Training Delivery Through Webinars

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

In October 2021, we generated 250 sales leads in 2 hours without coding, AI, or sales expertise, and we have never looked back. Here's exactly how we’ve used webinars to generate $3M+ in pipeline since launching our company. A week after launching Chezie's ERG platform in August 2021, we hosted a simple webinar that changed everything. The idea came when we noticed most ERG content online was outdated (think black-and-white websites from 2014; it was dark out there). We saw an opportunity. Here’s our process: 1. Find your topic     Look for LinkedIn conversations in your niche. Use tools like Perplexity to research what people are actively searching for.     2. Get the right host     We reached out to my friend Morgan Matthews (she/her), who was working as a DEI Manager at Peloton at the time. Your host should either have a strong following, work at a notable company, or ideally both.      The more notable your speaker, the easier it is to drive signups.      3. Structure your event     We titled ours "From Intent to Impact: How to Get the Most Out of Your ERGs." Morgan gave a 45-minute presentation and left 15 mins for Q&A.      Keep it simple – a fireside chat format lets your host prepare answers in advance.     4. Capture leads strategically     Have attendees share key info during registration (company size, current solutions, etc.). This helps you qualify leads before the event.     5. Execute and follow up       Some tips for a smooth event:       • Host on Zoom (everyone’s familiar with it by now)   • Pay attention to which participants are most engaged   • Share recordings after via email to warm the inbox   • Focus follow-up on qualified leads      Fast-forward to today: We've hosted 60+ events and turned webinars into our #1 go-to-market channel, even as we've expanded to other strategies. If you have questions about the process, qualifying leads, or anything else around webinars as a GTM motion, comment below; I’m happy to help! 👇🏾

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

Virtual learning has democratised access. It has not democratised immersion. Last week, I spent nine hours facilitating virtual sessions with two groups. In one case, participants were spread across locations — virtual was the only viable option. In another, the group was physically together at an offsite, and I joined remotely for a short segment. The advantages of virtual learning are clear: access, speed, cost efficiency, and the ability to bring in expertise that geography would otherwise restrict. But here is another truth: virtual sessions often create the illusion of immersion without the reality of it. Three gaps stood out for me. First, diagnostic depth. In a physical room, you read hesitation, anxiety, resistance, often before it becomes verbal. On a screen, especially with cameras off, that feedback loop is severely reduced. Second, psychological separation. A two-hour virtual session in the middle of a workday competes with email, calls, and operational urgency. In-person programs create a boundary. Virtual rarely does. Third, energy transfer. Facilitation is physical as much as intellectual. Movement, proximity, shared space — these matter. On a screen, both facilitator and participant operate within constraints. And yet, abandoning virtual is neither realistic nor desirable. In my experience, virtual works best when: -- It builds on an existing relationship rather than starting one. -- It is shorter, sharper, and more structured than an in-person equivalent. -- Participants are given explicit permission to disconnect from operational work during the session. Perhaps the issue is not “virtual versus in-person.” It is whether we are designing virtual as a compromise, or as a distinct medium with its own rules. For those shaping leadership journeys: Are we optimising for access alone, or for depth of experience?

Most training programs fail because they teach content before context. During a recent session, I asked learners one question before starting: “Why does this skill matter to YOU?” The engagement shifted instantly. Because adults don’t learn when they’re told to — they learn when they see meaning. One technique I rely on for this is: 🔹 The WIIFM Activation Technique (What’s In It For Me?) Step 1: Ask a reflective, real-world question Step 2: Connect their answers to the topic Step 3: Give a quick-win activity Step 4: Then deliver the full concept This works with every audience because: ✨ If learning doesn’t feel personal, it won’t feel important. ✨ If it’s not important, it won’t stick. As L&D professionals, our job is not just to teach — it’s to make learning meaningful. What’s one technique that always works for you?

If you’re only using webinars as a single piece of on-demand content, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my workflow using Descript to turn a 1-hour webinar into 10-20 short-form clips: 1. Set Up Dual Recordings - Use Zoom for the main webinar, but record yourself separately in Descript. - Why? Zoom’s resolution isn’t ideal, and I like to have a clean, high-quality video of the speaker alone for repurposing. 2. AI-Powered Cleanup - Descript’s AI Underlord is a game-changer: - Remove Filler Words: Automatically delete all the “ums,” “uhs,” and awkward pauses. - Shorten Word Gaps: Set the AI to trim silences longer than 0.25 seconds for faster pacing (perfect for short-form content). 3. Generate Video Clips with AI - In Descript, create vertical video templates with captions, branding, and background music. - Tell the AI how many clips you want and what topics to focus on (keywords like "storytelling" or "examples"). - Preview, tweak, or discard clips as needed. (lots of platforms offer this, but I've yet to find one as easy as Descript even for non-video editors) 4. Bulk Export - Export your selected clips in one go, saving hours of manual editing and uploading time. - This workflow consistently produces high-engagement clips without the typical editing time--and I love that I can do it in a tool like Descript that offers a lot more than a single-function clip creating software. How do you currently repurpose your webinars? What’s working (or not) for you? Would love to swap notes. #B2B #marketing #contentmarketing #video #webinar (btw...I recorded & edited THIS video in Descript too, fwiw)

Part 2/3: Deepening Engagement in Virtual Workshops As I've navigated through numerous virtual workshops, I've discovered more strategies that deepen engagement and make every session more impactful. Sharing my journey and learning with you, here are additional insights I've found invaluable: 1. Personalize your approach: I've learned the importance of tailoring the content to the audience. This allows me to customize examples and case studies to better resonate with their experiences and challenges. 2. Use engaging visuals and interactive tools: I've incorporated more visual aids and interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and breakout rooms. These tools not only break up the monotony but also encourage participation. It's amazing how a simple poll can invigorate a session and provide instant feedback. 3. Follow-up is key: I make it a habit to send out a summary email after each workshop. This email includes key takeaways, answers to any unanswered questions, and additional resources. It's a small effort on my part, but it goes a long way in reinforcing the learning and showing participants that I value their engagement and growth. 4. Share your journey: I've found that sharing my own learning journey, mistakes included, makes me more relatable and builds a stronger connection with the audience. It demystifies the learning process and encourages participants to embrace their own growth paths with more confidence. I'm curious to know, how do you adapt your sessions to keep participants engaged and ensure they're not just passive listeners? Stay tuned for Part 3, where I'll share some final thoughts and tips on mastering virtual workshops.

Great to be back London Business School this time delivering virtually. Virtual doesn’t mean distant. But it does demand intention. Some hasty soft furnishing improvisation to get the camera at eye level and pushed back to allow natural movement and gestures. Connection starts with presence. If you want engagement through a screen, you have to work harder than you would in the room. A few non-negotiables for speakers and leaders presenting virtually: • Multiple screens - (my preference) One for content, one for faces, chat and polls. If you’re not collecting input, you’re broadcasting, not engaging. • Eye contact Camera placement matters. It’s the difference between talking at people and communicating with them. • Body language & gestures Hands, posture, movement, and facial expression create meaning and energy. If the audience can’t see you gesture, they can’t feel your emphasis. • Energy creation Tone, pace, variation, and intentional pauses matter as much online as on stage. • Confidence in delivery Clarity plus calm presence builds trust fast even through a lens. Virtual audiences don’t lack attention. They lack connection. That’s on us as speakers and leaders to create it. Different medium. Same responsibility. Inspire people to lean in!

How to instantly make your facilitation 10x more impactful (without learning new methods) If you're a coach, consultant, or trainer, working harder in your sessions won't fix the real problem. After 25 years of designing and facilitating learning experiences with some of the worlds best known organisations... Here’s what I know: It’s rarely about needing more tools. It’s about making small, smart shifts that change everything. Here are 10 ways improve your sessions: 1. Start with the end in mind Design every activity to move participants toward a single emotional or cognitive shift. 2. Create one big tension point early Give participants a real problem to wrestle with, not just information to absorb. 3. Anchor every concept in a real-world moment Theory fades. Lived experience sticks. 4. Build anticipation, not overwhelm Plant curiosity gaps instead of dumping information. 5. Celebrate small wins loudly People don’t just want to learn. They want to feel changed. 6. Design emotional highs and reflection points Breakthrough don't happen by accident. Plan for emotional shifts and deep reflection. 7. Use fewer slides, more stories Facts are forgotten. Stories are retold. 8. Make them move, speak, or decide Learning isn't passive. Vocal participation locks in growth. 9. Create meaningful discomfort Stretch their comfort zone But always guide them safely through it. 10. End by future-pacing their success Help them see not just what they've learned. But who they’re becoming. The best facilitation feels effortless. But it’s never accidental. And if you're self-employed this is the difference between getting by and standing out. ~~ ♻️ Share if you found this helpful and want to lead sessions people can't stop talking about ✍️Which one of these 10 tips would make the biggest difference if you added it right now?

Sitting through another online event, nodding along, but not really feeling engaged? I just experienced this feeling last week in an online webinar. There has been trouble with tech, which consumed a lot of time, there was little interaction with the participants, and the wasn’t quite built for everyone in the room. I left feeling disappointed and unmotivated. I've been moderating events, facilitating workshops, and giving trainings now for over 20 years. In this time, I’ve learned that truly engaging and great events are rare. The good part: it is a skill that people can learn. Three takeaways that I share with folks who are just starting out or for those with more experience who could also need a check-in from time to time are the following: Preparation is key. Always keep the audience in mind. And, offer various ways to learn. Preparation: With the goal and purpose in mind you should design the event. From opening with welcoming, sharing the agenda and rules of engagement to delivering the content to closing with a summary and feedback. Do several dry runs, meaning that you go through your whole program without audience or maybe with colleagues who can give constructive feedback. Also consider which tech will be used and test it before using it. Audience: The event is not for you; it’s for the audience. What do you know about the people who are attending? Do the participants know each other? Which questions could you ask to learn about their expectations, needs, and knowledge? You can do that, i.e,. through polls, surveys, or discussions. Be flexible and don’t be scared to adjust the agenda if needed, and communicate why you are doing what you are doing. There have been so many times that I was a participant and I couldn’t follow the instructions, or I didn’t understand what was asked of me. Learning: People learn differently. By offering various ways to learn, engage, and participate, everyone in the room has a chance to achieve the set objectives. It might be useful to make learning and reflection materials accessible prior to, during, and after the event. Some people prefer working alone while others prefer working in groups. Some need to hear, others need to read content. Don't just think about what you like, but educate yourself about what people with different ways of thinking need. And let me be clear. You'll never please everyone in the room. That’s okay. But by following the above-mentioned tips, you can get pretty close. And remember, there is help out there - hello Ellen and team 👋🏾 What is important to you in virtual spaces? What have been good or bad experiences? Do you need help in creating more engaging and inclusive events? Send me a DM. #Facilitation #Workshops #Training #Virtual #SaferSpaces ALT- Text in the comments.