Use Webinars to Add Value to Existing Presentations by Gihan Perera

Many presenters, when the idea of running webinars is suggested to them, respond by saying:

"There's no way we could do our training courses by webinar, because the people really have to be in the room."

The truth is: They are probably right!

Some face-to-face interactions simply can't be replaced by webinars (For example, it's difficult for a webinar to re-create the experience of a dynamic keynote presentation). But that's no reason to abandon webinars altogether.

Some webinars do replace existing presentations, but many don't. They can promote, support, complement, supplement, and add value to your existing presentations instead. Here are three examples...

1. Pre-event support

If you offer any intensive workshops, consider whether it's worth running a preliminary webinar to help your participants prepare for the workshop. This means they turn up to the workshop with all their preparation done, ready to make best use of the time you've got together face to face.

If the participants don't know each other, this is also an excellent way of breaking the ice and building some rapport between them (and you!) before they meet at the workshop.

2. Post-event support

You can also use a webinar to provide support after an event - for example, doing a Q&A session some time after a training program, to answer questions from participants who are implementing your ideas. This adds value to the program, and provides more of a package for the participants (and your client, if this is an in-house program).

Schedule this webinar at an appropriate time after the event. Give them enough time to put the workshop ideas into practice, but don't leave it so late that they get stuck and lose motivation. Typically, it would be 4-8 weeks after the event.

3. Mastermind group

For even more embedded learning, consider offering to facilitate a "mastermind group" from among the attendees at a face-to-face presentation. This works best, of course, when you're dealing with a small group. You don't have to be the expert; simply be the facilitator who provides the webinar technology.

Although I've described this as a way of supporting an event, you could run it equally well as a stand-alone mastermind group with your own business colleagues. Webinar technology means they no longer need to be in the same room, city or country!

How could YOU use this?

Consider your current presentations - whether they are keynotes, training programs, coaching, facilitation or something else. How could you use a webinar to add more value to what you deliver?


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