How to Avoid Delivering a Boring Webinar
We've all been there - death by webinar. Eyes have glazed over, cameras have been switched off, a WhatsApp notification is the pinnacle of excitement. There's nothing worse than a online presentation to bore you into checking Facebook 'just one more time'. When you are presenting it's even worse - "is anyone even listening to me?"
Is this just how it is nowadays? We no longer benefit from the non-verbal communication that goes on in person so we just have to suck it up and find ways to distract ourselves through the boredom?
What Can I Do?
I'm here to propose a different strategy; one that suggests we have perhaps been a little lazy in our approach to repurposing in-person content for online delivery. Without the focus of people 'in the room' you do have to get a little creative to eek out some engagement from your precious audience; whether they be clients, team members or your board of directors.
Use the I's
Use your eyes and present 'to camera'. And then use these three I's...
1. INVOLVE
Don't forget about the people looking at their screens, wanting you to provide something out of the ordinary compared to the wall-to-wall zoom calls scheduled every day. Involve them! We all need something to DO on these calls and if you don't offer an activity then they'll find something else...unrelated to your material. Distraction is everywhere so offer an alternative. It could be a poll, a breakout room for discussion, a problem to solve (preferably relevant to your topic) but involve your audience.
2. INVITE
OK this one is similar to the last but it's so important to engage your audience that I'm using it anyway. Invite your audience to participate. Ask them a question, use the chat function to introduce everyone (saves time too). Remember those PE lessons at school when you're just waiting, waiting, waiting to get picked? It's the same principle here. People liked to be invited to get involved - so invite away! And don't be surprised when they take you up on it.
3. INJECT
No. Not illegal substances. Humour! Smile - after all, you're on camera. Even the most corporate and serious of audiences are still human. And given we are all dying of boredom online everyday, a little humour may just be the thing that makes your presentation stand out from all the rest. A quick word of caution though - when presenting cross-culturally just test out the joke beforehand to make sure you don't miss the mark completely. Using well-chosen remarks, images or quotes can lighten the mood and keep people looking at you and not their phone.
Let me know in the comments what you've noticed from the very BEST webinars, online presentations and meetings so far in 2020. Did the presenter involve, invite and inject humour? What else made it fun to attend?