I’ve already moved my courses online two weeks ago, but I’ve been organising and participating in webinars for about 7 years now. I’ve experienced what it’s like to be a participant, with colleagues from all over the world, but also what it’s like to organise. Here are a few ideas for organisers to make things go well and for clients to recommend you. The same suggestions apply to one-to-one meetings.
1. Is this your first time organising? Make sure you are familiar with the technical side. What app you use, what features it has etc. Test with two friends that it works and what you can do: share screen (how they see your screen), if you can write questions or important points on the screen etc.
2. Have your laptop or phone positioned higher up on two paper tops or some other resource so that you are looking forward not down. Behind you should be a pleasant background that does not distract. Be dressed decently, like at the office. Remember to smile.🙂
3. Choose a maximum of three main points you want to convey. If you want to develop them in a presentation or have extensive information, send them in advance to the participants to read and discuss the unclear ones at the webinar.
If you want to teach them to do something “How to….” send instructions in advance, invite participants to try it and discuss specific cases in face-to-face interaction. They want practical and concrete examples, to benefit from your and other participants’ experience, not to receive information they can look up on the internet.
The materials you send out should be branded with your logo and website, it should be obvious that you have put time and energy into preparing them, you want to convey a professional image.
4. Invite participants to participate with the active camera. Those who sign up during this time want to connect and that happens best when we see each other. Plus it’s frustrating for you as a facilitator not to see the reactions of those participating, they are an indicator of where to go with the discussion.
5. Set the rules of conduct for the webinar. Ask if people have used the application before, tell how the microphone works, comments and any technical details needed. Make sure you allow time for this too. If you want you can pass this information on in the invitation to the webinar to save time and here just test with the participants that they understand and it works.
6. Participants to introduce themselves to create a connection, especially if it is on a specific area people will be interested in what function and experience the other participants have. If there are too many participants and time is limited, they can write their function and domain on the chat and the facilitator reads them out.
Online it’s harder to find that group energy but it can be done. You, as the facilitator, start by asking how you are doing, how you feel, and you also say honestly and authentically what the experience is like for you.
7. Invite participants to write down at the beginning why they are attending the webinar and what they want to come away with, so the meeting can be very interactive and engaging. Check at the end that all points have been covered.
8. When you ask a question leave more time for an answer and maybe write it down in chat or on interactive PPT to make sure everyone understands it. Sometimes the net doesn’t work well or a participant’s attention is distracted by the child 🙂 and misses the question.
9. Leave time at the end to read again what participants wrote that they want to learn from the webinar and make sure that all topics have been covered, i.e. ask this, don’t assume.
10. Make sure you stick to the time originally indicated for the webinar. When planning the information you want to convey, leave enough time at the beginning for the presentation and at the end for the conclusion, otherwise you will be stressed and the impact of the workshop will be lost. Plus, some people might not be able to sit still and the group energy created is destroyed.
Better less information thoroughly discussed and with a conclusion that ensures participants understand and still want more.
In a one and a half hour webinar, with 10 participants interacting, having questions and suggestions, time goes by very quickly. Make sure that the number of webinar participants allows you to deliver the promised information in the time allotted.
11. Couldn’t fit in time? Ask the participants if they prefer to freely discuss further on the topic that seems to be interesting and time consuming and skip another part or stop and change the topic. Don’t try to rush through everything and give up time to wrap up and check that everyone got the answer to the questions they had.
I also came across this resource https://www.mentimeter.com/ of interactive presentations yesterday and leave it for you to explore. We played with words at the end. Each participant wrote a word describing the workshop and they all appeared on the screen as an overview image. I really liked this method which replaces the offline end picture.
I am writing this article in the hope that I can contribute to improving the quality of the webinars offered. I am often in the position of a participant because I like to learn and learn new things and I want it to be quality time. Please share if you enjoy and found yourself in the above, either as an organizer or participant.