There are few better ways to get people to do something than to tell them NOT to do it (there’s a marketing lesson in there, but that’s for another time).
No, the BEST way to avoid panicking in any situation, but especially when it comes to the nerve-jangling reality of presenting a live webinar in front of a potentially global audience, is to be PREPARED.
At Genndi we like to say that, “Two is one, and one is none.”
It’s something to do with contingency planning and I’m all for that.
Making plans to deal with potential problems BEFORE they occur is a perfect exercise for reducing nerves and anxiety, and reducing the likelihood of actually panicking once your webinar goes live and your webcam light turns green.
Now, my therapist says I need to stop trying to “predict” all the time, but I disagree (and should probably stop telling my secrets). I don’t see it as trying to PREDICT. I see it as PLANNING AHEAD FOR ALL POSSIBLE SCENARIOS. See the difference?
If you know what could happen, you can prep for it.
In our 12 Secrets Webinar Best Practices Event, we’ve dedicated an entire section to making contingency plans for potential webinar-destroying disasters. We dream up the worst scenarios our fevered brains can conjure and figure out what can be done to protect ourselves should they actually occur.
Here’s a little taste…
Prepare for the Worst
Don’t bury your head in the sand. Consider these potential problems BEFORE your webinar begins and have these resolutions at the ready should you need them..
- What to do if you’re ill…
If you’re a hardy soul, you could just plow through. You might feel self-conscious about blowing your nose on camera or sounding a bit croaky, but on the plus side you’re going to win serious sympathy points from your audience and a healthy dose of kudos for having the resilience to keep going.
On the other hand, if you’re seriously ill – as in so sick you risk projectile vomiting onto your webcam – you should have a backup plan in place, especially if your illness means you can’t pull off any semblance of energy or enthusiasm.
Do you have a colleague who could act like an understudy and be prepared to jump in on the day, should the worst happen? That’s smart contingency-planning.
If you’re a one-person business and don’t have the luxury of bringing in a substitute, make a recording of your webinar a few days in advance and then, on the day, you have the option of screening your videoed performance (WebinarJam makes running recorded content so streamlined, most people won’t even be able to tell).
Naturally, you shouldn’t wait until you get sick before putting these contingency plans in place. That’s why we call ‘em “contingencies”.
- What to do if your Internet goes down…
If your Internet is routinely spotty, you should consider changing your provider, but even if you’re confident in your ISP, you should always be prepared for something to go wrong. It happens. We know this firsthand, and it is not fun. The last thing you want is to present your audience with a black screen only for it to reconnect moments later, just in time for everyone to see you running around your room like a lunatic.
Start by connecting your main computer to your router via an Ethernet cable (you know, like back in the caveman days) rather than relying on your Wi-Fi. Then connect to your webinar control panel via your Smartphone or tablet using mobile Internet access, and keep it handy. You now have access to your webinar tech via two independent Internet providers. If your main connection goes down, just switch to your mobile. You may not be able to present on a mobile device, but you can at least post in the chat that there are technical difficulties.
And, if you want a backup for your backup, consider investing in a second Internet connection that can act as a permanent redundancy option.
- What to do if you get unexpected noise pollution…
A bit of preparation goes a long way here. Close the windows, politely ask your neighbors not to mow their lawn during your scheduled webinar time, and lock the kids in the basement (not really, obviously, I hope).
You can’t completely avoid the possibility of a sudden blast of noise. But if it’s brief, such as a plane flying overhead or a smoke alarm going off, just make a joke about it and move on. No one is expecting you to be operating out of a soundproofed studio.
But What If…
Oh, we’re not done yet!
What if you get a momentary interruption, your mind goes blank, and you can’t, for the life of you, remember what you were saying. If you’ve ever watched a standup comedian die on stage, you’ll know how horrendous this scenario can be.
Or what if the big day arrives and your marketing flops, resulting in only three people turning up? How do you explain that one away?
Both of these questions are asked and answered on our stupendous, all-singing, all-dancing[i], 12 Secrets Webinar!
This subject is discussed in Secret #10, so if you’re particularly keen on finding out the answers to these conundrums, that’s the one to listen out for.
But, to be honest, I’m confident you’re going to discover something mind-bogglingly awesome in every single one of the 12 secrets that are going to be covered during this special event.
If you haven’t registered yet (Why? Why? Is it me? It’s me isn’t it.), you can reserve your virtual seat right here: https://www.webinarjam.com/webinar-best-practices/
And if that isn’t enough to send you into a link-clicking frenzy, you might like to know that we have a whole bunch of free gifts for every attendee, including our exclusive 11-step, “Sample Webinar Marketing Plan.”
For all intents and purposes, the 12 Secrets Webinar is going to give you everything you need to plan, prepare, and deliver amazing events.
Whoa, whoa… wait a minute… a FREE webinar, with FREE gifts, all FREE, with no strings or conditions?
Yep, that’s just how much we love you!
See you there…
Click Here to register for the FREE 12 Webinar Secrets event
[i] Please note, our webinars contain no singing or dancing. Unless you get us good and drunk first.