Punctuate our monologue with stage changes in any presentation and meetings. Think about how long the average attention span is for the audience.
Podcast: Persuasive communication and managing up | Wes Kao (Maven, Seth Godin, Section4)
Why are most Zoom meetings draining? Why do we so quickly get distracted and want to turn off our cameras when listening to an online presentation? The average attention span is too short to bear a long monologue.
Stage changes are anything that shakes your audience awake and adds some variety. Some practical examples are asking a question, having someone else chime in and speak, putting something in the chat box, and pulling out a poll before we reveal something.
Wes mentioned in the podcast that the average attention span for students is two to four minutes. Though we can get many different numbers through google, the main point is clear: try to avoid monologue as much as possible.
You can learn more from Wes's article: The State Change Method: How to deliver engaging live lectures on Zoom.