A common question about webinars – especially one that’s raised by experienced trainers and presenters – is about webinars seeming more distant and remote than a face-to-face presentation.
I saw the question phrased like this recently on a LinkedIn group: “In a webinar environment how does this lack of human interaction impact on how well a webinar can be delivered in comparison to the tradition face to face session?”
Obviously, this person was already making the assumption that webinars had no human interaction!
I challenge that assumption.
First, just because somebody is there in person doesn’t mean they are truly present. Your audience members might be paying attention, but they might also be drifting off elsewhere in their mind. And in modern presentation environments, they might be on their iPhones, laptops, netbooks or tablets, doing something else entirely.
But that’s the negative side of the coin. On the positive side, some people feel more comfortable interacting from the “privacy” of their desk – much more than they would in a group. They don’t have to feel any group pressure, they are more “anonymous” and they can ask questions anonymously (by typing them).
My own experience as a webinar presenter is that some webinars are just as intimate and “real” as small-group workshops, and more intimate than larger groups. You do have to be comfortable and confident with the technology; otherwise your audience will feel disconnected and distant (not to mention this hurting your credibility!) But when you can put them at ease, it can make them feel more connected than ever before.
Here are some specific things you can do to increase the level of human engagement:
* Allow people to speak out loud – for example, when asking questions – rather than just typing questions into a chat room.
* Address people by name when answering their questions (being aware of privacy and confidentiality, of course).
* Start the webinar a few minutes early, and use that time to greet people as they join.
* Stop for questions at various points during the webinar, not just at the very end.
* Ask for their questions in advance, and answer them during the webinar.
* Tell people they can remain anonymous, if they wish, when asking questions.
So be confident that you can reach your audience.
I hope you feel more confident now about making a real human connection with your webinars. I’m not just saying this for your benefit, but also because you’ll probably have to convince some clients that webinars really can work well for them.
By: Gihan Perera
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6877301