LawLibTech

First, let's talk logistics.

• If you want to start on time, attendees should be instructed to join the web conference at least 5 minutes in advance of the time the conference is due to start. It can take a few minutes to download the necessary plug-ins and get settled in.
• If you're the presenter, ALWAYS log into the conference call and the web conference at least 5-10 minutes before the presentation is set to start. It can be confusing (or impossible) for attendees to try to join a web conference when the host isn't present, and remember, you've told them to join in advance!
• By the way, I always suggest that attendees join the audio conference call before logging on to the web meeting. That way if they're having difficulties joining, I can try to talk them through it.
• Remind attendees to mute their phone unless they have a comment or question. Background noise can be very disruptive over a conference call, with or without the web conference!
• Don't forget to check to make sure that the audience is seeing on their screen what you THINK they're seeing on the screen. I recently forgot to turn on desktop sharing, and I rattled on for several minutes before I was informed that they weren't seeing anything. Duh. You might want to check in with participants at regular intervals to make sure that things are still running well on their end and that you are all, literally, on the same page.
• Close your email program. Outlook can interrupt your presentation in a number of different ways. You can always turn off notification, etc., but it's usually easier, and more fail safe, to just close Outlook altogether.
• Make sure your computer is securely plugged in. Okay, this one probably goes without saying, but I did once accidentally knock the power cord out of the socket, and since I was the host, all of the participants were also kicked out of the conference. Everyone had to get logged in all over again. It wasn't pretty.
• Keep your web conferences to no more than 60 minutes. It's hard for attendees to stay alert for longer than that, even when you're presenting in person. The likelihood of participants staring at a computer screen for hours on end is low. They'll leave to get a cup of coffee and you won't even know they're gone.
• Take advantage of the ability to record your training sessions if you're using a conferencing service that supports it.

Now on to presentation techniques.

• If you're presenting to a group in a remote location, draft someone in the group to be your eyes and ears. I usually discuss this with the individual in advance of the meeting. I ask them to please interrupt me if people are looking mystified at something I've said, or if they're asking each other what the heck I'm talking about. (That's the disadvantage of that mute button that I mentioned above!)
• If possible, I like to have some "live" attendees in my location. It helps me stay engaged.
• If you DO have a live audience at your location, MAKE SURE TO REPEAT QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS to the whole group! There's nothing that will make people feel left out faster than dead air with the faint sound of conversation going on in the background.
• Stop and ask if there are any questions, but don't be flustered by a few seconds of dead air. Silence is not the enemy. I usually just wait a few seconds to make sure that people have the opportunity to speak up, and if no one does, I move on. Note that if you ask for questions, then keep talking to fill the time, no one will be ABLE to ask questions. Though with most conferencing services you can take questions via a chat box, which gives you another option for audience participation.
• Let me repeat, silence is not the enemy. It may feel even more uncomfortable in a web conference to not fill the air, but a few seconds of silence here and there while you get your bearings is not as uncomfortable as it may seem to you. In fact, it may allow people another opportunity to break in with questions or comments.
• Try using a polling slide to get feedback from the audience. Many attendees find it difficult to speak up during a conference call. But you need to connect somehow, so take a quick, but relevant poll if it's appropriate.

Web conferencing is a great way to train and collaborate; it just requires a slightly different perspective. I hope these tips help.

If you have web conferencing tips and experiences of your own, please share them!