The shift from traditional office-based work to a hybrid or remote model during the pandemic has presented a set of challenges and opportunities for organizations worldwide. One of the critical aspects of this transition has been to adapt our communication strategies to fit the new working conditions, particularly in the realm of meetings. As we navigate these changes, I had the opportunity to do an interview with Jim Szafranski, CEO of Prezi, a presentation software company, to gain insights on how we can make hybrid and virtual meetings more effective.
A Game Changer in the Presentation Space
Prezi’s unique presentation software, built on a 3D Infinite Canvas format, offers users an immersive experience, which is a departure from traditional slide presentations. As a user myself, I found Prezi to be a much more engaging tool during the pandemic, offering me a distinct advantage over other consultants who were using traditional software like Microsoft PowerPoint. The immersive nature of Prezi Video allowed me to deliver content over a video conference meeting in a way that significantly improved audience engagement and retention. Doing so enabled me to be much more helpful to my clients in helping them figure out the transition to hybrid work.
Prezi Video takes the advantages of Prezi and couples them with video conferencing, creating an extremely engaging experience. Rather than succumbing to the usual practice of screen sharing, where your slides dominate the screen and your face is relegated to a small corner, Prezi Video enables you to bring your content onto the screen alongside you. Imagine yourself as a weather person, interacting with the content directly on the screen. This feature improves attention spans by ensuring that your audience doesn’t have to shift to a different window to view the content, thereby reducing the risk of disengagement.
According to Szafranski, Prezi offers a 30-40% advantage over traditional slides in enhancing audience engagement. The measures used to quantify this include the duration of audience stay on the call, retention of information, and success in convincing the audience of the presenter’s proposition. Prezi’s edge was even confirmed in a scientific study by Harvard psychologists a few years back.
The transition to Prezi Video might seem challenging initially, especially for those accustomed to traditional slide formats. However, as Szafranski advises, the key is to keep it simple. If you have PowerPoint slides, you can import them directly into Prezi Video, which can provide you with formats you’re familiar with. Focusing on the narrative you’re trying to tell and bringing a few key visuals onto the screen can promote more interactive, participatory presentations.
Making the Most of Hybrid and Remote Meetings with Prezi
With the return to office underway, hybrid meetings have become more prevalent. In such meetings, some participants are virtual while others are present in the office. To make these meetings more effective, Szafranski suggests using the screen well. By bringing content onto the screen, the playing field is leveled between those in the room and those attending virtually. This approach fosters participation and engagement, which is the ultimate goal of any meeting.
To foster participation and engagement, Szafranski suggests using Prezi’s icebreaker feature. This feature enables the host to put a question up on the screen and invite participants to answer directly on the screen. This simple and fun interaction can encourage participation, get the cameras on, and set the tone for an engaging meeting.
Internally, Prezi uses their own tool for weekly all-hands meetings, creating a cinematic and engaging experience for all employees. The ease of use and engaging nature of the product encourages other teams within the organization to adopt the tool, fostering a culture of engagement and participation.
As organizations grapple with the decision of returning to the office, using tools like Prezi Video can facilitate more flexibility. By making remote meetings feel more connected and personal, Prezi can help power the employee-driven movement towards flexible work.
The Future of Meetings
When asked about the potential integration of generative AI in Prezi, Szafranski expressed optimism. He believes that the combination of Prezi’s visual spatial rendering engine with generative AI’s ability to create narratives will result in more engaging and effective presentations. Prezi has the world’s largest library of publicly available presentations to train its AI as well as a massive library of reusable presentations, which will allow users to easily unlock the visual storytelling that Prezi’s cinematic 3D format provides. In this future scenario, Prezi’s unique format will stand out even more in a sea of lookalike presentations, offering a powerful tool to tell stories rather than merely transferring information.
As we navigate the new world of hybrid work, tools like Prezi can play a pivotal role in facilitating effective communication and fostering engagement in meetings. The future of work is here, and it’s up to us to make the most of it.
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