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Webinars are a great way to develop a bond with a group of people that you want to connect with. It’s an efficient way to communicate complex concepts or to inspire people’s passions. It’s also a great platform for selling your products (so long as you provide a good education at the same time).
I’ve attended and presented at quite a few webinars, so I’m becoming pretty good at spotting the good, the bad and the ugly. I won’t claim complete innocence here because all webinar presenters end up with surprises, bumps and bruises.
Here are five surefire ways to screw up your next webinar.
1) Not covering what you promised (Bait and Switch)
I’ve actually seen bigger companies being the worst offenders here (for the accidental version). I think some companies plan webinars well in advance, including producing the marketing copy. Then the lucky stiff that gets to present wings it and creates what he or she thinks the audience might want to hear. Or their stock presentation has evolved and it no longer covers what it used to. Suddenly there’s a gap between the marketing and what actually gets delivered. This may be accidental bait and switch but it’s still a waste of an hour.
Of course, we all know about the marketers who tease us with the promise of exciting knowledge to come for an hour while they pitch their products the whole time. That’s an example of planned bait and switch and I hate that even more!
2) Having poor time management
In other cases, I’ve been to webinars where they spend most of an hour going through about 1/3 of a planned presentation. Then the presenter rushes to catch up in the last few minutes or skips most of the Q&A but finishes their presentation. Limiting Q&A can frustrate your audience who has patiently been waiting to clarify something or to ask that burning question.
Sometimes it’s best to skip some of your slides to get to the punchline and still save time for questions. Also, make sure you’ve practiced to check your timing. What do you think?
3) Forgetting to press record
Hey, it happens to all of us. But when it happens to you, you’re the schmuck for that day! You should record all of your webinars whether you’ve promised to make a replay available or not. It’s a great asset and replays allow you to get your message our repeatedly with very little additional effort.
My tip – put a bright sticky note right in the middle of your computer screen and don’t allow yourself to take it off until you’ve pressed record!
4) Spending 15 minutes to get rolling
We know that technology can cause issues. And we want to introduce our speakers (and possibly sponsors), but enough is enough! Make it your goal to get into the content as soon as humanly possible. Your attendees will thank you for it.
5) Reading your text-heavy slides
One of the worst experiences is to attend a webinar that has very dense, text-heavy slides that the presenter reads word-for-word. It feels like the world has gone in slow motion as you agonizingly read ahead and wait for the presenter to catch up!
Some ideas to help you fix this:
- Make sure to include visuals that you use as places to add additional talking points.
- For slides with mostly text, add additional interesting or helpful details and examples. Also, don’t read all of the text. For example, you can read the bullet point titles but not the explanations that follow.
- Consider having a co-presenter and give them carte blanche to comment or ask questions.
Are you doing Webinars?
Webinars (or teleseminars) are great ways to communicate, share, sell or educate. I highly encourage you to take the leap and give it a try with your audience (see my webinar process and tools). Make sure you do a couple of trial runs before going big-time and I hope these tips will help improve your webinars.
Also, to see an example of a webinar, don’t forget to sign up for my free Webinar at the Social Buzz Club this Thursday, July 26, 2012! I’ll be covering my webinar process in more detail then.
Are you doing webinars or just attending them? Share your worst webinar horror story in the comments below!
It’s okay to absolve your guilty conscience here.
Twitter: jackiepurnell
says:
Hey Tom
You’ve touched on somethings here that really get my goat. Bait and Switch which really makes you look like a complete douche..and Oh so loooong introductions. Most webinar providers give you the sign up page..why not put the info or links to the who you are and what you do and housekeeping there.
I’ve actually stopped listening to some webinars simply because they go through the same 15 minute introduction every single time.
Thanks for the tips, it certainly teaches you what not to do :)
Jackie recently posted..Brand Strategies: Lessons From Zag
Twitter: rtmixmktg
says:
Jackie. I know it! Sometimes I’m excited about a webinar coming up and I get baited and switched or they focus on the sale over the content. I’ve admittedly done a long intro (once!) but I learned my lesson quickly. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for sharing it!
Tom recently posted..How to Do a Webinar Using Free or Inexpensive Tools
Twitter: JasonAGroup
says:
Great resource here, Tom. I think its extremely vital for that recorded version considering timezones and availability. Makes a lot of sense to give everyone the chance to get in on what you are providing, even if they can make the scheduled time.
Would definitely like to see a post on the different options and routes one could take in starting or launching a webinar (providers, technical aspects, etc).
Jason Anthony recently posted..Stop Wasting Your Efforts And Start Getting Focused
Twitter: rtmixmktg
says:
Thanks Jason. I agree with you. The recording is often overlooked or under-emphasized but it’s important for the reasons you mention. Here’s my post on options and routes (including technical). Let me know if it’s helpful if you have a chance: http://www.rightmixmarketing.com/webinars-and-public-speaking/how-to-do-webinar-tools/
Tom recently posted..How to Do a Webinar Using Free or Inexpensive Tools
Twitter: JasonAGroup
says:
Awesome, man! Going to definitely utilize it!
Jason Anthony recently posted..Stop Wasting Your Efforts And Start Getting Focused
Twitter: hectoravellaned
says:
I havent actively done webinars although it something that I would definitely love to do int he future but I have definitely been on my fair share of them.
One of the things that does annoy me the most is your second point. There have been quite a few webinars Ive attended where this seems to always be the main problem.
The presenters spends too much time or goes off on a tangent presenting a topic and then leaves very little time for the reset of his presentation resulting in a race to the finish. I usually dont get too much from these presenters and often think twice about spending any time with them on future webinars.
Great points!
Hector Avellaneda recently posted..The Real Reason Why Gas Prices Are Rising!
Twitter: ryzeonline
says:
Awesome, Tom!
I particularly resonated with #4, I always want people to treat the webinar like a concert. I want them to have rehearsals. Some amazing webinars could really go the extra-mile if they were smoother.
I like this article, Tom, it’s one of the first I’ve seen on ‘good webinar practices’. Rock on :D
Jason Fonceca recently posted..Money Equals Love
Twitter: MightyWiseMedia
says:
Howdy Tom. Great tips here.
Big bummer on not pushing the record button. Yikes… have to watch out for that one.
And agreed on the slide presentation. Can’t believe some are still using 10pt font with 5,000 words per slide? Mind numbing to say the least.
Okay, I’m off to check out your additional resources for webinars. Thanks for sharing the wisdom! :-)
Eric
Eric T. Wagner recently posted..How to Break Out of Job Jail and Start Your Own Business – Part II
Twitter: deeankary
says:
Hi there,
I’ve run just a couple, though did loads for my day job. Preparation is key, together with actually avoiding text heavy slides. Not only do people read ahead anyway (and you lose them), but a visual is usually so much more effective.
Great post.
Dee
Dee Ankary recently posted..New Blog Traffic: Is Overnight Success Possible, Ahem, Overnight?
Twitter: mikegarner
says:
Recorded versions are really important because we don’t all live in the same timezone! And I do have a great ability to sign up for webinars and then forget about them. Effective promotion is essential.
As for content, the less on the slides the better. Webinars are online presentations after all. I’ve seen them with bullet point before now. Steve Jobs, one of the greatest presenters ever, used to get away with one, two or even no words and an effective picture, that’s all you need. Let your talking do the rest.
Mike Garner recently posted..If you’re not having fun in your business, you’re doing it wrong
Twitter: GemLThompson
says:
Thanks so much for this post Tom, I’ve been out of the office and on the road so much this week that I think it is definitely time for me to start webinars! I’ll be printing this off to use as a checklist to keep me on the right track!
Thanks again!
Gemma Thompson recently posted..Facebook … Are You Doing It Wrong??
Thanks Tom, for this very important guide. I just started doing webinars last Fall and I always love learning more so I make it the best presentation. Would love for you to look at the the next one which will be wednesday (3/28) and any and all feedback will be appreciated. It’s a free one and will be in replay mode so anytime is good. – Susan
Susan Newman recently posted..Tips on Branding, Color Attraction, and Believing You Can Achieve Your Goals
Thanks for sharing this. I think forgetting to press Record can cost you a lot if you’ve promised that you will provide archive videos to your client. Also scope & time management are also essential.