Presenting Online | Warwick Merry CSP CVP

Archive For: Presenting Online

5 Keys to An Awesome Online Session

How can you give your Zoom Sessions Zest?
How can you make your Webex Sessions Wonderful?
How can you Get Your Goto Sessions Groovy?

It is not just Eventprofs and Conference crews who are running online events. In the current world order, online sessions are the new norm. We are running them for family, friends, oh and work too!

But there is a big difference to just “jumping online” and running an Awesome event! More of my clients are asking me to produce the whole sessions, technically as well as the content, because they know they need to take it up a notch.

From my experience, here are the 5 Key Elements you MUST get right (in no order of importance):

1) Timing

Face to face or online, it doesn’t matter. You must get the timing right. Stick to time, honour those who turned up on time, and keep to the run sheet. For online events, it is even better to make your 1 hr speakers 40 mins. Faster is better and you don’t need the extra time for the physicality you had on stage.

It seems that with online events, you can achieve your goals faster. If you allocate an hour to a meeting, it will take an hour. Change it to 45 minutes. You will keep peoples attention, give yourself a break between items and achieve more if you condense it.

2) Get Your Audio Right

I don’t care if I can’t see you fully but if your sound is bad, I will disconnect from the call. Tweak the room, tweak the mic, tweak the settings but get the sound right.

More often than not, it is the room and not the microphone. If you have polished floor boards, bare walls or lots of windows, you will get a stack of echo. Often a big run, some bedding hung on cupboard doors, changing rooms or simply using your ear buds will make a big difference.

Be aware, asking “what microphone should I use” is like asking what dog should I pat. They all have their good points and they all have a different purpose. While there are plenty of good value microphones out there, not everyone one of them will suit your set up or how you want to use it.

3) Make it Interactive

You are competing with Facebook and Email. Only by getting people to do things, play more, poll, or respond will you keep their attention and keep them awake.

Be creative and use the features of the system you are using. Try polling, breakout rooms, changing your name, turning camera on and off, random items on peoples desks. You will be amazed at what you can do.

4) No Dead Air

Dead Air is when there is nothing happening. This can be visual but is usually more audio based. When people join a meeting if nothing is happening they may think it is their system, they may tune out or they may even think things aren’t starting yet so go and make a drink.

During the session Dead Air may indicate the speaker has a problem, has their internet cut out, has MY internet cut out, do I need to log out and in again?

Dead air will kill the session. Channel your inner DJ. When the session is starting welcome people as they come online. It is like you are hosting a dinner party. Welcome and introduce them. If you don’t know them just welcome them. Ask an innocuous question like what is their favourite hot drink.

This works on bigger events too and trains people how to use the chat box. Getting people active straight away helps break the ice and make your event more enjoyable.

5) Have Fun

The Minister for Fun once said to me, “If it is not fun, don’t do it. If you have to do it, make it fun.” This is particularly true of online sessions.

Too many of them are unnecessarily dry and boring. Too many of them send you to sleep. Too many of them make you wish you had skipped it and just watched the recording.

Online is the new normal. Add some simple fun elements and your sessions will be sought after. You will stand out.

Need some help? Get in touch and I will work with you to make your next online session AWESOME!

Are you looking for the secret of Webex sessions?

How about how to deliver fantastic Goto Webinar courses?

Why not the tips and tricks of Zoom sessions?

The fantastic news is it is not about the technology. In fact is has NEVER been about the technology. Let’s face it, there are a stack of technologies available and I am sure there are plenty more in the pipeline.

In fact, here are some of the technologies currently available:

Goto Meeting
Goto Webinar
CyberLink U Meeting
Zoom Meeting
Zoom Webinar
Bluejeans
Google Hangouts Meet
Google Hangouts
Lifesize
Skype
FreeConference
Cisco Webex Meeting
Facetime

There is no way you will be able to master all of these. The rate of change of this technology is vast. New features are included all the time. And the good news is, you don’t have to.

The great news is that it is not about the technology.

It is not even about you!

It is AAAALLLLLL about the audience.

So keep them busy. Keep them engaged. Keep them on the edge of their seats. Here are some ways to deliver fabulous and effective presentations:

Lots of slides: My average is one per second – (a slide with 4 points becomes 4 slides)

Make it interactive: polls, questions, responses in the chat, favourite coffee, biggest problems – fun questions.

Make it fun: Even if you are presenting academic delight – find a way to make it fun

Give more energy: one of the biggest things is you don’t have the audience of the crowd to energise the room. It is all you. So use voice tone variations, pacing differences and even movement. I will lean into the camera and whisper!

Ask better questions: Make the audience actual think and reflect. Token questions just don’t cut it.

Just a few ideas to help you perform better online.

If you need any further help, get in touch and we can make your next online session stand out!

Who is the best online presenter in Australia?
Who is the best online host in Australia?
How can I tell who is the best?

Now that the world has moved to online events and meetings, people are looking for who is the best, most effective, and best value for money online speaker.

Some traditional speakers or managers are struggling with the transition to online. They are just doing the same old thing but online. This simply doesn’t work.

Our engagement techniques are different. We can’t just treat the camera as if it is the person in the room and present to it. Our attention spans are shorter. Our presence is more intense. So things have shifted.

Your position at the event is different. If you are sitting up the back of the room in a meeting or in the crowd at a conference, there is a level on anonymity FOR THE SPEAKER or MANAGER! Now you are UP FRONT AND CENTRE!

People watching you on the screen, be it laptop, desktop, mobile or tablet, see you all under the microscope. So you have to be able to connect with them.

The energy in the room is different. In a physical room the people are bringing energy to the room. In a virtual room, it is just you! So you have to channel your inner Radio DJ. Essentially hold the entire energy of the conversation rather than just feel like you are talking into space.

You gotta make it fun. That doesn’t mean you have to be a stand up comedian but making a session fun is the best way to engage people. A simple smile on their face makes them pay attention to what is going on. You can also be professional as you are having fun – so don’t think that your whole organisation has regraded into chaos just because you are adding the fun!

So when you are looking for people to present or host (naturally I would recommend my good self!) make sure they have a history of presenting online. Make sure they have adapted their style to presenting online and just aren’t doing the same old same old. Make sure they have the energy you are after.

So as well as seeing a promotional video, I would highly recommend you connect with them online and see how they are one on one.

So who do you think is the best online presenter or host in Australia?

Please get in touch if I can help you or your event.

tired overworked businesswoman at office covering her face with hands, business content,business concept and selective focus.

What are the biggest mistakes people make on Webinars?

How can you avoid the virtual meeting errors others make?

How can you make your online presentation more engaging or just BETTER?

With Corona Virus/COIVD-19 there has been a stampede to get online. Get meetings, conferences, presentations and just catchups all online. You can use Facebook Live, Zoom, GOTO Webinar or whatever technology you want. But it is not the technology that matters!

I have been chatting with my colleagues and asking them what are the biggest mistakes you have seen presenting on line. If we can short cut our learning process and not make these mistakes ourselves, we will be more effective.

Many of these issues are reflected in face to face meetings and events as well, so they will not come as a surprise.

So here is what NOT to do:

Ignore the Timing

If you say start at 3pm then start on time. Maybe give a minute or two but get started on time. Also end on time. If you announce a 1 hour meeting, run it for one hour. If you need to go over, ask permission or allow it to be optional.

Have a Long Time

When running an online meeting, the distractions are magnified. So many people have the meeting running while they are doing something else (I am on a webinar as I write this.) So don’t waffle on. Less is best. If it used to be a one hour meeting, make it 30 minutes. You won’t hold their attention so don’t expect to.

Be Boring

You have to channel your inner radio host. If you are the manager, you have to get people engaged. This means start the meeting early and start chatting. How are we feeling, what’s your favourite coffee, who’s wearing pants!?!? Whatever, start with a bit of fun. Remember, the only thing worse than being boring is dead air (see next one).

Dead Air

On radio, dead air is almost forbidden. Nothing is worse. In fact, many radio stations have built in that if there is dead air for a short period, a message kicks in. So saying, “We are just going to wait for the others to join us” and paauuuuuuse is a killer. You have to learn how to Waffle Relevantly.”

Go Slowly

Our ability to consume has increased – it has had to with the bombardment of media out there. So speed up. Talk a little faster than conversationally, only use pauses for effect, use more slides and change them rapidly, and give more energy. You will get higher engagement when you are able to convey information in this way.

Have No Idea About The Tech

I get the technology is new. I get you have a lot on. But you need to be comfortable with it. Run a practice session. Spend time inviting people on and off as guest presenters. Watch other videos on how to use the system. But if it becomes horribly apparent that you don’t know what you are doing, we will tune out. Even if you know your stuff, you got to know how to share it.

Try and Do It All Yourself

There is so much to do when hosting an online event. Particularly if it is with a large number of people. So don’t try and do it all yourself. Have someone else manage the chat or the Q&A or the technology. Free yourself up so you can focus on the people on the session. If you are having multiple speakers, you MUST have an event host. (Naturally I would suggest me!!) Someone has to be in control of what is happening.

Have Rubbish Audio

In the online world, Audio is far more important than Video. Get it right. Don’t use the laptop microphone. Have a decent microphone either in the webcam, external to the system or even a lapel microphone. You MUST get the audio right. People will often turn off the video if the video is bad, but still listen. But if it is hard to listen or even hurts to listen, they will leave.

Camera Angle Showing Nasal Hair

How many online sessions have you been on where you are looking up the persons nose or their face is too close to the screen or they are miles away and you can’t see them. It is easy to prop up your camera and get a decent framing on you. Prop it on a box of paper, use a tripod, I have even seen people put their laptop on the ironing board. Get the camera angle right so it is not a distraction.

Make Assumptions on Who is On the Call

Many of my female friends are telling me they are tired of being referred to as “guys”. Other assumptions are also being made. As an MC I am getting more requests to not refer to “ladies and gentlemen”. So it pays to be aware of who is on the call. Pick a collective term that applies to them all. Being inclusive is what this online process is all about.

Try to Be Someone They Are Not

Due to the intimacy of this kind of broadcasting, you cannot pretend to be something you aren’t. Be authentic. Be real. If you make a mistake, go with it. We don’t want you to be perfect, but we do want you to be good. It you are too busy trying to prove how good you are then we lose some of the best value that you have. This leads into the next point.

IT’S. NOT. ABOUT. YOU.

The final point is the most important. Too often the presenter forgets it is not about them. It is allllll about the people on the call. Don’t waste time telling us how good you are. We don’t care. We are happy to hear a story about you if it has a learning for us. But give us something. An idea, a solution, some excitement, a laugh, some fun, some belonging, just give us something and make it about us.

There are so many more mistakes people make. I am sure you have your favourite! So how can you get better with your online presenting?

Contact me if I can help.

What happens when the Expo or Tradeshow you are supposed to be at is still happening but you can’t fly?

How can you have a presence at the Expo when you can’t be present?

What can you do to show your product but not show your face?

There are plenty of options, and most of them do not include Holograms!

With many governments banning visitors from China, South Korea, Italy, Singapore and other countries, it can be a challenge to represent your brand and your company and the events that are still happening.

Sometimes, it is not the government banning the flights. Maybe it is your company, your family or you just aren’t willing to travel because you feel the risks are too high.

If you have already paid for exhibiting space, how do you take advantage of it all while not being on site?

Here are a few ideas:

1 – A Virtual Delegate

While you may not be able to get a robot or drone to carry around a table and be you at the event, it is very likely you could hire a local person to be virtually you. Have them wear a large name tag and image of you and carry the tablet around as you direct. You could then see the sessions, have the conversations and almost be there. All from the comfort and safety of your home or office.

2 A Virtual Product

Arrange with the expo or event organisers to have a smart tv or tv and tablet at your stand. You can show video, interactive website, 3D imagery of your product or service. Some remote printed posters or documentation can easily represent you.

3 A Virtual Presence

This is a combination of the first two. Set up your virtual product (or actual product if it is available locally) and then have your virtual representative on site to give the tablet to interested people so you can have decent conversations. As you are having conversations with people on the tablet, your virtual person can be booking further appointments.

4 Hybrid Convention Presence

With a Hybrid Convention, you can combine the Virtual Presence with the conference software and have meetings in break out room. Even delegate some of your teams to take the hybrid meetings while you do the live one.

5 Something Else

No doubt there are a plethora of other options available to you. These were some that came up in discussion today. Naturally each of these options is scalable. All you need is to add more members of your team or more onsite representatives with tablets to represent you.

What’s Next?

There is no doubt that face to face meetings are superior to virtual meetings. But the events industry is being disrupted by forces beyond our control. It is a great time to get creative and work WITH and AROUND our physical limitations.

If you are looking for some alternatives for your next event, expo or conference, get in touch and let’s talk about what may be possible.

Are you switching over to Virtual Events or Hybrid Events?
Is your Event likely to go Online?
Are you looking at a Plan B for your conference?

There are so many things that go into making a successful event. Ask any of the Eventprofs and PCO legends in your life and they will give you a huge list.

With the advent of COVID-19, so many of these events are going virtual or online and that just adds to the multitude of issues you need to consider. But there is one key thing you MUST get right.

That is, THE SOUND.

With the vast array of microphones that your speakers will be using, you need to make sure they work well. We can put up with dodgy video (in Australia I will often turn it off due to poor bandwidth) but the sound MUST be good.

Your laptop mic is not enough.

If you are a speaker and plan on doing more virtual work, spend the money and get some good sound gear. You won’t regret it and your audience will love you for it.

I am a big fan of the RODE products. The Wireless GO is a great option. It is wireless and gives you room to move. Often I use the RODE VideoMicMe as it is a shot gun mic and the less that one metre distances means the pick up is good, the background noise is minimised and I have freedom to move.

How good is your sound and audio?
Get in touch if you need some pointers or further help on your next online event.

What to Do When Your Event Cancels

Covid-19/The Corona Virus has disrupted the events sector when it wasn’t quite ready for it. Not just the corporate event industry either. Cancellations are happening all over the world.

Quickbooks 2020 in London was cancelled with very little notice. One of my speaker colleagues had flow all the way there from Australia only to be cancelled the day before.

Japan has shut most schools for a month. Some say it is to stabilise the outbreak as much as possible prior to the olympics.

Universities are rapidly looking for ways to reach out to their students without having them on campus. What was going to be future technology implementations have become urgent projects.

And most recently, Italy has shut down. Minimal movement EVERYWHERE!

So how do you continue to engage your team, marketplace, suppliers, associations, and all those in your circle of influence under the global influence of COVID-19?

Virtual Presentations For Virtual and Hybrid Events.

Never has it been easier or more affordable to present to large number of people using the technology you already possess. While you can upgrade to professional AV equipment, in most instances your phone or your computer has you covered.

Here are some key tips for presenting online:

No dead air. From my time on radio, nothing kills you like dead air. If the audience don’t know what is going on they tune out. You have to be talking with them at all times. Pauses are great, but dead air is a killer.
You are On Before You Are On. If you are running a session, get a host to come on 5 minutes before start time to start chatting with people. Some people will always be early. They can warm up the crowd for you and start to build their energy.
Don’t Do It Alone. Having a second person to look at the chat comments, do the intro, put up polls, change the visuals allows you to focus on your message. After awhile you may build the skill for a solo effort but don’t start that way. A tech team or someone like me can really help here.
Talk WITH Them and not TO Them. It is easier for you to stand there and spout your message. But the audience will be asleep or looking at emails (or even FaceBook). Get them doing something. Ask for suggestions, feedback, thoughts, polls, coffee orders – anything so that they are part of the session. This is more important virtually than face to face as they will not get the synergy from the people around them. They need you to connect them.
Give the audience something. Having some form of collateral will help them stay engaged and follow along. This is more than copies of your slides. It may be key points, summaries, an infographic, polling info, statistics, reference material or a pdf with space for them to write their notes on what’s next.
Start Now. Too many people are waiting until they HAVE to do virtual presentations. Like all skills, practice makes perfect. The sooner you start, the more practice you will have at it and the better you will get. So start now.

Virtual presentations are here to stay. For a place as geographically dispersed population like Australia, it can’t come quick enough. With the rise and rise of video popularity and consumption, you have to embrace this and get better FAST!

So whether you call it remote presenting, virtual presenting, online presenting, hybrid conference or a virtual event, the key question is the same, how do I keep my online audience engaged throughout my presentation. The tips above are a good place to start!

Warwick is running a 30 minute power session on Powerful Presentations Online on Thursday 19 March 2020.
Find out the details here.

“How can I get them to do what I want?”
“Why won’t they listen?
“But I already told them!”

I have heard managers and team leaders (and parents) say this on many occasions. Also Presidents of Associations, chairs of committee and sales people just trying to get across the message. Often the message is a good one (even a great one) but you just can’t get the response, excitement or engagement you want.

Usually this means it is not the message, but how you choose to get it across.

Years ago when I worked at the now defunct EDS, on several different occasions I got my annual pay rise by being stopped in the hallway by my manager and having them hand me a post it note with the new amount and percentage increase written on it.

Yeeeeaaaah…. that’s not the best way to do it.

So often people send emails or texts rather than having a conversation with the person. Phil Collins famously broke up with his ex-wife by sending her a fax. People tell their boss they can’t come into work because they are sick using some kind of messaging app.

THE MODALITY COUNTS!

Face to Face, Video Call, Phone Call, Text Message, Email or via a third party. Whatever your modality, it makes a difference.

If you are not getting your message across, if you are not inspiring the troops, if you are not connecting with others, if the kids seem out of control, maybe you should consider your modality as well as your message?

It’s not you, it is how you do it that makes all the difference.

Why Your Event or Conference needs a Professional MC

Andrea Edwards, The Digital Conversationalist, interviewed me recently regarding MCs at conferences.

Based in Thailand, she speaks regularly around Asia Pacific (and further) at many conferences and events. One of the things that annoys her is how the event is not held together well when internal or amateur MCs are used.

So, we had a chat. We talked all things MC, events and conference.

If you are an event professional or run conferences, events or simply an internal meeting, it is worth the 10 minutes to discover how a professional MC makes a difference.

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