Webinars Are Easy
Really. They are. But it's like anything else new to you, you'll be nervous at first.
The secret is to be prepared.
Just like speaking in public or conducting a workshop, you must know what you're talking about inside and out. Honestly, my experience has been that the more I know my topic the much smoother and more informative the webinar is for the attendee.
Now, having said that, here's my cheat: I script the webinar. Yes, I do. I use PowerPoint for imaged and bullet points, and beneath each slide I script what I want to say. Then I read the script as I present the webinar.
Why?
Because it helps me to remove the annoying umms and uhhhs from my speaking. It keeps me focused. And it's a much better experience for the audience. It's not like I'm reading something cold! When I prepare for a webinar I practice to be certain I've covered all the points I need to and that each slide transitions correctly to the next. There have been times when I was ready but the host wasn't! When I was prepared to present a PowerPoint and simply narrate, but the host preferred that I go live with Q&A. Not a problem. Why? because I still know the material it will simply be presented in a different way.
The tool I use for webinars is MeetingBurner and can highly recommend it. I like it because it doesn't require the attendee to download anything except Java. Check it out yourself and see what you think.
Well, you judge for yourself. Here's last week's webinar Introduction to Social Selling. You tell me if it sounds stilted and awkward because I'm reading a script. Or, if it sounds pretty natural and that it shows that I know my stuff. Really. I've love to hear your thoughts so comment below.