For the last few years the Web has been hailed as the ultimate medium for presenters because you can deliver a presentation from the comfort of your own office. But even the biggest Web advocates will admit that Web presenting can't replace the value of a live presentation in terms of gauging the audience's reaction, interacting with attendees, or building rapport with the client. So whether or not you've jumped on the Web-bandwagon, take a few moments to review some of the reasons why you may or may not want to deliver your next presentation in cyberspace.

To Be

The major advantage of Web presenting is obvious - eliminating the need to leave your office means you're going to save a huge amount of time and money on business travel. But there are other advantages too. Presenting in cyberspace gives you access to a huge potential audience. And you don't need to worry about conflicting appointments, since anyone who misses your presentation can view it at his or her own convenience. Alternatively, if any attendees need to clarify a certain point, they can revisit the presentation later.

Although you've eliminated the opportunity for live audience interaction, the Web can provide an opportunity for your audience to interact with your presentation. Many Web-based presentation packages offer whiteboards, chat boxes and instant polling. So your audience can type in a question or comment, vote on outstanding issues, or contribute to a brainstorming session, all from their own desktops.

This leads us to another major benefit of presenting over the Web - audience participation. Most presenters find that getting a live audience to ask questions is like pulling teeth. The Web offers some form of (visual) autonomy so participants tend to ask more questions via e-mail or chat boxes.

Or Not to Be... Continued on Page 2

 

Keep up on the news with our weekly Pro AV newsletter!

---

[an error occurred while processing this directive]