VIRTUAL TRAININGCindy Huggett, CPTD
When a virtual session doesn’t hold participant attention, the problem is likely to go beyond the content or the technology – it may be the words. While facilitators focus on perfecting slides and mastering technology, they often miss the most powerful tool for virtual engagement: the words they speak.
In a virtual environment, participants are distracted by their surroundings and may or may not be fully engaged in the session. When these distractions compete for participant attention, it’s the facilitator who can capture interest in the virtual environment. The facilitator’s language can encourage participation and involvement.
Here are five phrases that the best virtual facilitators and presenters use on a regular basis:
This phrase serves a two-fold purpose. For engaged participants, it builds anticipation and keeps attention focused forward. For those who’ve stepped away mentally or physically, it signals something new is coming and gives them time to re-engage.
Either way, you’re pulling people back into the program instead of losing them to distractions.
For instance, “In a moment we will move into breakout rooms to discuss your biggest challenge with this topic” gives participants time to mentally prepare and signals a transition. Compare this to abruptly announcing “Okay, everyone into breakouts now,” which can catch people off guard.
After asking for chat responses, most facilitators either talk too soon (while people are still typing) or wait too long (wondering if anyone else will respond). Without visual cues, you can’t tell who’s actively working versus who’s finished.
This phrase eliminates the guesswork and gives you a clear signal when it’s time to move forward.
You can adapt this for different platforms: “Give us a thumbs up when you’ve added your response to the whiteboard” or “Click the green checkmark once you’ve finished the poll.” The key is to create a clear signal that removes guesswork for both you and participants.
Sharing your session topic is important. What separates engaging facilitators is the “because it will help you” portion.
Participants need to know what’s in it for them within the first few minutes. Will this save them time? Solve a recurring problem? Make a difficult conversation easier? When you connect content to their immediate challenges, attention follows.
Instead of “Today we’re covering performance feedback,” try “Today we’re covering performance feedback because it will help you have those difficult conversations without stress and get better results from your team.” The benefit statement immediately answers the participant’s internal question: “What’s in this for me?”
This phrase turns passive observers into active participants. Instead of only hearing from the bold few who are willing to talk, you’re expecting everyone to engage.
The magic is in them typing “all good.” It gives quiet participants an easy way to participate while showing that everyone is connected and following along.
You can vary this phrase to make it sound more natural. For example, you might say, “Type your question or just type a period if you’re ready to move on” or “Add your questions in chat, or give us a wave if you’re all set.” The goal is ensuring every participant has an expected response, not just those with a question.
When used in context, it sounds something like this: “What word comes to mind when you think of this topic? Let’s use chat for this response, and since there are 15 of us, let’s get 15 responses.” Or, it could be, “Using the whiteboard annotation tools, let’s brainstorm a list of challenges so that we can learn to overcome them. We’ve got 12 participants, so let’s list out at least 12 challenges.”
This phrase sets clear participation expectations without sounding demanding. By matching responses to participant count, you’re making involvement feel natural and expected rather than optional. The collaborative language (“let’s get” vs. “I need”) maintains adult learner autonomy while ensuring everyone contributes. It’s specific enough to drive action but supportive enough to avoid resistance.
One reason this approach works is because it makes participation feel collaborative rather than demanded. It’s a comfortable invitation.
These five phrases work because they address the core challenges of virtual facilitation: unclear expectations, invisible engagement cues and the constant pull of distractions. They’re not magic words, but strategic word choices that create structure while maintaining collaboration.
The facilitators who consistently run engaging virtual sessions don’t rely on charisma or expensive tools. They use intentional phrases that capture and keep participant attention in virtual environments.
Choose one (or more) of these phrases in your next virtual class and notice the difference they make.
Cindy Huggett, CPTD, is a consultant and author whose books include The Facilitator’s Guide to Immersive, Blended and Hybrid Learning and Virtual Training Tools and Templates. Email her at Cindy@CindyHuggett.com or connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/cindyhuggett/.