Introduction
Virtual trainers, online meeting hosts, and webinar presenters, we have a problem: Engagement.
Web conferencing software allows people to deliver and participate in meetings, training, and other types of online sessions using their computer and an internet connection. This software is easy to come by in today’s world, and meeting online is now a regular part of everyday work life for most people. This was already becoming increasingly true through early 2020, but during the COVID-19 pandemic such platforms exploded in popularity to support the significant increase in remote workers and virtual teams.
Even with such increased use, engaging virtual classroom learners, meeting participants, and webinar attendees is often a challenge. The list of reasons why is long, likely beginning with the presenter and the content, but almost always including problems with web conferencing software itself. In addition to planning, designing, and delivering engaging experiences, virtual presenters have to master the management of the technical side of this experience. This is generally referred to as the production of the virtual event or session.
The lack of understanding of how to engage online and the lack of skill in how to use the software effectively run rampant in live online sessions, with the technology distracting from the point of the presentation. The relevant story you tell to draw in participants is paused when you urgently need to troubleshoot a distracting echo over an audio connection. Gone is the plan to show your smiling face to welcome attendees if the webcam refuses to connect.
Let’s Bring Engagement Back
Commanding the technical aspects of virtual session delivery is critical to fixing low online participant engagement. The art of virtual production combines a unique skill set that balances deep platform knowledge with multitasking agility, while at the same time calming everyone down before the panic can be heard through the muted audio connections.
How stressful can it get? I’ve seen people new to presenting online begin to open a session and forget their own names because they are so overwhelmed by the screen, the tools, and the lack of nonverbal communication from their participants. The technical tasks, referred to in this book as production tasks, can keep trainers and presenters from being their best and most engaging selves because they are not comfortable in the environment.
Producing Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars is for those who want to take charge of the technical aspects of running events using web conferencing software. Whether you are managing these tasks while you deliver a presentation, or you are the designated person to manage these tasks separately, you need to understand what it takes and all that is involved with successfully producing a live online session.
One of first things trainers and presenters learn to do is to “work a room” when conveying their messages to an audience in person. Tasks like connecting with participants ahead of time to learn more about them, or physically moving in a space to maximize the visual engagement and energy, are important ways presenters establish rapport, trust, and credibility. Connecting with live online participants and “working the virtual room” is something presenters and trainers must also do, with the added complexity of needing to first learn the features of the web conferencing software. Many presenters and trainers do not realize this at first and have not taken the time to develop the knowledge and skills to effectively manage all the technical aspects required to run an online session effectively. Engagement suffers as a result.
Recall the last virtual instructor-led training session you attended, the one where it started late due to audio problems. How disappointing was that experience? Remember the recent breakout activity you tried to complete, where everyone was too confused by the technology to get to the assignment and as a result just gave up. Or how about that time the entire session was canceled because the slides wouldn’t load, and no one could figure out what to do. All these situations require serious attention because they are wasting the time, money, and resources of the organization and everyone involved.
In a survey I conducted of my social network, I asked, “What annoys you most when attending a webinar?” Not surprisingly, “presenters who are not engaging” was the most common response, closely followed by “audio issues” like echoes, feedback, and background noise. Additionally, a “lack of knowledge or skill using the features of the platform” was also clearly annoying. Misuse of other features arose too, like not knowing how to advance slides, use and pay attention to chat, or launch polls and share the results.
During the past 20 years coaching presenters and trainers to deliver online, I have found that the technology is often getting in their way. They struggle to be engaging because the technology stifles their ability to convey meaning and connect with audiences. I truly believe the inability to engage has more to do with the technical setup and execution than it does the mastery of the subject matter. Presenters simply do not have a chance to think through the content because technology issues take center stage.
We have, right in front of us, a huge opportunity to transform live virtual experiences by removing the barriers to engagement caused by a lack of technical awareness and expertise.
Separate the Content From the Technology
Virtual trainers, online meeting hosts, and webinar presenters, I offer you a solution: Deal with the problem head-on by separating the content from the technology. Instead of assuming one person can and should do everything, clarify what exactly needs to be done and then decide who is the best person to do each task. Consider in-person instructor-led training. Do we ask trainers to build the training rooms? Do we request presenters prepare lighting and sound, tables and chairs, drinks, and snacks in order to present their information to an audience? In most circumstances, we wouldn’t even think of it. We have facilities teams to construct offices, and support personnel to manage the logistics and comforts of the entire experience.
This book addresses the key areas needed to put together a plan of action for technical success and online participant engagement. Through stories, templates, checklists, and examples you will find out what I have learned throughout my 20-plus years of experience producing and delivering thousands of virtual events including live online training sessions, meetings, and webinars. This includes what I have done for companies, organizations, and talent development teams around the world to address the inevitable technical problems that could have disrupted their virtual event strategies. In this book, I have curated a multitude of checklists, leading practices for success, and user-friendly step-by-step guides for immediate use and practical application.
The Terminology Used in This Book
For some, the idea of virtual production might bring to mind lights, cameras, props, makeup, sound, and staging, and let’s not forget scripts, directors, and actors as well! While there is a place for all of this in certain settings, like large virtual conferences being broadcast around the world, high-profile speakers appearing live online in front of a virtual audience, or important companywide announcements, these are not the types of virtual events and tasks I am referring to in this book. This book addresses the production tasks necessary for engagement in live online training sessions, webinars, and virtual meetings delivered by learning professionals and businesspeople across the globe each and every day. Examples of production tasks can include sending invitations with a link for participants to join the session; providing technical support throughout; testing audio, hardware, and internet connections for speakers and participants; and helping to manage breakout or small group sessions.
I use the terms events and sessions to refer to live virtual instructor-led training sessions, online meetings, and webinars. In my first book, Interact and Engage! 50+ Activities for Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars, my co-author Tom Stone and I defined the three types of events as follows:
• Virtual training: a training experience that most frequently has multiple participants and one or more facilitators (such as a trainer and a producer) together at the same time in an online classroom that allows them to communicate, interact, and collaborate with one another; view presentations, videos, or other content; and engage in large and small group learning activities.
• Online meetings or virtual meetings: much more than conference calls, with multiple people on the same audio or video call discussing strategy, a project, or other joint concerns.
• Webinar: a live presentation that occurs over the web. It is different than a virtual meeting, because while there can (and should) be interaction with the audience, a webinar presentation is largely in one direction: from one or more presenters to a potentially very large audience.
The Production Journey
To begin your journey, in chapter 1, we start with a definition of virtual event production, the difference between a presenter and a producer, and the tasks involved with managing a webinar, online meeting, or virtual training. Chapter 2 identifies the capabilities to develop as you focus on growing your production skills.
As you progress on your journey, the next section focuses on learning the features, delivering the live sessions, and fixing issues along the way. In chapter 3, I introduce the two web conferencing platforms archetypes for the first time. It is my belief that learning to manage the functions and features of web conferencing software begins with this basic difference in mind. The various roles one can be assigned to run an online event determines how each platform will function for you. Chapter 4 outlines the roles and features available in most of today’s web conferencing platforms.
Chapter 5 is a step-by-step guide to producing a live online event, complete with detailed checklists for preparing four key areas: technical details, content, presenters, and attendees. Chapter 6 is dedicated to everything that could go wrong and what you can do about each issue.
The third section of the book focuses on the people and the overall live online experience you have the power to create. Chapter 7 is devoted to designing materials with production in mind. Chapter 8 covers the ways to thoroughly prepare participants for an effective live online experience. Chapter 9 is an outline of what it looks like to partner with a person in the role of producer, the different ways people can help with production tasks, and the importance of a rehearsal using the intended technology. And then in chapter 10 we wrap up the journey by identifying the many administrative features available that can help you expertly manage all aspects of your web conferencing software.
Producing Engagement
When I first began training online, I didn’t have a producer or even a list of tasks that would have been designated as separate or different from what I was doing as a product trainer for Webex way back in 1999. It was my job to teach the suite of online meeting products to the new clients, and I was to do it on my own. The production tasks were simply part of the job, and they were also the topic of what we were teaching in the classes, so they didn’t show up to me as a special set of tasks necessary in order to be effective. It wasn’t until I began working with clients—to assist them as they delivered their own training topics in the same way they had seen me deliver my training on the Webex products—that the production tasks became more clearly defined.
For example, as soon as clients wanted to deliver customer service training via their new Webex Training Center platform, they needed to fully grasp what options were available to them. Common learning activities like how to conduct discussions, launch surveys, and allow small group work were not only part of the content design but also now needed a technical approach as well. Once they understood what options were available in their online training software, it was then necessary to focus on how each feature functioned; in other words, where, how, and when to click on them. Presenters, trainers, salespeople, and others were being asked to focus on technology details in addition to content and session outcome details. For many, it is overwhelming, so much so that they simply do not use the features of the web conferencing platform at all, opting instead for a simple sharing of slides with a call for questions at the end.
It is no wonder we have engagement issues with virtual training, meetings, and webinars, but it is my intention with this book to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to expertly manage all the technical aspects of your platform with ease. It’s through the stories of my mistakes and successes along the way, the checklists that keep me on track, and the examples of how to make it all come together that I will provide you with the support, guidance, and encouragement to become the most incredible producer of virtual training, meetings, and webinars the world has ever seen!