HOW TO PREPARE FOR A WEBINAR
Do you find that preparing for a webinar can feel more daunting than an in-person presentation? If so, you’re far from alone. Presenting digitally from the comfort of your own home or office, while no doubt convenient, can pose some challenges that don’t exist when you’re presenting IRL (in real life). Fear not, though – whether you’re hosting an investor Q&A, speaking on a remote panel, or leading a presentation, these tips will help you to show up with confidence and run a successful meeting.
1. Choose the right setting for your call.
Find a place in your home or office that’s quiet and clear of clutter. Close the office door to avoid having to get up mid-call to do so. Consider the acoustics in your space, too; having a rug or carpeted floor can do a lot to reduce echo on conference calls.
2. Dress to impress: solids are best!
Busy patterns or high contrast between visible layers can distract your attendees and even disrupt your bandwidth, as cameras may struggle to process this. Complex patterns on clothing, as well as large earrings or other accessories may confuse virtual backgrounds, causing portions of your body to “disappear” with movement.
3. Close all programs on your computer except the webinar software.
We’ve all heard (or seen) stories of embarrassing pop-ups or screen share mishaps to understand how important this point is. Also, make sure your phone and any other electronic devices are silenced. This includes any notifications on your computer, smartwatch alerts, etc. If you use a communication tool like Teams, Slack or similar, you can set your profile to “do not disturb” which will silence all of your notifications during the call.
4. Secure your bandwidth.
Proactively ensure you have adequate connection and bandwidth. Some home Internet connections can’t handle multiple people streaming videos into the house at the same time you’re trying to stream video out of the house (good to note if kids are heading home from school with Netflix in mind…) You may need to ask everyone to pause streaming, gaming or downloading large files during the webinar. Zoom and Microsoft Teams both advise on suitable conditions for streaming and bandwidth. You can also run a quick test of your internet speed. Click here to learn more about Zoom bandwidth recommendations.
5. Give yourself plenty of time to connect.
Have you ever noticed that mandatory software updates have a bad habit of appearing right when you’re on the verge of being late for a Zoom meeting? Get ahead of this and any other technical issues by signing in early. Grab a glass of water or a coffee and keep it nearby, then take a few minutes to run through your presentation or gather your thoughts before joining.
6. Test your setup.
Another reason to connect early: you’ll have time to make sure everything is working. Every web conferencing tool is a little bit different, so take a minute to orient yourself to the webcam on/off button, the mute button, and how to do a screenshare. Use headphones with a microphone and double-check the software is picking up your headphones, not using your computer audio. If you’re using Bluetooth headphones like AirPods, make sure you disconnect them from your phone if it’s nearby, otherwise your audio may cut out if you get a call.
7. Webcam position.
Most conferencing software will give you a preview of how you’re going to look when you join the call. You’ll present the most flattering angle if your webcam is sitting at eye level, or slightly above (as long as you can do this on a stable surface—a couple of large coffee table books under your laptop or monitor works well for this). Position things so that your head appears in the top 2/3 of the frame. If you’re feeling like you need a little extra magic, try out the Touch Up My Appearance setting (available on Zoom).
8. Lighting check.
If you’re looking grainy in the preview frame or it’s nearing the end of the day, switch on a desk lamp beside your computer to illuminate your face. Softer light is better—harsh overhead lighting can cast weird shadows on your face, while sitting in front of a window can cause you to be backlit. Keep the spotlight on you!
9. Do a practice run.
Dress rehearsals; they’re not just for theatre! If you’re feeling nervous about your webinar, a practice session will go a long way to help you feel prepared. Ask your team or a family member or friend to attend your dry run. Chances are, things go great and you’ll show up to the real deal feeling confident and poised. And if you hit any hiccups during the rehearsal, you’ve got time to tweak before the main event.
Need help with your prep? Connect with us at happyinvestors@irlabs.ca with any questions! Otherwise, break a leg!
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