How to Lead a Better Webinar or Online Event
So, I recently attended an online business event that didn't really meet my expectations. While the experience was … challenging, it offered some valuable lessons. As someone who’s taught my share of workshops and online classes, here are some of my insights from that event that might be helpful for future event organizers and attendees alike.
Cue rant…
Create Clear Expectations
First, let’s break down how to run a great event that will give people a great experience, and let’s start with telling people what’s going to happen.
Be clear about what people can expect
Please tell people what’s going to happen. Give them timeframes, event outlines, and a heads up about what’s going on and what the event is going to be like. Tell people when breaks will be happening. Don’t surprise people with breakout rooms, weird content, and unexpected tasks.
If you need me to be on camera at some point, e.g. to introduce myself in a breakout room, tell me that before the event starts, preferable when I sign up. Don’t surprise me with this in the moment.
People don’t like to be surprised. It’s not clever or fun to throw people a curveball at a business event. Tell people what’s going to happen.
Tell people what you’re going to teach.
Give a clear outline of what you’re going to cover at the start. Tell them what you’re going to cover. Tell them why it’s important. Explain why you’re going over it in the way you’re doing it. Again, give people a heads-up.
Do what you say you’re going to do
Start on time.
Deliver the info you said you were going to.
End on time.
Don’t let anyone hijack the session.
Don’t go off course.
Keep it together.
Give people time to share and process.
Want to create an unforgettable event? Give people time to share. Let people share their own stories or takes on the info with each other and/or with the group.
Take questions.
Listen.
Slow down the pace of the workshop so people have a chance to absorb it.
This is better for learning. It creates community. And it gives people a better experience than eight straight hours of content.
Don’t let people share their life story as Backstory to a Question.
Encourage people to begin their questions with, “My question is” so we don’t have to hear the entire story of how they birthed their company before they get to their question about their nurture sequence.
Don’t be exploitative.
Focus on the results people are going to get. Don’t try to get people all riled up. Instead of delivering info or focusing on results, bad hosts will tell a tear-jerking story that has only a tangential connection to the subject that’s designed just to manipulate the audience.
It’s not a successful workshop if someone has cried. It’s successful if you’ve delivered what you promised.
Limit testimonials.
It feels nice when people brag about you, but again, this is exploitative. While it’s nice to hear, hearing tons of testimonials back to back doesn’t serve the group.
Don’t apologize for the sales pitch.
Especially at a free event. This feels … icky, like you’re ashamed of what you do.
Set a good example and be confident (braggy, even. see the first myth below) about what you do.
It’s okay, we’re expecting the sales pitch. If you do it well, you might even be serving us. And the savvy amongst us may learn something if you do it well.
Assume we loved the presentation and want more of you.
Sell your heart out.
Do not use the word “bestest.”
I don’t know what else to say about this one.
Debunking Myths:
Now, let’s debunk a few myths that were shared. This was a marketing conference that I expected to include some valuable insights into how to grow my audience and customer base.
That’s not really what I got.
“You shouldn’t be braggy.”
First up, we have a comment that was literally said to me in a breakout room when I gave my elevator pitch.
Apparently, I was too confident and it was … off-putting.
And I just don’t get that.
We should be braggy when we talk about what we do.
If we don’t believe in ourselves, who will?
Have we not left the place where women aren’t allowed to be proud of themselves or the kind of job they do? Is confidence still confused with arrogance? Is bitchiness still attached to ambition?
Let’s let this go. Be braggy.
“You need to be a speaker and give live events and/or You need to do video to be successful.”
Nope. Not true. Not even a little bit.
I know plenty of writers who are positively killing it and running 7-figure businesses. You need to create, but how you do it?
That’s up to you.
“You need to offer people a bunch of stuff in between price tiers.”
No, you really don’t.
People will go from zero to buying your five-figure product if your marketing is good enough. (Note that I didn’t say your “manipulation.” Real marketing is way more than just hitting someone’s pain and having a red pay button.
If you can solve a major problem for someone for free, and you’ve got the receipts and social proof to back up a high-ticket offer, people will pay for it without stepping up from a $20 and $100 offer.
“People will not buy a $6k program from an email. You have to have a phone call.”
Nope. This isn’t true either.
First of all, see the one above.
Second, I have have sold plenty of $7k+ websites without ever getting on the phone. Some people like email. Some people like WhatsApp. You do not have to have discovery calls.
My Conclusions:
In reflecting on this experience, it's clear that even less-than-ideal events can offer some takeaways. While this particular online business gathering had its … challenges, it highlighted the importance of thoughtful planning, engaging content, and leadership in creating successful virtual events.
For me, it served as a reminder to approach each opportunity with an open mind and a willingness to learn, even when things don't measure up.
By sharing these observations, I hope to save you some missteps in your own webinars and online workshops.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
