Important Considerations before and during a Webinar
A friend took me to a presentation by someone who works in a museum. The museum guy spoke passionately about composition, point of view, use of color - the usual things out of the toolbox of a designer or artist. I could follow him perfectly but suddenly realized because of my friend’s comments that it was expert babble. For creative minds as clear as glass, for others completely gibberish.
Who is your audience?
For my book about presentations, I interviewed a dozen experts. They all had different expertise, hence different tips. Yet one tip they all had in common: “know your audience”. This includes areas as background, education, or interest.
It’s one of the most difficult aspects of presenting. If you talk way over people's heads, you will miss your mark. If you approach them at a knowledge level that is too low, you run the risk of causing irritation.
Webinars are a great way of discovering how your information comes across. Your audience is invisible, sometimes even anonymous. The threshold for leaving the webinar is low. Those who don't like it press the Leave button.
Prepare substantially
Opinions are divided on preparation. Some say you shouldn’t because it takes away spontaneity. Others - including me - argue you cannot prepare enough. The danger of practicing too much is that you will scoop up a lesson learned by heart, but as long as you are aware of it, it will work out.
The risk of poor preparation is that you will lose the point or give a chaotic presentation. Something that would be the biggest nightmare for me as a perfectionist.
On the other hand, it is also good to realize that your audience does not know what you wanted to say, so if you forget something, so be it. As long as you don't tell them that you have forgotten something, nobody will notice.
Win your audience by keeping your promises
Make your presentation shorter than you announced.
First, your story always takes longer in reality than it did in preparation. Due to circumstances, you start too late or something unexpected happens during your story.
Second, if you take less time than announced, you will make a lot of friends in the audience. If your presentation takes more time, many people will become irritated and no longer pay attention.
Third, you save time for a Q&A.
An hour to fill
People can concentrate well on a topic for an average of 15 to 20 minutes, so if you plan for a long webinar, alternate your story with a video or a conversation with the attendees.
A webinar of 45-60 minutes could have this build-up:
- Introduction
- Opening (what is it about and why are you qualified to talk about it)
- Content (one to three points you want to make)
- Interaction (asking questions or doing an exercise)
- Call-to-Action or conclusion
18 Minutes seems to be ideal
Limit your webinar to one point. For example, you can choose from:
- Tell about a common goal
- Tell about a problem and how you would solve it
- Ask and elaborate on a rhetorical question
- Define a position (controversial or not)
- Tell a story or anecdote
- Weigh two things that agree or contrast against each other
- Tell about a favorable result of a product
How to start?
Options for your starting point are:
- Silence
- A quote
- Recall something from the past or sketch a future
- Tell something special
- Make a bold statement
The best opening I have ever heard was from Jane Monegal: “I am going to increase the lives of every person in this room by seven and a half minutes”.
She lived up to that bold statement, so it wasn't just the sentence that impressed me.
Closing well is just as important as starting well
- Make a circular motion back to your opening
- Repeat the most important things
- Call to Action
- End with an inspiring sentence
- Make an offer
Do you present webinars? What’s your tip?
xxx
Hannie
Related
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/hmommers/blog/when-webinars-were-called-powerpoint-presentations
Recent Comments
29
This is great information, Hannie! For me, webinars are way down on the to-do list...grin.
I've listened to a ton of webinars, and if the presenter is not prepared, I won't stay long because I will lose interest.
There is a format, as you laid out, and if the presenter stays too long in one point, that becomes stale.
Im there because I want to learn about the product and it's benefits to me, right? Why else would I attend?
What I like is the replay.
Because it is recorded, I can go over points again, or skip over the parts I've already heard and don't need to hear again.
Do you record your webinars, Hannie?
I look forward to reading your book.
Rudy
Oh, Rudy, I am flattered. Unfortunately, my book is in Dutch and sold out anyway. But don't worry. The 2 articles I wrote about webinars so far are excerpts in English from that book.
In the past, when I did my webinars, I recorded them, yes. One of the goals was to collect email addresses, which I would receive if people wanted to see the recording. The energy is different for me as a presenter when people are attending live, as you can understand.
The webinars were in Dutch as well and when I retired and emigrated I unsubscribed from the provider. Your question is interesting. I have never thought about it and wouldn't even know if I have downloaded them back then. Hmm, I should have a look.
Thanks, Rudy :)
Sure! You're welcome, Hannie!
I thought you were currently doing webinars, and I must have missed that you had done them years ago...grin.
Your articles really provide the information needed, especially with society forced to rely on video communication, a double edge sword, when you consider the options to make money online through video presentations....
Rudy
Hi Hannie I think you have laid out the entire concept to the conclusion of a webinar quite well. Do you get good conversions from the webinars that you do?
I retired 3 years ago, so at the moment I don't do webinars. In the past, I have done live presentations and webinars and yes, that went well.
Being an affiliate blogger is a whole new adventure for me. As soon as I have a feel for what I am doing I intend to do webinars again. I loved it.
xxx
Hannie
LOL, nice way of putting it. I keep saying I am retired, which I am not anymore in reality of course. It's nice to do something different though.
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Webinars - you did a follow up to the earlier blog post- awesome 👍 I get to digest and collate more info on this - a bit ahead of the curve for me at the moment- but something I intend to do in the future. Much appreciated 😊
Marvelous, Chris, I hope it helps :)