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Engage!How to Avoid the Seven Sins of

Live, Online Presentations

A 1080 Group Paper Prepared for Citrix Online

August2009

What You Will LearnDespiteagreementthatin‐personcommunicationremainsthemostinfluentialwaytotrain,market,andsell,toooftenthecostsoutweighthebenefits.Live,onlinepresentationsbridgethatgap.Onlinepresentationsinweb‐basedseminars(i.e.,“Webinars”)connectpresentersandaudiencesfromtheirdesktopsanywhereintheworldinrealtime,increasingthereachofkeymessageswhilereducingtravelcosts.Buttheopportunityofusingthismediumforcommunicationbringswithitanimportantquestion:Howdopresentersdeliverpowerful,engagingpresentationstoaudiencesnotsittingdirectlyinfrontofthem?Tounderstandhowpresentersarerisingtomeetthischallenge,1080Group,LLCconductedbothquantitativeandqualitativeresearchinMay‐June2009,surveyingmorethan600professionalsabouthowtoplan,design,anddelivereffectiveonlinepresentations.ThefindingsdemonstratethatusingWebinarshasbecomeamainstreambusinesspractice,thatcompaniesintendtocontinuetogrowtheiruseofthem,andthatpresenterscaneffectivelyreachremoteaudiencesbutneedtoavoidsomecommonmistakes.Thispaperwillhelponlinepresenters“stepuptheirgame”towardmoresuccessfuleventsbydelivering:

• Highlightsoffindingsfromtheresearchconducted• Sevencriticalmistakesmadewhenpresentingonline–andhowtoavoidthem

• AreferencechecklistforpresenterspreparingtopresentataWebinar

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Presenters Expect to Continue Growing use of Online Presentations

Webinars Have Reached the Tipping PointAmongrespondentssurveyed,91%haveattendedaWebinar,andinthenextsixmonthstheyexpecttogrowtheirownuseofWebinarsby148%,fromanaverageof2.1permonthto5.2permonth.

NineoutoftenrespondentshaveattendedaWebinar,and35%ofthosehavemadeoneormoreonlinepresentations

RespondentsatalllevelsofexperiencewithattendingorusingWebinarsagreedthatsavingtravelcostswasthetopbenefit(seesidebar).However,areviewoftheresponsesofthemostexperiencedWebinarpresentersindicatesthattheyagreewiththefirstbenefit,buttheyranksecondarybenefitsmorehighly:

• Savescostoftravel• Helpsusreachaudienceswewouldnototherwisereach• Allowsustotrainmoreemployeesorcustomers

TakeawayWebinarsarenolongeranoveltyusedbyafewearlyadopters.Foranyonewhoneedstoreachanaudiencewithamessage,thistrendlikelychangesthequestionfrom“ShouldIpresentusingWebinars?”to“WhenIpresentusingWebinars,whatamIgoingtodo?”

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Why use Webinars?• Save cost of travel• Save time away

from other duties• Add visual to a

conference call• Save

inconvenience of travel

1080 Group researchMay, June 2009

9%

59%21%

10%

1%

NeverattendedAttended,butneverpresentedPresentedoneorafewtimesActivelyusingWebinarsI’mapro

“Ease of Use” Cited as Top Success FactorSurveyrespondentswereshownalistof17differentitemsspanningfourpresentationcategories:content,design,delivery,andlogistics.AskedtorateeachitemintermsofimportancetothesuccessofaWebinar,thetopfoursuccessfactorsoverallwere:

• Easeofusewhenjoiningorparticipating• Qualityofthepresenter(s)speakingvoiceordelivery• Clarityofthemessageand/orcalltoactioninthepresentation• Invitationand/orregistrationpagecopythataccuratelydescribesthecontentoftheWebinar

TakeawayTechnologyisanenabler,makingitpossibletogainthebenefitsofWebinars.Butitshouldn’tgetinthewayofeffectivecommunication.Theessentialsofeffectivepresentationsstillincludedeliveringcontentthatisunderstandable,beneficial,andaccuratelycommunicated.

Top Growth Area:  “Keeping Attendees Engaged”OfrespondentswithexperiencepresentingatWebinars,“keepingattendeesengaged”emergedastheirtopconcern.WhenaskedtoratehowpreparedtheyfeeltosucceedusingWebinars(versuspresentingin‐person),thesesamepresentersrankedthemselveswiththelowestpreparedness.Furtherexploringthedata,presenterswhoidentifiedthemselvesasveryexperiencedatpresentingwithWebinarsratedthemselvesthehighestintheirpreparednesswithengagingonlineaudiences.TakeawayAllagreethatWebinarsoffermanybenefits,butpresenterswiththemostexperienceatpresentingonlinearethemostcomfortableengagingremoteaudiences.Engagingaremoteaudiencerequirespractice,andthegreatestrewardwillgotothosemakinganeffort.

How to Avoid the Seven Deadly Sins of Live, Online PresentationsToaccomplishyourobjectivewithalive,onlinepresentation,itisimperativetounderstandtheessentialelementsofsuccess.Thissectionidentifiescritical,butavoidable,mistakes,alongwithpracticalstepstotaketoaccelerateyourWebinarmastery.

Before Your Online PresentationMistake #1:  Not investing in the success of your online presentationNearlyhalfofrespondentsindicatedtheyspendmoretimeonin‐personpresentationsthanonlinepresentations.Yetwhenaskedtocomparetheir

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“The key is engagement, and engagement is talking with an audience, not just at them.”

Bettina DavisFormer Sr. Training Manager,Intel Corporation

preparednessforboth,theyrated“interactinginanengagingway”and“slidedesign”astheplacesthey’releastpreparedwhenitcomestoonlinepresentations.Thesesamerespondentsranked“savestimeawayfromotherduties”secondonlytosavingtravelcosts.Withthemostexperiencedonlinepresentersexperiencingthehighestlevelofbenefit,itappearsthatinvestingthetimesavedelsewhereintoexpandingone’sprofessionalskillswouldpayrichdividends.TakeAction

• Rememberthattheonlinemediumtransformshowmessagesaredeliveredandreceived

• Adoptaperspectiveof“adaptingtoanewcommunicationsenvironment”

• Investtimesavedelsewhereinyourselfandyouraudience

Planning Your Online PresentationMistake #2:  Not getting clear on what motivates your audienceUnderstandably,afrequentlyaskedquestionis“HowdoIgetpeopletoattend?”Greaterattendanceoftenmeansmoreopportunitytoimparttheknowledgeorskillsthathelpyoureachgoals.Whenaskedtoconsideronlinepresentationsfromanaudience’spointofview,respondentssentpresentersaclearmessageconcerningcontent,withthetoptwosuccessfactorsforonlinepresentationsbeing:

• “Clarityofthemessageand/orcalltoactioninthepresentation”• “InvitationorregistrationpagecopythataccuratelydescribesthecontentoftheWebinar”

Inviteesaremostlikelytoattendandengagewhentheyknowtheanswerto“Whatisinitforme?”Ifyoudon’tknowwhattheirmotivationsare,youwon’tbeabletocreatemessagesthatcompelthemtoaction.TakeAction

• Identifytheaudienceyouwantorneedtoattract• Identifythepainsorproblemsthataudienceismostlikelytotakeactiontosolve

• Developaclearpropositionbasedonwhatyouraudiencewantstohear,balancedwithwhatyouhavetosay

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“The best events are those that deliver actionable insights. Clearly explain how your event will help solve a problem—and then deliver on that promise—and attendees will beat a path to your door.”

Tim KoppChief Marketing Officer,ExactTarget

Mistake #3:  Failing to hone the focus of your presentationPresenterssometimeshaveatendencyto“squeezeitallin.”Researchconfirmsthatthisiscounter‐productive.Whenrespondentswereaskedtoidentifyfromanaudience’sperspectivethatwhichismostannoyingaboutapresenter’scontent,theirtopconcernswere:

• “Presentertriestocovertoomuch”• “Presenterdeviatesfromthemessage”

Influencingchangeonlyhappenswhenpresentersimpartknowledgeandskillsthatgetintotheaudience’slong‐termmemory.Butshort‐termmemorylimitshowmuchcanberememberedandabsorbedatatime.Afteridentifyingthechallengesthatmotivateyouraudience,itisimperativetofocusonthefewkeypointsthatwillhavegreatestimpact.Webinarsoftwareuniquelyenablesonlinepresenterstocontinuelisteningandlearning,honingthatfocusastheaudienceregistersandparticipates.TakeAction

• Ask,“Iftheaudienceonlyremembersafewkeypoints,whatshouldtheybe?”

• Cutoutwhatdoesn’tclearlysupportthosekeypoints• Useregistration,polls,surveys,andothertoolstosharpenyourfocus

Designing Your Online PresentationMistake #4:  Thinking in words instead of ideas and imagesAudienceswillrememberyourkeypointsmoreeffectivelyifthereisemotionalimpact.Sincethechangeof‘environment’increasestheimportanceofyourpresentationslides,youwilloptimizetheimpactofyourpresentationwhenyouoptimizeitsvisualimpact.Imageshavethecapabilitytoinduceemotion,tellastory,orillustrateapointmorequicklyandeffectivelythanwords–assumingtheyarerelevant.Whensurveyedaboutdesign,thetopsuccessfactoridentifiedbyrespondentswas“useofrelevantimages.”Thinkingvisually,however,doesn’thavetomeaneverythingisanimage.Chartsordiagramsmayservethesamefunction.Thepropositionremainsthesame:showing,versustelling,tomakeapointincreasesunderstandingandimpact.TakeAction

• Identifywhatthepointyouaremakingmeanstotheaudience• Brainstormpossibleimagesorgraphicsthatengagetheaudiencevisually,tellyourstory,andimproveyourimpact

• Chooseimagesorgraphicsthatareeasilygraspedandpersuasive

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“Because of what we know about the limits of working memory, presenters today have to make fewer, more important points and find more engaging ways to present them.”

Cliff Atkinson, author Beyond Bullet Points

Mistake #5:  Producing an “online slide show”Inonlinepresentations,thefocalpointoftheaudienceshiftsfromyouatthefrontoftheroomtotheircomputerdesktops.Improvingthevisualimpactofyourpresentationisimportant,butfocusingonlyongreatslidesmissesanopportunitytoturnviewersintoactiveparticipants.Anaudienceengagedwithaudio‐visualcontentismorelikelytoretaintheinformationthanfromalecturealone,andthoseengagedwithsometypeofactivityareevenmorelikelytoremember.Webinarsoftwareincludestoolsthataccommodatedifferentstylesofbringinganaudienceintothediscussion.Whenapproachedintentionally,polls,Q&A,chat,surveys,hand‐upindicators,andattentionindicatorsenableonlinepresenterstoengage,dialogue,and“keepaneyeon”theirremoteaudiences.TakeAction

• Thinkthroughhowyouengageanaudiencewheninpersonandmapthoseactivitiestoanewsetoftools

• Identifychangesandnewopportunities• Increasethefrequencyofinteractionoverwhatyouwoulddeliverface‐to‐face

Mapping Presentation Tools and Skills

In Person Live Webinar

Projector Desktopsharing,webtours

Whiteboard Annotationanddrawingtools

Keepinganeyeonyouraudience Attentivenessindicator,hand‐upindicator,questionmanager

Audiencefeedbackorgroupdiscussion

Audio:phone/VoIPWritten:Q&A,chat

“Showofhands”fromaudience Hand‐upindicator,polls

Collaboration Chat,Q&A,sharedwhiteboard,shareddesktops,sharedkeyboardandmousecontrols

Handouts Documentsharing

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“As an experienced distance educator, I know that interaction is a key factor in motivation. As a participant, if I know in advance I'll have a chance to get a real question answered by the presenter, I’m far more likely to attend the live event.” 

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC, Coach and best-selling author of The Garden of the Soul: Lessons from Four Flowers that Unearth the Self

Winner: Microsoft UK Innovative Teacher of the Year Award (2005)

Delivering Your Online PresentationMistake #6:  Not presenting to peopleWhenitcomestopresentationdelivery,theoverwhelmingannoyancesofrespondentswere:

• “Presenterreadswhatisontheslides”• “Presenterreadsascript”

Theclearmessagetoonlinepresenters:“Talkwithme.”Inpersonwemorenaturallylookatouraudienceandoccasionallyglanceatournotes.Online,wedon’thavetheaudienceinfrontofus,perhapsincreasingthelikelihoodofstaringattheslideandreadingwhatisonit.Thesolutionistolearnanewwaytokeepyoureyeonyouraudience.Likeapilotwholearnstoflybothbyinstinctandbyinstruments,successfulonlinepresentersconnectwiththeiraudiencesbylearningtousethefeedbacktoolsavailableinWebinarsolutions–andrespondinginreal‐timetocuesfromtheaudience.TakeAction

• Valueauthenticityoverperfection• Connectwithrealaudiencemembersbymaking“eyecontact”withfeedbacktools

Mistake #7:  Forgetting your virtual “body language”After“easeofuse,”thesecondhighestratedsuccessfactoroverallwas“qualityofthespeaker’svoiceordelivery.”Conversely,afterthetopannoyancesmentionedpreviously(readingslidesorscripts),respondentsnoted“presenterdoesnotvaryinpitchandtempo”asthenextmostannoyingdeliverytrait.Theaudiencemightnotseeyouin‐person,buttheystillhaveanaudio‐visualexperiencebasedonwhatyoudeliver.Thesolution–andyouropportunitytoincreaseyourimpact–isnotonlytoavoidamonotonedelivery,butalsotogivetheaudienceaconnectionwithvisualmovement.TakeAction

• Rehearse,record,andlistentoyourself.Webinarsolutionsmakerecord/playbackpush‐buttoneasytoself‐assess

• Useannotationtoolsandpointerstogivevisualdirection

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“Don't READ your presentation. It's tempting, because the audience can't actually SEE you. But still your voice will have a flat, toneless quality that will turn your audience off.”

Ann HandleyChief Content Officer,MarketingProfs

The Bottom LineOnly6%ofover600surveyrespondentssaidtheirbudgetincreasedinrecentmonths,while74%ofsurveyrespondentsnotedtheirbudgetshavedecreasedor“stayedthesame,butthereispressuretoreduce.”Giventhis,therapidgrowthofusingWebinarstoconnectwithprospects,customers,trainees,andemployeesisnotsurprising.Andthemessagetheysendtopresentersatlive,onlineeventsisuniversal:“Icanbeengaged,evenifI’mnotsittingrightinfrontofyou.”

Plan audience-centricityYouwillattractandengageanaudiencewhenyoucreateacompellingvalueforthemontheirterms.Becomecrystalclearaboutwhatmotivatesthem,honethefocusofyourmessage,anddeliverexactlywhatyoupromise.

Design experientiallyRememberthattheonlinemediumtransformshowamessageisdeliveredandreceived.Withalittlelearningandplanning,Webinarscandeliverapowerfulaudio‐visualconnection.Thinkvisuallytoconnectemotionally,anddesigninteractivityintoyourpresentationtoturnaudiencesintoactiveparticipants.

Deliver authenticallyAudiencesknowifyou’recommunicatingatthemorwiththem.UsethetoolsinyourWebinarsolutiontokeepaneyeonyouraudienceandmonitortheirattention.Keepthemengagedwithvirtualbodylanguage,combiningyourWebinartoolswithyourmostpowerfulasset,yourauthenticvoice.

* * *

About1080Group,LLCRogerCourvilleistheauthorofTheVirtualPresenter’sHandbookandsought‐afterspeakeronimprovingproductivityusingliveonlinecommunications.Rogeristheprincipalat1080Group,LLC,anindependenttrainingandconsultingfirmthathelpscompanieslearnandoptimizeonlinepresentationsandWebseminars,andhisreal‐worldexpertiseisbackedbythatoftheseasonedprofessionalsat1080Group–whotogetherhaveworkedwithhundredsofclientsonthousandsofeventsinvolvingmorethanamillioneventattendees.

Additional1080GroupResourceswww.TheVirtualPresenter.com‐Roger’sblogandbooksitewww.WebSeminarTips.com‐Webseminarproductiontipswww.WebSeminarToolkit.com‐toolsforWebseminarproducerswww.twitter.com/1080Group‐RogeronTwitter

©20091080Group,LLC.Allrightsreserved.Thisdocumentmaynotbereproducedinanymannereitherwhollyorinpartforanyusewhatsoeverwithoutexpresswrittenconsentfrom1080Group,LLC.

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Online Presentation ChecklistKeepthischecklistasareference.

Step Key Questions

Identifyyourtargetaudienceandthepainstheyaremostlikelytotakeactiontosolve

Whoisyouridealaudience?Whataretheirwants,needs,ordesires?Whichpainsoropportunitiesforsuccesswillmotivatethemtotakeaction?

Developaclearproposition Willtheaudienceunderstandclearlywhatyouwillbehelpingthemachieve?WillthesepropositionscommunicateeffectivelyintheinvitationorontheWebinarregistrationpage?

Identifyafewkey,memorablepoints

Iftheaudienceonlyremembersoneorafewkeyideas,whatwilltheybe?Arethereregistrationquestions,polls,orsurveysthatcanhelpyousharpenyourfocusbeforeorduringtheWebinar?

Designyourslidesbythinkingvisually

Whatisthekeypointyouaremakingonaslide?Whatimages,graphics,orchartswouldhelptomakethatpoint?Istheimageeasilygraspedandpersuasive?

Designanaudio‐visualexperiencefortheaudience

Haveyouthoughtthroughhowyouwouldengageanaudiencewhenin‐person?Haveyouidentifiedwhatformsofengagementdonottranslatetotheonlineenvironment?Whatelementstransform?Whatnewopportunitiesdoestheonlineenvironmentgiveyouthatwerenotpossiblein‐person?Howcouldyouincreasethefrequencyofinteractivitytokeepyouronlineaudiencemoreengaged?

Deliveryourpresentationtopeople,nottoyourcomputer

Areyoucommittedtotheideathatyouraudiencevaluesyourauthenticitymorethanyourperfection?Haveyourehearsedyourpresentationsothatyouarenottemptedtoreadwhatisontheslides?WhatWebinartoolswillyouuseto“keepaneyeon”youraudience?

Rememberyourvirtualbodylanguage

Areyouspeakingnaturally,asyouwouldtoatrustedcolleague?Haveyouidentifiedwhichtools(e.g.,annotations,pointers,highlighters,etc.)youfeelmostcomfortablewithsoyoucandirectyouraudience’sattention?

Foradditionalideasabouteffectiveonlinepresentations,visitwww.TheVirtualPresenter.com

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