I have recently delivered some training on running effective webinars as well as hosted some large development sessions of up to 200 people. When I do this, I am aware that it’s is a new skill we didn’t really have to utilise until Covid. It was during this recent development session that I was asked what further learning could be done, or what resources could they use to keep improving, and I duly shared some useful pieces of information.
One way to relax
That evening, I settled down to relax and turned on the One Show. I initially had it on in the background whilst I checked social media and the mix of chat started to wash over me. I wasn’t really listening to Jane McDonald discussing cruising with Girls Aloud. I even missed the host Alex linking from Cheryl to a film about wild ponies on Exmoor or Brian Conley meeting the teacher of the year from Merseyside. I really must pay attention more!
Once, I tuned in, I realised how much was syncing with the webinar session that I had run earlier that day. I was able to link parts of the content directly to what was being discussed, or demonstrated on the show. The One Show was bringing the content, discussion and practice to life, right in front of me.
Firstly, there was the clear planning of the show/webinar, clearly timed out with space for “chat”, yet hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas remained solidly in control. This was clear when Alex cut into a conversation about the Girls Aloud tour to link to the wild ponies resulting in a slightly bemused Jane McDonald looking on.
Producing great content
The role of the producer is clear too, holding Alex and Jermaine to time and ensuring they cover everything needed. With the prompts from the script and cue cards, this ensures a clear flow.
Then its over to the recorded segments on wild ponies, which are short and concise allowing a break in the action in the studio. This again is something that we can do with webinars, with content created using Canva, AI tools or even your smartphone. This also allows some breathing space for all involved.
You can also see how you need to plan for the unexpected, demonstrated wonderfully by Alex Jones and Ronan Keating, when an unsuspecting Stephen Fry and Sheridan Smith got stuck in the lift, live on the show. So what do you do? Well you laugh about it, link to a film and be relaxed and fluid with the content. So, if Alex and Ronan can cope with no guests on a talk show, then what is the worst that can happen to us on a webinar? Things will go wrong, so don’t panic. Just laugh and try to get back on track.
Alternative resources
As a resource, magazine shows such as Morning Live or the One Show, rolling news channels, or even a shopping television are great ways to learn how to run a webinar. I will be using this a resource on a future webinar development session, as its surprising what you can learn from Alex Jones with Girls Aloud and the amazing Jane McDonald on the One Show.
Daniel Taylor is Learning and Skills Development Manager at the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Coach / Facilitator at Daniel Taylor L&D
