After years of mundane video calls and run-of-the-mill presentations, it’s no surprise that virtual audiences are starting to tap out. And yet, in a sector like law enforcement, where meeting engagement and collaboration are critical, it is important to find ways of keeping viewers glued to the screen.
“Everyone is suffering from online meeting fatigue, and it’s getting harder to keep people invested in what’s happening on their screens.,” says Colin Doe, Chief Operating Officer with Vizetto, creator of the Reactiv Suite virtual meeting platform. “That’s why it’s key to remember that how you present is just as important as what you’re presenting.”
Undoubtedly, capturing attention is more challenging than ever, especially given the distractions that can plague viewers tuning in from outside the office. As such, there is value in exploring ways to make online meetings more captivating and – more importantly – memorable.
Stimulate senses: Neuroscience shows that stimulating various parts of the brain at once contributes most to interest and, in return, long-term memory retention. Speaking invisibly over a static presentation only activates a small part of the brain, whereas creating movement on the screen (e.g., videos, real-time notes, life feeds, etc.) activates up to seven points in the brain.
“Meeting productivity and memory engagement is increased when you can stimulate people through visuals and movement,” says Doe. “Not only are people happier and learning more, but they’re developing long-term memories that will roll into the next meeting, so you don’t have to spend 10 to 15 minutes on recaps next time you meet.”
Spotlight the presenter: It used to be that presentations were presenter support, and the presenter was the expert. In the age of virtual meetings, however, it’s more common for the presentation to take centre stage, and the presenter is support for the content. The presenter remains faceless as they speak over static slides, or disappear entirely as a small postage stamp image with Zoom or Teams. And yet, says Doe: “People respond to people, not presentation decks. We need to get back to a person-to-person feel. That’s why, for example, Reactiv SUITE lets speakers pin real-time video of themselves inside the presentation to elevate their executive presence, making the presenter more visible and dynamic, like they would be in-person.”
“Inking in”: Virtual presenters capture and keep the attention of their audience when they can mark up content, add notes, draw diagrams, and circle important elements in their presentations on the fly.
“When you “ink into” a document, the eye is immediately drawn to that movement and the brain turns on to say, ‘Hey, wait a second. There’s something important here that I have to look at,'” explains Doe. “We call that ‘visual engagement,’ which is the ability to connect the important elements of presentation content with the audience to help generate a sense of energy.”
Live links: Law enforcement thrives on real-world updates and timely data. Here again, meetings are more productive when presenters can pull in live webpages, access portal data, and other online and network resources during a meeting.
In situations where access to new and live information is needed, such as in on-scene command or critical incidents, information such as videos, pictures, maps, documents and even mobile devices can be securely dropped into a presentation live, providing instant access by the presenter for both remote and on scene audiences.
Eyes on the Screen
Every sector can benefit from more engaging presentations. This is especially true in law enforcement, where sharing timely evidence and insights are central to case management.
For its part, Vizetto is helping agencies use Reactiv SUITE as a means to enhance police training, brainstorming, and investigative meetings, and do so in the most secure manner possible.
“Security is paramount,” Doe adds. “It’s one thing to be able to display static content such as evidence and supporting materials in a virtual meeting, it’s another to ensure that information doesn’t get outside of the organization. That’s why our platform ensures nothing goes to the cloud and that everything adheres to the agency’s information technology policies and protocols.”
Whether the goal is to fuel investigations, engage stakeholders, or communicate more effectively to the public, there is value in pushing past virtual meeting fatigue. And doing so, says Doe, is about making the most of the medium: “It’s easy to tune out these days, so anything you can do to make virtual meetings more active and engaging will go a long way towards making them memorable.”
Learn more about Vizetto and the Reactiv SUITE virtual meeting platform.
