Why webinars make sense and what role slide decks have in this brave new world
This blog-post is being written from home. The current pandemic has collapsed the borders between “work” and “home” for so many of us. What had felt new only a couple of months ago is now simply the new normal. Already, experts are thinking about what the “next normal” might be. The times they are a changin’ quicker than ever, and adaptability is perhaps more crucial than ever.
As we adjusted to new rhythms and patterns over the last two months, we realised that in the midst of all the uncertainties, some things remained the same.
Chief among them, the demand for consistency, professionalism and quality – despite all barriers of distance and contact.
With so much depending on the internet, and entire offices interfacing internally and externally via digital platforms, what impact might that have on the way we conceive, design and make presentations?
If, as we’ve asserted, engaging audiences depended not only on excellent slides but also on confident presence and storytelling skills to complement them, what happens now, in this era of social distancing?
The way we look at it – it simply strengthens the case for ensuring that each and every presentation be more unique, more impactful, and more coherent than ever before.
When what you see (and hear via Zoom or audio recording to go with the ppt) is all you get – it makes sense that the design and content be created for optimal impact.
To that end, all the design aspects that we have been covering in our blog over the past year continue to make sense, and may be worth looking at, especially if you’re a first-time visitor to this space!
For those who are already au fait with the basics of good presentations, today we’d like to focus on one aspect of virtual presentations that current times call for.
The webinar.
Working remotely does not mean that we have to feel cut-off from our clients. To add a human element and the powerful sense of dialogue and conversation that every good meeting is about, a webinar could be an ideal addition to your presentation-planning.
Simply put, a webinar is a “seminar on the web”.
Anyone can host a webinar, invite people, and use the features of interaction, questions and chat in real-time that are so easily enabled by the technologies available.
You can even record a webinar for later viewing and wider sharing.
No matter what your product or who your audience, a webinar is a great way to overcome the seeming divide created by distance and location.
What excites us is the fact that having a slide deck for your webinar helps engage any audience better.
Webinar pundits point out that “Having a slide deck … allows you to provide a clear agenda for your viewers, encourage engagement, and gives the audience something to walk away with.” [1]
So, in other words, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. With the entire burden of business communication falling into the virtual dimension, it’s worth remembering that the key word here is “communication”.
As we said in one of our earlier posts, “communication isn’t work – it’s life”. With the work-life equation making new demands on us, let’s look at new ways to add life to work, and vice-versa! The show must go on – with full impact, effectiveness and clarity.
Over the next few weeks, we will touch upon some of the important things to keep in mind when making online presentations, so that you can keep adding more power to your PowerPoint presentations!
Meanwhile, stay home, stay safe, stay inspired.