Workplace

Web conferencing is fast becoming an indispensable means of collaborating in real time. The cost savings and business efficiencies can often deliver return on investment in the first few months. But as companies rush to harvest these savings, they’re finding a new challenge. Presenters that once commanded the attention of a room full of meeting participants are now learning how to use the keyboard, mouse and telephone to keep attendees interested and involved.

It’s a different forum, and for some first timers, the prospect can be daunting. The technology is not the problem. Rather, the need to learn a new method of delivering compelling communication is the leading cause of apprehension. For example, body language must surrender to the efficiency and clarity of written and spoken words. What do web conference presenters need to do to keep their audience glued to their monitors?

Here are some practical techniques for delivering powerful web conferences:

Be concise: Just as with face-to-face meetings, you should put a time limit on the presentation. Somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes is the most you should expect to hold attendees’ attention. If there is too much content to present in this time frame, you should consider subsequent conferences. It is also important to have a clear agenda and stay on schedule. The audience will know what to expect, and there will be time to present all the material planned.

Plan ahead and communicate: You should set up both the web and audio portions of the conference well in advance. If you make sure that the audience has the proper hardware and software before the event, they can test their own systems to make sure that they are compatible. Ideally, participants should have a fast Internet connection (no dial-up please), newer browser software, and a computer that’s less than five years old (faster than 300mhz). Be sure to communicate all relevant conference information to the audience, including an agenda, date, time, audio phone number and web login details.

Practice: While it won’t take long to get comfortable with this medium, it is best to schedule some practice sessions before the conference, so that you can use this new tool confidently during the actual conference. You can use simple slides that contain very few graphics or complicated diagrams, but remember that lag times are a consideration in web conferencing. When advancing a slide, there can be a slight delay before the slide is displayed on the audience’s screens. Anticipate this lag, and change slides a few seconds before they’re needed on the screens of the audience.

Have a script: The audience will lose interest if the presenter sounds flustered or has difficulty remembering the content. It is always a good idea to have a script and other information pertinent to the conference handy at all times, to ensure that you appear confident and knowledgeable about the subject. A printout of the presentation slides is a great idea. In the unlikely event that you become disconnected from the conference or have technical difficulties, you can use your notes and script to continue the conference even if you cannot see the slides on the screen (as long as there is someone to change the slides for you).

Engage participants: As with a face-to-face meeting, audience participation keeps attendees alert, and may help accomplish the meeting’s goal. If the audience becomes bored, it will be easy for them to leave the presentation. To keep them from losing interest, let them interact with the presentation often (every five to ten minutes is best). Give them a polling question, encourage them to ask questions, or show them interesting content. If possible, gather anecdotal information from the audience in advance that can then be used to get them involved in the presentation. You should make sure you save time at the end of the conference for questions.

Use good audio etiquette: You should always introduce yourself before you begin to talk. Be sure to ask participants to identify themselves when they speak, to foster better communication between participants. This also helps you address participants by name, fostering a more personal meeting, and helping ensure their complete attention.

Be enthusiastic: There are no non-verbal cues or chances to establish eye contact with the audience in web conferences. Therefore, you should understand and exploit the power of your voice. An upbeat, enthusiastic, and strong voice will go a long way in keeping the audience’s attention.

Follow-up: Just because the event is over doesn’t mean the work is done. Post-conference evaluations and questionnaires are essential to continued effectiveness. The audience will appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback, and you will gain valuable insight as a result.

Archive the conference: Request that the conference provider create an archive of the conference. Both the presenter and the attendees should be able to access the archive at any time following the conference. This tool benefits those who missed part or all of the conference. It’s also an excellent opportunity to “re-run” the presentation for a new audience at a later date.

Relax: Web conferencing is fun! If you’re having fun, so will your audience, and your message will resonate among attendees. Web conferencing can be an integral part of your real-time communications with colleagues, partners, customers and prospects. Effectively presenting web conferences requires preparation and attention to detail. These steps should help you get vital business information across to your audience effectively so that your company can capitalize on the technology’s many benefits.

Krysta Murray is vice president of operations for Netspoke (www.netspoke.com), a leading innovator and provider of web and audio conferencing technologies and solutions. She is responsible for infrastructure, finance, and customer service. Murray has more than ten years of business management experience, and was instrumental in the creation and integration of Netspoke’s customer fulfillment and support processes. She can be reached at info@netspoke.com.

These are my top 12 best practices that I have seen used by the most successful leaders. Some of these are already in your toolkit, others you may have forgotten. Keep this list handy as a reminder of timetested solutions that will make you and your team shine.

1. Use the power of the pen. Recognition is the number one motivator. A simple thank you note is more important than money to most people. Break out the fancy pen you got for your birthday and say thanks to the people who helped to get you there.

2. Understand the importance of emotions. Feelings are a part of daily life and daily business. When people get hurt feelings they become poor performers, so make sure you deal with these issues sooner rather than later.

3. Great leaders have one thing in common – passion! If you’re not turned on about what you’re doing your team won’t be either, so show them that you’re excited and watch them get fired up.

4. Communication is the most important thing in any business relationship. If you don’t use effective business communication skills you’re leaving money on the table and not getting the most out of your people. Don’t be afraid to take a brush-up course and listen to hints from those who are in the positions you want. Chances are they got there because they’re great communicators.

5. Do a company evaluation at least once a year. Ask your team members to respond in writing to important questions like, “What do we need to change?” and “What do we need to keep doing more of?” This is your most powerful tool for a 50,000-foot view of your business.

6. Create a company mentoring program. Every person in and entering your company should have a mentor. A mentor’s job is to help a new or junior staff member feel welcomed as well as to answer any questions. Having a mentor builds confidence and creates motivation to go above and beyond.

7. Make sure your teams are balanced with both innovators and implementers. If everyone on a team is an innovator, nothing will get done. Similarly, a team of only implementers will create nothing new.

8. Achieve goals by getting team member buy-in. If your people have input into your goals they will put more energy into helping you achieve them. Ask them what they think and you’ll get their dedication in return.

9. Implement a knowledge lunch. Keep your team up to date by having a lunch meeting once a week where you discuss your business. You can even bring in vendors and financial advisors (who will buy the pizza) to help keep your team connected and current.

10. Deal appropriately with fear in the workplace. When team members are in fear for their livelihood (and in these times perhaps fear of their lives), they do not perform at their highest level. Providing a forum to safely talk about these fears will go a long way toward helping achieve superior performance.

11. Pursue failure. Failure is not an ending but a stepping stone to the right answers. Stop beating yourself up for mistakes and see them as opportunities to begin again with additional information, knowledge and experience.

12. Beware of invalidation. The number one motivation killer is making a team member feel “less than.” If you mistakenly say the wrong thing to someone, apologize immediately. You’ll look like a responsible leader rather than an insensitive bully.

Dr. Barton Goldsmith is a keynote speaker, business consultant and nationally syndicated author and can be reached through his web site at www.bartongoldsmith.com.