How to Host a Webinar

A webinar is a virtual seminar that is usually an hour in length. Attendees can be anywhere in the world and will be able to see the materials as if they are sitting in their office. If they have a telephone and can access a computer, they can access the meeting.

• Start preparations eight weeks in advance by developing a webinar plan and reserving the time and date with a conferencing vendor that can meet your needs.
• Schedule your webinar when the greatest number of people can attend. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are best. Running your session in early afternoon means people from all times zones can attend.
• Choose an interesting speaker or a recognized expert.
• Write a script and prepare a PowerPoint for your webinar. Don't use bullets in your PowerPoint - tell a story.
• Promote your webinar through a link on your website, blogs, emails, newsletters, and search engine ads.
• One month in advance send a "save the date" email giving complete information such as the call-in number, web address of your webinar and how to register to all the people who should attend. Follow up with a reminder one week ahead of time. Send a reminder the day before. And remember that word-of-mouth is key, so include an "invite-a-colleague" in all interactions with potential attendees.
• Automate the registration process as much as possible and make sure every registration is sent a "thanks for registering" email.
• Do a run through the day before to make sure everything runs smoothly. Do not skip this step. Have a couple of people who will be participating sign on and ask questions. Familiarize yourself with the controls, and troubleshoot any points with the conference company before the main event.
• The day of the event the speaker and moderator should be ready to go 15 minutes ahead of time - using a landline with a headset and having a hard copy of their presentation in front of them.
• Respect the time of attendees by starting and ending the conference on time.
• Share the information with your participants, but stay focused.
• Take charge of the question-and-answer period by answering questions quickly and concisely. Discourage questions that are off-topic telling participants that you can correspond with them after the webinar.
• Conduct a poll at the end of your session to learn more about your audience and what they care about.
• End your webinar by thanking all who came for their time.
• Record the session and make it available on your website or blog.
• Send each attendee a "thank you" and non-attendees a "sorry, we missed you" email with a link to the recorded webinar.

How to Write a Speech

Ask yourself:

Occasion - what is the occasion and the speaker's role?

Audience - who are they and why are you speaking to them?

Purpose of Your Speech - is it a funding announcement, a new product, a public opening, an awards ceremony?

Research:

Type of speech:

Funding announcement - why are you giving the money, how much money are you giving and for what purpose?

Awards ceremony - who is getting the awards and why, what is the history of the awards programs?

How long is your speech expected to be?

Who will speak before and after you - acknowledge them.

What will the speakers before or after you be speaking about so you do not duplicate what they are saying.

Who else of note is attending? You might need to acknowledge them.

Structure:

Opening

The first thirty seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that period of time you must grab the audience's attention, and interest them in what you are going to say.

You can do this in several ways. For example you could ask a thought-provoking question, make an interesting or controversial statement, recite a relevant quotation or even tell a joke.

Tell your audience what you are going to talk about.

Once you have won the attention of the audience, your speech should move seamlessly to the middle of your speech.

Middle

The body of your speech will always be the largest part of your speech. At this point your audience has been introduced to you and the subject of your speech (your opening) and will hopefully be ready to hear your arguments or your musings on the subject of your speech.

The best way to set out the body of your speech is by formulating a series of points (key messages) that you would like to raise. In the context of your speech, a "point" could be a statement about a product, how your funding will help the community or a fond memory of the subject of a eulogy.

The points should be organized with related points that follow one another so each point builds upon the previous one. This will also give your speech a more logical progression, and make the job of the listener an easier one. You can even number the points you want to make (i.e., first, I want to talk about...)

It is always better to have fewer points that you make well than to have too many points, none of which are made satisfactorily.

Closing

Like your opening, the closing of your speech must contain some of your strongest material.
You should view the closing of your speech as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to:

• Summarize the main points of your speech
• Provide some further food for thought for your listeners
• Leave your audience with positive memories of your speech
• Choose the final thought/emotion (i.e., admiration for winners and losers at an awards ceremony etc)

End:

End your speech by thanking your audience and then introducing the next speaker or inviting the audience to enjoy refreshments now.

How to Identify and Write an Issue Note

Issues management:

The early identification of a contentious issue so relevant information can be gathered, organized and communicated in a strategic and timely fashion.

What are issues?

• Long-standing problems that are difficult to resolve
• Perceived lack of action or too much action
• Direct attack/criticism by opponents
• Positive pressure from government, stakeholders or partners
• Critical events (news) that focus attention

A contentious issue is often but not always linked to specific events, statements or problems, and can come from anecdotal discussion such as product problems, delivery problems, legal or labor issues.

Early warning signs of a developing issue:

• Questions from media or customers/clients
• Media coverage of local, regional, national and international news
• Social media mentions and/or campaigns - blogs, social media sites, etc.
• Precipitating or scheduled events (i.e., news conferences, boycotts)
• Release of reports, studies, surveys
• Freedom of information requests

How to react?

• Be Proactive. Use early warning tools.
• Media monitoring
• Media clips
• Media analysis
• Internet and blogosphere monitoring
• Emails and letters
• Phone inquiries from the media and/or customers
• Petitions
• Issues forecast

What tools should you use?

• Verbal briefings
• Strategic advice
• Question-and-answer sheets
• Key messages
• Spokesperson/s scripts
• Stakeholder management strategy (letters, phone calls, blogs, social media)
• Issues management plan
• Issues forecast
• Issue notes

What is an issue note?

• A concise and timely account of up-to-the minute information and background relating directly to the issue (usually 2-3 pages maximum)
• Key messages and talking points that your spokesperson can use in a speech or as a guideline for response
• Includes a "suggested response" of one page maximum
• Timing

Who uses an issue note?

Senior management and communications department

How is an issue note used?

• For media calls and press interviews
• For stakeholder meetings and inquiries
• For creating responses to blogs, social media, emails, letters, phone calls and petitions

Handling media calls:

If a media call comes in ask the reporter what it is they are calling about. If you are not the best person to answer the query tell the reporter you will have someone get back to them as soon as possible. Then forward the information to the designated media relations person to respond to the call immediately.

How to Write a Communications Plan

A strategic communications plan is a blueprint or roadmap to show where your organization is, where it wants to be, what needs to be done to get there and how success will be measured. The items you want to cover in your communications plan are:

Title:

Is it an event, an announcement, a project or a campaign?

Context:

What is the current communications situation?
What is this about?
Note challenges or opportunities.

Timing:

Start and end date and time.

Objectives:

What are the desired results?

Positioning:

How does this plan fit in with your organization's priorities and current messaging?

Strategy:

Describe your recommended communications strategy (i.e., proactive high profile print, electronic, online and social media campaign).

Research Supporting the Strategy:

Polling, focus groups, environmental scan, correspondence, etc.

Target Audience:

Key external and internal audiences.

Key Messages:

One main message and three or four supporting messages only.

Possible Headlines:

Decision makers in your organization should be aware that these headlines could result from this strategy.

SWOT Analysis:

Make a table that includes headings for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Use bullets to briefly identify what impact internal and external factors will have on your company's objectives.

Strengths

• internal strengths of your organization that will help achieve its' objectives.

Weaknesses

• internal weaknesses of your organization that could make it difficult to achieve its' objectives.

Opportunities

• external conditions that could help your organization achieve its' objectives.

Threats

• external conditions that could make your organization unable to achieve its' objectives.

Stakeholder Analysis:

Briefly list stakeholder positions - supporters, opposition, neutral and unknown.

Contentious Issues:

Briefly outline the three or four controversial issues. Many of these will come out of your stakeholder analysis.

Tactics & Rollout:

Specific tactics and communications products that support your strategy.

Senior Management Involvement:

Identify spokesperson/s who will deliver the key messages.

Media Relations Plan:

What media will be involved in this communications plan?
Identify short and longer term media strategies.

Budget:

Cost to implement this communications strategy.

Stakeholder Issues Follow-up:

Include post rollout stakeholder briefings or other issues management activities.
Note opportunities to restate your messages to and with stakeholders.

Evaluation:

Suggest ways you will show results based on the objectives of your plan (i.e., qualitative and quantitative media coverage; correspondence; phone calls, hits to the website, etc.).

How to Write an Issues Management Plan

Issue description:

Describe the issue in detail, outlining the challenges and opportunities. Explain why it is an issue. Details should include:

• Context
• Timelines and important dates
• How the issue has evolved
• Project life cycle of the issue
• Public awareness surrounding the issue

Strategic considerations:

Media/research:

A brief synopsis of all related current or past media coverage including online should be provided to allow senior management to identify re-occurring themes and better position the organization to respond in an effective and timely manner.

The media analysis should include key quotes that illustrate positions of key stakeholders, public officials and those in support or opposition.

Relevant market research can help identify trends, viewpoints and interest in an issue.

Stakeholder reaction:

Identify key stakeholders and present an overview of their position on an issue.

Communications objective:

Clearly state your communications goals, objective and how you would like to see your organization positioned on this issue.

The objective may be to make the issue "go away" or minimize the damage it causes. Or perhaps it is an opportunity for your organization to communicate the good things it is doing.

Action plan:

Provide a step-by-step plan for addressing the issue and developing solutions.

Key messages:

State the key messages that will allow your organization to achieve its communications goal.

The messages - no more than four or five - should be written as if your company president is using them in a speech.

Your organization should also be prepared to back up the messaging with key facts that can be put in a fact sheet or backgrounder.

Strategy/tactical Plan:

Describe how your organization will respond to the issue (reactive or proactive) and describe what tactics will be used to communicate this position and why to the general public and the media. Considerations include:

• Identification of lead and supporting spokespeople
• Senior executive involvement
• Communications product development - news release, Qs & As, issue note, fact sheet/s, backgrounder/s
• Media relations (press conference, targeted media, exclusive, background only)
• Timing