Aside from being missing in action for four months, I am just your average elementary teacher teaching English to grade one students in a private school in Pasig. So, whenever somebody asks me to give a talk about a certain topic, I honestly do not know how to react. What I do is I absorb the info about the invitation, weigh whether I can commit myself fully to it or not for a few minutes. If everything is good, (if I am mentally okay, and our internet permits), I say say.
2020 has brought lots of opportunities for me. Not posting this to brag but to give you some details on how to deal with invitations for speakership.
How to Give Talk or Webinar Online
Here is what I have learned after saying YES to 10 events this year.
- When somebody invites you for a talk, ask them the important details.
- objectives
- target audience
- date and time
- means of the seminar (online or face-to-face)
- length of your talk
- of course, the program.
You need to know these details so you can easily create an outline for your talk that would address what your audience needs. You need these details, promise. I’ve learned this the hard way. There was a time when I absent-mindedly say yes to a friend, not reading the objectives of the workshop I was assigned to. (Sorry, friend, if you are reading this.) Good thing, I was able to adjust the flow of my talk and my activities for that day.
2. Prepare ahead of time. I believe, you are given enough time to prepare for your talk. Hence, you should read, draft, and write your talk in advance. Avoid cramming.
3. Create a strong visual or Powerpoint presentation. Make sure that it follows the usual rules for presentation like the font size (big enough), font style (not more than three font styles), and even the layout. Yes, Canva has a lot of templates, but make sure to make necessary adjustments so you won’t appear the typical Canva user. hehe.
4. Make your online talk or webinar interactive. Let your audience feel that they are part of the program and not just passive listeners. They can contribute to the discussion by commenting their insights or by simply asking questions. Let them know that you are monitoring their comments in the comment section or chat box. Haha. That gives them the sense of responsibility and urgency to respond to your questions.
5. Integrating games to your talk or webinar sounds exciting! When they know that they will be rewarded, audience tend to be more motivated to participate. Most of the time, games add flavor to one’s talk, as well.
These are just some of the things I did before I give talk or webinars online. If I’ve missed anything, feel free to comment them in the comment section below.
Have a great day ahead!
-Kim
Wanders of Kim 