Webinars: Gauging Their Interest
The first rule of thumb in holding any audience’s attention is to be interesting. You may not always be captivating, but you should try your best to come as close as possible. Also, be sure to not waste time.
Don’t go over trivial things you can leave out without anyone missing them. Don’t repeat yourself more than is necessary. Get directly to the point and make steady progression of topics.
Draw up an outline before you begin and do your best to stick to it. Try not to get off on tangents that don’t offer beneficial information to all participants. If you get too off topic and on a subject that only impacts a small percentage of people on the Webinar, you’ll lose your audience. Once an audience is lost, it’s really hard to reel them back in.
Don’t talk in a monotone voice. Don’t get too long winded or speak so technically people get lost. Speak slowly enough so people understand you, but try to move through the material at a good pace.
For best odds of reaching people when they are likely to be more attentive, do not plan a webinar first thing Monday when people are busy getting a jump-start on the week and will have a hard time focusing. Other bad times are just after lunch when people are sleepy and likely to doze off on you or on Friday afternoons, when everyone is already thinking about the weekend, instead of what you are talking about.
Select a good mix of participants when you plan the webinar so you will have participants who are likely to engage lively discussion, making it more interesting. Employ visuals to keep people stimulated. Use humor when appropriate. Ask questions to keep people on their toes. Be passionate. If you employ these techniques, you are sure to hold the attention of your audience.
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