SQL Business Intelligence Professional

I was fortunate to be part of ComFrame’s first webinar to present the Microsoft Application and Business Process Infrastructure Optimization assessments.  While I have done many in-person and LiveMeeting demos, they are generally for small, client specific audiences.  Some of these lessons apply to both forums, but are even more important when your webinar may be the first impression of you and your firm.

Hold music and introduction slide rotator

Welcome your audience into your web-based auditorium with music appropriate to the target profile.  That may be Metallica, or it could be elevator music.  This important point is there will be something, anything over the audio channel reaffirm to attendees they are in the right place at the right time.

Additionally, I would keep a second presentation, on a perpetual rotation with three slides containing the following:

1. Presentation Title, Sponsor and Speaker (again welcoming your audience)
2. Instructions to enable audio (if they don’t hear music, they won’t hear you).  If you have good web communications/phone integration, provide an alternative telephone conference number for audio-only.  Put the teleconference instructions on this slide.
3. An In Case of Support slide.  Who will your audience contact, and how if they are having persistent issues.

Have a back-channel

It is vital for the presentation team (Marketing, Sales, Technical) all be able to communicate without distracting from the attendee’s experience.  Instant messaging works great for this, but ensure your keyboard clicks are not heard ‘over the air’.

Have a ‘live network feed’ monitor

Just like a network TV control room, you should have a monitor of what is going out over your webinar ‘air’.  This will allow the speaker to time narration better.  Additionally, if a section of the shared content is blocked out (say as Microsoft LiveMeeting can do with shared/unshared content), the speaker will know.

As it is said in show business, ‘break a leg’ on your next webinar delivery.