stand up, stretch, or walk a few steps. Get your energy flowing before you go live and your voice and presence will thank you. 

3. Know your tech

Nothing dents confidence faster than fumbling with trying to share your screen or press the right buttons. Practise ahead so you can present smoothly without the panic face. Check out our short video on using PowerPoint Live in Teams – if you’re not using it already, you’ll find it a game-changer. 

4.Wear solid, bright colours

Cameras hate patterns, stripes and checks – they flicker and distract. A bold block colour like red, blue, white etc keeps focus on you, not your shirt stripes. Also, a bright colour will make you stand out in a sea of grey and navy. 

5. Sort your lighting and video quality

Face a window or use a ring light so your eyes are clear and your tone looks natural. Get feedback on your camera set up. Is the quality clear? Does the lighting work? Also, bear in mind that this can change throughout the day. Try the ‘adjust lighting’ feature in Teams to see how that can make a difference for you (I adjust mine several times throughout the day). 

6. Curate your background

You want tidy but interesting, without it being distracting! A plant, framed print, or a few books add warmth and context without stealing attention. Your background also says a lot about who you are, especially if you are presenting from home. If in doubt, the fake backgrounds available in Teams and Zoom are plentiful – just choose wisely.   

7. Learn how to ‘Pin Me or ‘Spotlight’ in Teams or Zoom

When you’ve got something important to say, take your slides down so you are in Gallery Mode and ‘pin’ yourself so everyone sees you full screen. It subtly signals authority and keeps the group anchored on your message. I tend to do this most when I have a great story to share, or when I want to explain a model or process that requires me using lots of hand gestures to help the audience understand. 

8. Check your tech posture

Raise your laptop to eye level, tilt the lens slightly down, and avoid the “nostril cam.” It’s the easiest credibility upgrade you’ll ever make. If the camera in your laptop isn’t the most flattering or is in a bad position, consider an external camera that you can position on your monitor or a small tripod.   

Pro tip:  If you are a 2-screen person, consider the best position for your camera.  For example, if you are having to look at both screens a lot, put your camera between the two so you are never too far away from the eye contact of your audience. 

Why It Matters

Virtual presence isn’t just about charisma. Behavioural design can have a big impact on the way you’re perceived. The way you show up – your energy, posture, and confidence – directly shapes how others respond to you. 

When you bring intention to those small details, everything shifts: 

• You hold attention longer. People instinctively engage when your presence feels alive and focused. 

• You create stronger connection. Clear, human communication builds trust, the foundation of collaboration, influence, and credibility. 

• You set the tone. Whether you’re leading a meeting, presenting an idea, or running a team session, your virtual presence signals what “good” looks like. 

And when you show up fully – body, mind, and camera included – others are more likely to do the same. 

Upgrade Your Virtual Presence

If you want your people to go beyond, “Don’t read the slides”, and start landing genuine impact online, our Delivering Presentations Virtually workshop blends neuroscience, behavioural science and hands-on rehearsal to help you (or your colleagues) to show up as full presenters, even through the lens of the camera.