10 practical tips for successfully presenting a webinar

Presenting a webinar

The content of any presentation is the essential part of its success.

Everybody knows that, right?

Sure, content is the main part of your story, but the way you present your story is equally important. Just think about that one uncle in family meetings that always has a joke ready, but never quite nails the punchline. Usually he’s the only one laughing. It doesn’t necessarily make his jokes terrible, but he might simply be bad at telling them.

It’s a good analogy for a webinar presentation. A webinar is both storytelling and visual content, which makes it comparable to a performance. Imagine you’re on a stage, you have to earn the attention of your audience. Your goal is to draw them into your story.

For most people, presenting is a completely new (and scary) concept. Using a webcam or camera means getting feedback from your audience. And your fist moments will probably be awkward, so it might be a good idea to practice a bit at first.

Delivering your message as well as possible and making sure your message sticks won’t be easy. The practical tips in this article will help you make your first webinar presentation a success.

Tip 1. Stand up while presenting

Most people who host webinars will do this while sitting. When you’re physically presenting in front of a group, you don’t choose to sit down. It won’t hurt to extend this philosophy into the world of webinars. When you’re standing up, it becomes much easier to breathe, allowing you to tell your story with more enthusiasm and power. Your persuasiveness increases and the effectiveness of the presentation as a whole improves.

Tip 2. The right timing

During a presentation, timing is key. It allows you to get your message across in the right way. An important part of timing is using pauses. Give viewers the opportunity to understand what you’re saying and allow them to process the information.

Tip 3. Pace

Slow down, cowboy. But don’t speedrun it either. Finding the right pace in your presentation becomes easier after you practice your talk a few times. Preferably out loud. A few minutes into the webinar, ask attendees to give you some feedback about your pace. “Am I going too fast, or too slow?” The audience will help you figure it out.

Tip 4. Tone

Play around with your tone of voice. It’s important to be able to listen to someone for a longer period of time. Utilize the nuances of your voice and emphasize the most important aspects. This allows the audience to remember key aspects of the presentation better. By knowing which elements of public speaking you excel at, you can start using your tone of voice to your advantage.

Please note: when you choose to read parts of your presentation from a piece of paper, make sure you watch your tone throughout. Viewers will notice quickly when you’re reading stuff from your notes. It will distract them.

Tip 5. Humor

Use humor appropriately during your presentation. Don’t try to be a comedian and crack jokes. Instead, try to implement some self-depreciation to win the audience over. This will make people feel like you’re ‘one of them’. They will be able to identify themselves with you a lot better this way.

Tip 6. The power of repetition

Repeat the key takeaways that shaped the core message of your presentation and make sure to use them more than once in your story. It’s actually not too difficult to implement this. Every few slides, you can give people a short summary of the things you talked about.

Tip 7. Be passionate

One of the most important factors of a successful webinar is interacting with the attendees. The best way to do this is by showing them you’re passionate about the subject. Be enthusiastic and present the topic with joy. It allows attendees to respond more and feel connected to the subject matter faster.

Tip 8. Smile and look into the camera

Smiling and looking into the camera radiates confidence and relaxation. Attendees will notice this. Whenever you’re relaxed and keep looking into the camera, the attendees will feel like they’re in the same room with you, having a 1-on-1 conversation. It changes the whole experience. They will experience your story in a more personal way and feel like your message is directed to them personally.

Tip 9. Body language

On average, about 75% of communication is nonverbal. This means your tone of voice and your body language are key to get your message across in the best possible way. Here’s what you do. Make sure to change your position regularly. And use those hands every once in a while! Avoid ‘lazy’ or ‘closed’ body language, such as crossing your arms, or putting your hands behind your back or in your pockets. Make use of open body language and be confident.

Tip 10. Use storytelling

Stories help us stay focused and remember things more easily. When you use storytelling in your webinar, participants will remember parts of the presentation more easily after it’s finished. So when you start your presentation, start it with a story.

Presenting your webinar

Did these tips help you? Are you pumped up to get started? With the knowledge you gained from these tips, presenting a successful webinar will be easier. Are you implementing our advice in your first webinar? Good luck! Enjoy the moment, and blow your audience away with an awesome presentation.

This is your moment, you’re in the spotlight now. Everyone’s attention is directed towards you. You have a platform to actually reach your audience now. Make sure you remain focused and tell your story with enthusiasm. You’ll probably be nervous, and that’s completely normal. Just try to enjoy the moment and gain some experience. That’s just as important as not making any mistakes.

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