The use of webinars as a way to engage prospects and generate revenue is growing in popularity. With several quality applications available for very reasonable prices any consultant or small business owner can leverage this dynamic medium.
There are several best practices for creating captivating webinars. Compelling content, questions and polls that engage the audience and a dry run are just some examples of best practices. I highly recommend learning from the experts, yet I think that lack of professional advice is not what holds many of us back from embarking on the webinar adventure. Creating a live event on the web is nerve-wracking! Writing a blog takes time (longer for some of us J than others) but at least you can walk away from your computer to think, edit and proofread before publishing. Live events are, well, live!
Moderating webinars is not my professional expertise yet I have led several. While I am diligent about preparation I’ll admit I have had some surprising experiences. Here are just a few of the mishaps I have encountered that no one ever warned me about:
– No dial tone on my phone just I am initiating the call
– My dog has a loud nightmare, yelping in his sleep curled up at my feet
– Neighbor, who is rarely home mid-day, starts up his chain saw to cut up a fallen tree just outside my window.
– Speaker’s phone starts cutting out every 20 seconds, even though was fine during pre-call test
– Webinar application seizes up and all connectivity is lost.
I moderate webinars from my home office so while some of casino online these may not apply if you are in an office setting they may shed light on what is really going on behind the scenes.
So how did dgfev online casino you survive these situations? Expect the unexpected.
– Phone in earlier at least 30 minutes in advance. You’ll need it.
– Check your phone and Internet access early and often, even if you have never had issues in the past.
– Close all your windows.
– Silence your phones.
– Share emergency phone numbers between moderators and speakers.
– Have a hard copy of the presentation and a backup plan should anyone lose connectivity.
– Keep a glass of water nearby for a dry throat.
– Smile, breathe and keep a sense of humor!
I write this not to deter you from doing a webinar, but to provide comfort in knowing you are not alone. Taking the leap into the world of webinars is exhilarating and worthwhile.
And for your final preparation, join our webinar on June 1 with Kristin Baier, a certified eLearning Instructional Designer. She will go beyond preparing for unexpected mishaps and teach how to use e-learning to share your knowledge and generate revenue.
Too true; most of the same applies to remote research sessions and interviews too.
In addition, I highly recommend having a colleague moderating the chat and Q&A aspect of a Webinar – allowing the presenter to better focus on their teachings, and engaging users both with content presented and the ability to interact with others.
Great suggestion Lisa. A moderator can deal with those unexpected challenges and let the speaker relax. A dialogue between the speaker and moderator can also make it easier to engage the audience.