PRESENCE, AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATION AND THE WEBINAR

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Richard Richards, our VP of Learning Design, recently delivered a webinar on behalf of eCornell and Training Magazine.  The title of it was Capturing the DNA: A Practical Approach for Keeping Leadership Alive Across the Generations.   Participating in it left me thinking about how we build authentic connections with each other when the modern business world dictates that we cannot always interact face-to-face. Here are some thoughts about using the skills of our PRES model when giving a webinar:

Tell a story and link it to the business issue at hand

At the beginning of his webinar, Richard told us a wonderful story about his mother and how he always meant to record her life story. He never got a chance to do this while she was alive as they were both busy with day-to-day life.  Richard then linked his story to the accelerated, changing demographics of the workforce as Baby Boomers retire and urged participants not to wait too long to groom the next generation–for as was true for he and his mother, time is limited. The story invited participants into Richard’s world and reasoning,  and it was refreshing to not jump into PowerPoint immediately.

Reach out via chat and polling

Reaching Out is about listening.   Though the phone lines were not open on Richard’s webinar, we could “hear” participants’ voices and were able to sense their involvement via the chat and polling features.  Polling allowed for getting a sense of what the trend “in the room” might be – akin to an in-person experience where we might ask for a show of hands.   Via chat, the moderator was able to note individual comments and participants’ names which created a more personal experience.  Additionally, when Richard said something funny people entered “ha ha” or “hee hee” in chat.  Participants offered titles of books as resources; encouraged each other by writing comments like “good point”; or alternately clarified their own meaning when someone else responded to their idea or question.  A conversation was created; connections were made. People reached out and stayed engaged.

Be expressive: use voice modulation and pacing

The primary expressive tool via webinar technology is voice.  Modulate.  Modulate. Modulate. That’s the name of the game.  Intonation, rhythm, pacing become your core “hook” for keeping people “with you,” interested and present (literally, by staying on the webinar through to the end and metaphorically, by bringing their full attention to it).   Use your voice to communicate and connect with your audience.

Acknowledge, accept, adapt

In-person interaction creates a different experience than being on the phone, webinar or video conference. AND yet—presence is transferrable across these mediums.  The key is to find ways to bring our full selves and attention to the moment—just because people can’t see us doesn’t mean they can’t tell when we are “dialing-in” our performance.  As we all learn what it is to live and work in the information age, we will continue to explore how (and to find ways) to create authentic connection across the ocean and through the cloud.

If you are interested in the handouts or recording for Richard’s webinar, you can find them here. You’ll have to create a login for Training Magazine’s Training Payback Community but it’s worth it–it’s a great community with tons of fantastic (free) resources.

Tags: Gabriella Salvatore,presence,presentations,reaching out,technology