Slidegenius, Inc.

Being an Agile Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all of us. We’ve seen businesses struggle, from family-owned restaurants to international corporations. 

Limitations created by the pandemic forced businesses to become more “agile” to survive during this tumultuous period. 

What does it mean for a business to be agile during this pandemic? In a normal context, agility is a business’ ability to adapt to market and environmental changes. Because of COVID-19, however, companies had to make massive operational shifts to protect their business and their employees. 

With lockdowns and quarantines being enforced across the world, it was difficult for many to operate at their regular capacity. But after some time, planning, and practice, companies recovered through agile strategies to keep their businesses running as effectively as possible while still upholding the new social norms. 

In this article, we will analyze several aspects of business that had to undergo a shift to be more agile.

Operating with Limitations   

Imagine having very little room to operate. What can you do? When a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hits, the only option is to start getting creative. Companies had to rethink and innovate their operations to keep employees safe, while still effectively providing their service.  

Consider the fitness industry. When you think of spin classes or boxing, the image of gyms and studios come to mind. Social distancing, however, put all kinds of traditional classes on hold.

Gyms and trainers made the necessary and effective transition into providing online classes. From pre-recorded sessions to live Zoom classes, people were successfully working out through online means. What started out as a major limitation eventually created a major boom in the online fitness industry. The trend has grown so much this year that even businesses that offered virtual classes well before the pandemic experienced a significant uptick in engagement. 

Going Digital  

In recent years, companies have been undergoing a “digital transformation.” 

From internal operations to customer experience strategies, the pandemic accelerated the need for companies to start operating heavily within digital spaces.  

Like in any kind of crisis, it became an “adapt or die” scenario. The boom in e-commerce is the biggest example of this fact. Social distancing protocols forced many physical stores to close their doors, and because people are trying to avoid more public places in general, consumer buying habits took a major shift into online shopping.  

Communicating with a Purpose   

Whether it’s between two businesses, internal discussions, or a company addressing their consumers, digital communication has played a vital role during the pandemic. On the business side of things, meetings had to move from the board room to platforms like Zoom and Slack.  

While virtual meetings may not be able to fully replicate the experience of face-to-face meetings, many people have adapted to make such settings as effective as possible. In an in-person setting, presenters can rely on their body language, on vocal delivery to keep people engaged. In an online setting, however, plenty of that energy gets lost. To make up for such disadvantages, presenters focus on delivering more simplified slides to deliver their message as fast and clearly as possible, capitalizing on when people’s attentions are at their peak. These tweaks to one’s presentation style made big impacts as online meetings have become more normalized than ever  

SlideGenius Is Your Presentation Expert 

At SlideGenius, we specialize in creating presentations that can bring the very best out of your next virtual meeting. We’ve experienced our fair share of struggle with remote work.

These barriers have become normal for us, but we’ve always learned to adapt and overcome them. What pulls us together is our shared passion for helping our clients succeed. From our artists, writers, web developers, animators, and project managers, we use our expertise in presentation design to spark invaluable growth.  

Contact us today for all your presentation needs!  

Effective Business Presentations from Home

Delivering an immaculate business presentation no matter the circumstance is an essential skill. But COVID has drastically changed the world. Whether you’re trying pitch new creative ideas to your partners or hoping to land more investors, your abilities as a presenter are more vital than ever to your business. 

Executing your pitch has become a completely different ball game. The pandemic has forced many businesses to start working remotely, essentially erasing any chance of having face-to-face meetings. The “normal” pitch setting these days has moved from boardrooms into living rooms. It’s a circumstance we have little control over but must adapt to in order to keep things running smoothly.  

While the situation may be challenging, there are ways to keeping your pitch as effective as ever… even as you deliver it virtually. In this article, we’ll tackle some of the best methods of delivering presentations from your home.  

Appear Worthy of Your Business Presentation  

Appearances go a long way in pitches. But just because you’re working form home, it does not mean you can take your looks lightly. When it comes time for the big pitch, pick an outfit that you’d wear as if you were delivering the presentation in person. This speaks volumes about your sense of professionalism.  

The next step, however, is something plenty of people still overlook. In video call settings, remember to always tidy up your background. It does not necessarily need to be a blank space behind you, it just needs to look clean and professional. Find a good spot in your home that looks simple and uncluttered. The last thing you want is your audience being distracted by whatever is going on behind you, whether it be a fancy looking painting or children’s toys sprawled all over the floor.  

Looking for a game changer in making your video pop? Good lighting makes your video crisp, naturally attracting more attention. Even if you are not onscreen very long, making good first and last impressions are essential to delivering a successful pitch.   

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse 

Preparations are more important than ever in virtual settings. While many apps and services have adapted to make your online business presentation easier, there are still a lot variables that can go wrong at any moment. Whether its your mic going on the fritz or your internet connection getting spotty, be prepared for everything that could possibly go wrong. Test your set up several times beforehand to make sure everything is works as it should be.  

On top of all that tech prep work, there’s still the act of delivering the presentation that you need to prepare for. Keep in mind, your voice comes off differently through a mic. Use your tests to see if your delivery comes off clearly given the equipment you have to work with. Much like delivering pitches in person, making these run throughs will help you iron out all the kinks beforehand.  

Engage Your Audience DURING the Business Presentation  

Audience attention span is your biggest enemy in online presentations. You may be able to control everything within your environment, but you can do very little about what your audience has around them. Success rests on engaging your audience throughout the presentation. Actively raise questions for your audience throughout the presentation. This will strike a more conversational tone to your pitch and keep your audience focused on the discussion.  

Picking up on your audience’s body language is much harder online. Be on the lookout for different cues. Take note if their attention is drifting off screen. That is a cue to pull them into conversation. This will help you keep things on track while also assisting your audience in properly internalizing everything that’s been talked about so far.  

SlideGenius is Your Presentation Expert 

As a start-up presentation design company since 2012, we’ve created almost every kind of presentation you can imagine. We’re a worldwide team, with four difference offices spread across the US and Philippines. Meaning, we’re also experts on working “remotely” for close to a decade now. These barriers have become normal for us, but we’ve always learned to adapt and overcome. What pulls us together is our shared passion for helping our clients succeed. From our artists, writers, web developers, animators, and project managers, we utilize our expertise in presentation design to spark invaluable growth.  

At SlideGenius, we are eager to be a valuable partner to all who needs our services during this challenging time. Contact us today for all your presentation needs! 

Contact us today! 

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