Putting on a successful webinar is no easy task. Every year, our digital event coordinator assists in the delivery of thousands of information sessions, and we can reassure you just because someone is an exemplary leader does not mean they are a great presenter.
A whopping 48% of attendees said that bad presenters made webinars less enjoyable, which is why it’s important to make sure your webinar presenter has the necessary skills and knowledge.When it comes to planning a webinar, one of the most important aspects of ensuring a successful experience is properly training the guest webinar participants for all of the opportunities that come with a live production. People are either blessed with good speaking skills or are doomed to be bad public speakers, according to popular belief. Most of what it takes to be a successful public speaker can be taught. Fully fascinating the audience is a skill that takes years of practice to master, but you can use the eleven public speaking tips below to enhance your presentation right away and get you on the right track.
We’ve compiled a list of ten best practice for adequately preparing your webinar speakers before, during, and after the event.
- Each webinar should have a practice session.
It is said that practice makes better. For a recurring webinar, three or four dry-runs might be excessive, but for each brand-new product webinar, and you are not communicating sufficiently if you are not making improvements and changes after each dry-run.
Dry-runs allow you to identify any material holes, ensure that the introduction transitions seamlessly across the webinar, and see if the webinar participants have any problems handling the webinar platform or connecting to audio.
- Clearly State your Content &Don’t Read a Script
Since script-readers can be quickly seen/heard and also lack the candidness of anyone speaking to an audience, reading directly from a script will not fascinate or allow you to create a direct relationship with the audience. A presenter should be able to demonstrate that they are completely informed about their subject matter and can effortlessly expand or go into greater detail when necessary. Make sure you immediately define the content of each topic you present, know when to expand on a topic, and know when and how to move on. With that in mind, be cautious not to go past the allotted time for your briefing, as doing so normally results in the audience tuning out.
- Make eye contact with your audience.
According to a new report on lecture memory span, the very first failures of different audiences occur within the first minute of a presentation.To hold your audience’s attention, start engaging with them right away. Asking them a query about oneself is one of the most effective ways to get their attention. “Raise your hand if you’ve ever…”, for example. Another way to attract the audience during a webinar is to invite them to participate in a survey. This not only keeps their focus, but it also helps you to get real-time input and thoughts on important issues.
- Engage the audience in conversation.
The first failures in audience concentration occur during the first minute of a talk, according to a recent report on memory span during lectures.To keep your audience’s attention, begin by engaging with them right away. Asking a personal question is one of the most effective ways to get their attention. "Raise your hand if you’ve ever…", for instance. Asking the audience to respond to a survey question is another good way to engage with them throughout a webinar. This not only keeps their focus, but it also helps you to get real-time feedback and perspectives on current events.
- Coach the webinar speakers about how to give a good presentation:
When there are enthusiastic and vibrant webinar participants, more people are likely to interact and pay more attention. If your webinar speakers’ discussions are entertaining, easy to understand, and include intervals of engagement, your webinar attendees may take notice.
Make sure the webinar speakers aren’t talking down to the audience or delivering a "death by PowerPoint" presentation. Similarly, ensuring that there must be something new to look at on the monitor every minute or so will keep attendees interested. Be certain that your webinar speakers don’t sound like they’re following a script. A monotone accent and those nails-on-the-chalkboard "um’s" should be avoided.
- Share your personal stories.
Presenters for webinars are chosen based on their real-world familiarity with the subject matter, so if you’re giving a webinar, aim to share some of your personal experiences with the audience. For instance, you may want to talk about how you implemented the principle you’re talking about in the workforce and the outcomes you got. This is material that attendees won’t find in a textbook or a blog post, which would possibly elicit audience questions, resulting in increased participation. Just make sure your stories don’t get too off track, and if they do, try to get them back on track as soon as possible.
- Make use of exaggerations in your tone of voice.
It’s crucial to use exaggerations in your tone, particularly in a webinar. Your webinar audience will remember you if you use slight exaggerations in your speech. With a little practice, you’ll find it difficult to be bored by your material. It’s difficult to be too theatrical; you might think you’re exaggerating and would like to calm things down, but your audience is more able to notice a presenter who is enthusiastic, entertaining, and lively.
- Confidently express yourself.
This is crucial if you want your viewers to listen and act on what you’re saying. Make an effort to use words that will add ‘color’ to your presentation. For instance, a "great product" can be transformed into "….what a wonderful brand…" As a result, please ensure your face features, movements, and body language reflect your belief in what you’re saying. A word of caution: don’t start lecturing your audience by speaking in this manner.
- On your webinar site, prepare guest webinar speakers.
Your webinar speakers can be needed to handle the webinar platform in certain cases. Whether it’s to advance their PowerPoint slides, type a question in the conversation, or silence themselves, they can do so. If your webinar speakers are unfamiliar with your webinar platform, you’re likely to get them confused if you don’t prepare and train them properly before the event. Similarly, if you have “technically challenged” webinar speakers, make sure you have several training sessions before they have it mastered.
- Make sure you have access to water.
Starting with the most obvious tip, but one that is often ignored – water is important for mental and physical health. Staying hydrated is linked to better brain activity, which improves concentration, memory, and attention. When you have a sudden urge to cough or a crackly throat, water can come in handy. Before you start your webinar, make sure you have a glass of water available.