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November 16, 2010

Q&A: How to evaluate which solution is best?

After a recent webinar for a European audience, Marzena reached out with a lengthy email describing how she wants to teach languages using webinars and asking for advice in choosing a tool.

The response itself is lengthy because I respond to her various concerns, but since over and over I see people struggle with using the wrong tools because they failed to evaluate their business, I thought I’d share.

Marzena, I think you are on the right path because you are evaluating your overall business process.  The most important asset we have is our time, and the reality is that we have both have to evaluate the tool that allows us to connect with our delegates and the extras that impact how we get that done.

Example: some conferencing platforms have registration built in saves us time doing website work, sending reminder emails, etc., and while this isn’t a function of the live interaction with our delegates/coachees, it very much changes how much effort we put in to connect and communicate with them.

I’d begin by evaluating different options just like you have.

If money were of no concern, which solution is best suits you?  Some are easier to use, some integrate more of the overall workflow, some include audio conferencing and/or voice-over-IP, etc.  There are perhaps hundreds of potential options, and I don’t think there is a “best.”  Personal preference is a perfectly valid thing to consider, too… it’s okay just to “like” the look and feel or some other subjective response to how the solution works for you.

The next step is to prioritise the “must haves” from the “nice to haves” in terms of features.

Some things you cannot live without (you expressed a preference for using video to see your audience, for instance).  When you do this evaluation, also consider 1) their impact to your time both in and out of session and 2) whether you have extra time.

Then evaluate the value of your time.

Let me use an analogy.  I use a lot of stock imagery and other visuals in my presentations, and I spend a good bit of money every month licensing those images.  Because I spend many, many hours each week looking for (or creating) visuals, I find that a good search engine in www.istockphoto.com saves me more time than they charge me for the images.  I might otherwise be able to find images for free or less expensively, but I’ve tried, and I spent a lot of time doing it.  You will find the same to be true with how long it takes you to set up and manage sessions, course catalogues, recordings, handouts, etc., when you begin using web conferencing with regularity.  And this step of evaluation may lead you to discover that, while one solution may be more expensive than another, it’s not more expensive when viewed through the lens of “total cost or impact” to me, my practise, my organisation.

Finally, evaluate tradeoffs.

Since we don’t have infinite time or money, we may settle for something that isn’t perfect, but is good enough when all things are considered…

…and this evaluation is highly specific to you, how you work, and your situation…and your audience/potential audience.  Besides technical consideration (e.g., are they on Macs or PCs,  what is their likely bandwidth, etc.), there is ease-of-use (some solutions are definitely more user friendly than others).

Adobe Connect, DimDim, GoToTraining, Webex, and many others are all good.  And the truth is that many times getting more features and richer experiences cost more.  But there is no “best” solution.

If I were in your shoes and money is a concern (I own a business, I completely understand!), I’d start with “inexpensive” for two reasons.  One, you will better learn what you like and don’t like, need and don’t need, and two, you will buy yourself some time to grow into the more expensive solution.  There was a time when I did a lot more work per event because I was watching every last euro that went out the door, but now, as described above, my time is more precious than my money, so I’m willing to pay for some conveniences.  For you, this might mean conducting more webinars with smaller audiences (capacity for larger audiences costs more), where as later you might find it worth the extra price you pay to save the time (running one webinar with 100 participants instead of five webinars with 20 participants).

All my best!

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October 1, 2010

Q&A: Researcher with lots of numbers? Read on

Kristen asks,

“What advice would you give to a Researcher who desperately needs to jazz up slides upon slides of charts and numbers?”

Kristen, you’re not alone.  Many folks have a challenge with the fact that they live in data, charts, schematics, etc., that can make slides look like crap faster than you can say dogpile.  Here are the questions I always start with:

What is the audience going to see?

Yes, it’s an obvious question, but think about a classically-trained musician.  On the piece of paper they see music, and someone else sees dots and lines (if not a mess).  I don’t think we abandon all numbers or words (that’d be stupid).  Rather than just ask, “Who’s the audience?” I ask “How are they going to see this?”  To answer, you’ve got to know them enough to see through their eyes.

What is the nature of the communication?

Second step…start in analog.  Is this a meeting, a discussion, a collaborative or brainstorming effort?  Or a presentation?

Many times for small, collaborative communication scenarios (including online), you’re taking time to analyze, discuss, comment.  This means you may want all the numbers, and it may mean that it’s not really a “nice looking PowerPoint” discussion so much as a “readable document” discussion for which you might be using PowerPoint.

A presentation, on the other hand, connotes that you’re delivering a point of view with a purpose (to inspire, educate, or motivate).  If this is the case, we ask the next question:

What’s the story?

In a presentation you’re trying to get someone from Point A to Point B, and the point isn’t the numbers, it’s the story.  It’s the point.

NOW we’ve got something to tackle for jazzing up the numbers, because the questions are “What’s the big point?”, “What’s the point of this slide in this point of the story?”, and “What’s the best way to tell that part of the story?”

Many times that story, that point you’re making may have numbers involved, but the presentation isn’t about reading numbers, it’s about the story.

When you DO want/need to show numbers, here are a few tips:

One, think of numbers like images. It’s not only how our brain sees them, but it’ll get you leaning toward thinking about how the audience sees them…and where you want to direct their attention through formatting, color, etc.

Two, take out everything extraneous to the point. Have one point per slide…it’s hard enough to think visually for one idea, let alone multiple ideas at the same time.

Three, remember that “the point” might be a relationship between the numbers, not the numbers themselves. And since charts are numbers formatted to help make a point, think about what that format is communicating.

Four, create different slides. If you make two different points about the same set of numbers, create two different slides so that you can format each separately for attention and understanding.

Finally, learn more about color and fonts. I’m not going to tackle those big subjects here, but I do like Stephen Kosslyn’s treatment of those in Clear and to the Point:  8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations.

Thanks Kristen!

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September 1, 2010

Q&A: Can you grab 100% of a listener’s attention?

In a recent webinar, Tim P. asked, “Surely if your content is compelling enough you CAN grab 100% of your listener’s attention?”

Tim, I LOVE the question.

Here’s my experience… some will no matter what you do, and some won’t…no matter what you do.

I recently got an email from an instructional designer from a major university in the U.S. who said, “Wow!  I couldn’t attend the live event so I just watched the recording..and you kept my attention all the way through!  That’s hard to do!”

As much as I’d like to pat my own back (I won’t – it’d give me arm cramps), the reality is that audiences are multitasking even in in-person presentations.  Blackberries, iPhones, web connections everywhere…you get the idea.

I think what we should do is assume we have partial attention and plan/design/deliver for it.

CAN it be done?  Yes.

Can it be done every time with every member of your audience?

Not likely.

Assume partial attention.

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August 11, 2010

Q&A: Would it be too “salesy” to use webinars for ?

In a recent webinar Caroline P. asked,

“We are thinking of running a webinar offering tips on effective weight management with an option to invest in product and webinar support ongoing.  Is this too salesy?”

Caroline,

In a study in early 2008 by Marketing Sherpa the number one reason why people leave webinars early is “content not as advertised.”

The lesson here is this:  it’s completely okay to do anything you want in a webinar.  The question is, I believe, are you transparent so potential attendees can make a value judgment for themselves?

Here’s what to do:

One, remember that web conferencing is a tool, not a format (like a telephone).  It’s not the “webinar” that’s at issue, it’s the content and context.

Two, consider telling invitees up front – previous to the webinar.  If you’re going to offer educational content, that’s great (and it’s a great hook if you’re really delivering value).

KEY (AND THIS IS SO BIG I PUT IT IN ALL CAPS):  You’ll earn more trust if you present the solution to a problem (in your case, weight management) than if you jump right to your solution.  People ‘get’ that you’ve got products or services.  Earn their trust by giving them something of value (a solution/knowledge/skills) that works whether or not they choose your service.  (And who do people buy from?  People and companies they trust.)

Three, consider also telling attendees, once they’ve shown up, again.  Don’t assume they remember what you said in an invitation.

What I’ve seen work quite well is to begin the webinar with a welcome script that notes something like, “At the end of the educational portion of our presentation today we will spend about 10 minutes sharing a few of the benefits of <our company/product/service>.  For those who would like to stay on, we’d be delighted to answer any questions you might have.”

AND…if you use the above opening, make sure your presentation is a little shorter so you can also get in your ‘about us’ stuff before the end of the allotted time.  For instance, if you’ve said it’ll be a one hour webinar (meaning that’s what they’ve planned for), make sure you keep to that time including your ‘about us’ piece.

Web conferencing/webinars are a tool.  “Salesy” is a function of communication, not the tool.  Communicate with integrity and webinars can be a great place to build interest and action for your business.

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August 2, 2010

Q&A: what is your best approach to overcoming questions that you can’t answer?

In a recent webinar James H. asked an astute question…

What is your best approach to overcoming questions that you can’t answer?

James, you didn’t indicate whether or not you have all audio lines open, so let me address this three ways.

If you have all audio lines open (such as in a smaller event), you’ll need to handle these much like you would in person.

1.  Confess you don’t know it.  Don’t bluff.  I generally think people can tell if you’re bluffing, and you’ll miss a real opportunity to…
2.  Earn trust and goodwill by offering to help them get the answer.

Nobody knows everything, but people respect honesty and helpfulness.  Get their contact information if you’re not sure if you have it already (private chat works nicely!), and outshine the competition by showing a little love.

If you do not have all audio lines open (and the question came through the question manager), you’ve got a couple options.

1.  Address the person by first name and let them know you saw their question.  Make the same commitment as above.
2.  Skip it.  Generally people understand if you don’t get to all questions during an event.  Imagine an in-person seminar when thirty hands go up and you’ve only got time for four questions…same kind of thing here.

A thought on this second point:  if you have a larger event, be sure to let the audience know you won’t be able to get to all questions and that you’ll do your best.  Remember they may not be able to “look around the virtual room” to realize they’re in a large crowd.

Best:  tell them that you’ll make sure to get to all questions in a follow up.  Worst:  telling them you’ll follow up if you don’t.

Finally, repeat yourself.  Don’t assume people hear your instructions when you say them.  Example of a happy ending:  I recently had someone email me saying they’d asked a question during an event and I didn’t answer it (I got the sense that she was a little perturbed by that).  Never mind that there were 700 people on that event, and I DID mention more than once that it was a big event and I wouldn’t be able to get to everyone.  The good news is that she respond to my invitation to follow up after the fact with an email, and all’s well that ends well.

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July 29, 2010

Two-question poll: how many webinars do you register for?

See the results as soon as you vote… and it really is only questions long.  THANK you!

Take the two question poll here

Posted in: Ask, Business Continue Reading »

July 23, 2010

Q&A: what if our webinars don’t have “offers?”

In a recent webinar I was speaking to a marketing audience about producing marketing webinars and the following question came in from Paula M.:

What if you work for a large organization like ours and use webinars to communicate messages and don’t have offers?

Paula, you don’t mention the type of audience or messages you’re speaking about, but let me make an educated guess that these are employees (versus the marketing audience we were generally speaking to for the DMA).

Let me be gentle with this next comment, but the truth is every one of us has “offers,” even if we don’t call it that.

Let me explain.

Unless 100% of your communication is compulsory (mandatory attendance), you have an audience who will engage more – or less – depending on how much they see relevance to their own wants and needs.  In the words I used in the webinar, “what’s in it for me?”

Here’s an example of a mundane scenario that could benefit by thinking this way:

Imagine you’re doing a training session rolling out a new medical benefits program.  What’s the typical presentation?  Data, data, data, data.  And what’s a common response.  Ho hum, and can I just know where to find the information when I need to find the information.

Now imagine delivering the communication in terms of benefits to the employee…not just the facts, but the “what’s in it for me?”

Rather than an invitation reading “medical benefits training” (the “what”), it might say something like “Learn three new ways to save time and money with the new benefits system” (the “why”).

And what about the content?  Might the employees give you more attention in you pointing out how much faster the new online reporting system or the places they can save money on (fill in the blank) with the new policy than a bunch of facts that might get lost in the busyness of life?

Let me be really clear…I’m NOT saying we abandon all facts, figures, and procedures.  What I AM saying is that people don’t need more noise in their lives, and what they pay attention to are things of self-interest.

So… what’s the offer?  Data?  Or a way to experience personal benefit?  (That’s a rhetorical question, BTW ;) .  AND…if this is true for internal audiences (employees), how much more true is it true for external audiences?

An offer is others-centric.  What are you going to help them get?

Posted in: Ask, Promotion Continue Reading »

July 16, 2010

Q&A: should a webinar presenter stand up?

From a recent webinar, Bryan L. asked, “Should the presenter deliver the audio standing up to help resonance rather than sitting?”

Bryan, I stand up.  I love the energy, and truth be told, if you were in my office you’d see me waving my arms and walking around.

Here are a few things to think about:

How much contact do you need with your web conferencing system via the computer?

I purposefully have simple slides with one idea each, so I don’t use, for instance, annotation tools except in rare circumstances (e.g., demonstrating them).

I also am platform-agnostic.  My company is purely in the education business and we don’t sell web/audio/video conferencing or services, so I’ve adapted to be prepared for whatever conferencing platform my client is providing.  This doesn’t mean I don’t tackle platform-specific tactics when I’m working with a client privately, but in a public webinar like the one you attended I plan content to be applicable to the most people in the audience, regardless of what conferencing solution they’re using.  Takeaway:  I don’t spend as much time using/demonstrating “hand-up” or other features that they may or may not have.

It also depends on the type of session you’re delivering.  A broader lead-generation webinar often doesn’t require the same hands-on types of exercises you might use in a training session where you’re teaching managers a new software application.

What’s your office setup?

Me, I walk away from the computer, come back, push the next slide button (frequently!), and then when I do need to do something hands-on, I sit down.  Then I’ll stand up again.  While I don’t have a raised surface in my office now, when I was at Microsoft I had one section of my cube desk raised so I could stand at it…it was the best setup I’ve had.  If you can do this, it might be the best of both worlds

Finally, if you do sit down, what’s your posture? A few tips:

Sit up straight. It’s basic, but it’s important to letting your lungs/diaphragm/voice do the best they can do.

Put your feet flat on the floor – apart. Don’t cross your legs…it contributes to a constricting “closed” posture and generally tightens you up.

Breathe. As I often quip, we can’t change the voices we were born with, but we can change how well we use what we were born with.  See this post for more on this and a few other pre-conference tips.

Want optimum energy?  Stand up when you present at webinars.

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July 12, 2010

Q&A: What about slow internet connections & low technology delegates?

For many of us who live around technology it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everybody has “all the goodies.”  It wasn’t that long ago when a prospective customer mentioned to me that she still had people dialing in on rotary phones.

So this recent question from Mandy R. in Australia is yet another good reminder: 

“What do you recommend for slow internet connections & low technology delegates?”

Mandy,

Rule number one is always, “know your audience.”  Congratulations, you passed the test!

There are two key questions you should explore.  One, what technology/ies should you look for?  Two, what do you do once you’re “in the room”? (Or, if the technology has already been chosen for you, you’re going to focus on the second.)

Technology choices

I don’t recommend specific technologies in a broad, sweeping way.  That doesn’t mean I won’t help a client do an deep-dive needs analysis, develop and RFP, and shorten their search list, but there are too many factors that go into a relationship for me to say “this is best” or “this isn’t.”  For instance, to many, a great account relationship or billing terms or something else is a driver in making a choice that goes beyond technology.

Bandwidth is certainly still a challenge for many.  BIG recommendation:  I’d plan for the person in the audience with the worst connectivity.  It’s the safe shot.  Mary, you didn’t mention whether you have internal or external audiences (e.g., employee training or prospect/customer webinars), but I’d remember that “less, working” is much better than “more, but doesn’t always work.”  Remember, too, that how well the internet works itself is a variable – and one you have no way of predicting (I’ll spare you the gory details, but trust me).

Things to consider:  What is the bandwidth for a connection?  Does it adapt to the connection speed of the participant?  Does bandwidth/throughput change if the size of the audience changes?  How does use of audio (voice over IP) or video affect it?  Is there an option to have participants dial in on a telephone bridge if they’re experiencing difficulty?

Usability choices

“Low technology delegates” are common, and it’s easy to forget to look at things through their eyes.  Seriously, a poll is OBVIOUS to you, but is it to them?  I still present at webinars where, when a poll is presented to the audience, some attendees type their answer into the questions panel.

Things to consider:  This is a huge, huge subject.  My recommendation is to, as best you can, put yourself in the shoes of your invitee and literally walk through the experience click by click by click.  What do they see in an invitation?  On the registration page?  Is it obvious how to join? How to install a plug-in/add-on if necessary?  Where to find the volume control or “hand up” button?

One quick side note:  every week I see webinar producers using tools that are wrong for the job.  More specifically, they use a conferencing platform designed for meetings to deliver a broader webinar presentation or training session.  The problem is that the little differences in how those are configured make a big difference in usability.  Recommendation:  don’t be penny-wise and pound foolish.  Get the right tools for the job…especially if you need to help our your “low technology delegates.”

Mandy, it’s a long blog post, but it’s a short answer to an important subject.  Thanks for a good question.  Knowing how to ask the right question is half the battle, and I think you’re going to do well.

Posted in: Ask, Delivery, Strategy, Web Seminars Continue Reading »

June 10, 2010

Q&A: What if your content is experiential?

Another good question from a recent webinar:  Arpad P. asked

What if your content is experiential..how can you get that across?

Arpad, I think it depends on “experiential.”

The medium affects how the communication happens, right?  It affects how we communicate to our audience and vice versa.  And frankly, some experiences don’t translate well into webinars.

The most obvious failure would be any form of tactile manipulation.  You can’t take a motor apart and put it back together online.

But you might be able to teach some of the concepts about taking it apart and reassembling it.

You could break the audience up into smaller discussion groups, give them each a problem, and ask them to come back to share their ideas.

Here are (briefly) the five steps I recommend:

1.  Get clear on your goal/outcomes

2.  Think through the communications and behaviors you’d normally walk your audience through and evaluate your tradeoffs

3.  Design an initial map/design of those communications and behaviors to the web conferencing solution tools/options you have (or are considering sourcing)

4.  Develop your content (storyboards, graphics, et al)

5.  Implement and evaluate

Note that depending on the scope of your project or presentation, evaluation might be as simple as an end-of-event survey or as complex as an organizational return-on-investment analysis.

Finally, one thought on “evaluating your tradeoffs.”  It’s most common for people to instantly get what they “lose” relative to presenting in person, but there are also many gains that go beyond just saving a plane ticket.  It’s not a ‘right or wrong,’ but because nothing is ever perfect, you’re always weight cost-benefit.  Just don’t sell yourself short by not fully evaluating all your tradeoffs.

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