I just attended a webinar hosted by a web conferencing technology vendor. The initial minutes of the web conference unfolded like this:
- Hold music until a few minutes after the scheduled start time.
- A telephone operator telling us our “teleconference call” will begin shortly.
- A technical moderator giving us tips on how to use the web conferencing interface.
- A content moderator introducing multiple speakers.
- An initial set of five audience polling questions.
- At 11 minutes after the hour, we saw our first content slide.
That is too late to start delivering the value your audience is there for. You need to demonstrate as quickly as possible that your webinar is going to be worth spending time with. Look for ways to cut out, streamline, or postpone non-content activities at the start of your event.
Instead of introducing all the speakers up front, maybe you can provide downloadable or linkable bios for the audience members who are interested. Or maybe you can introduce each individual before calling on him or her the first time.
Instead of covering instructions for all possible interactive uses of the web conferencing console, perhaps you can sprinkle those later in the session, using them as repeated prompts to encourage interaction and participation.
Instead of asking your audience to provide you with information up front in polls, why not give them something first to establish your recognition that they are there to learn and gain from you… Not the other way ‘round.
Remember the hoary old cliché: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your first impression can be that you are delivering value or it can be that content is secondary to procedural protocol. Which is more likely to engage your audience and make them receptive to the remainder of the session?
