Helping Create Success
Taken a Tumble Lately? Webinar Disaster Update.
Taken a tumble in life lately? Did it hurt or scare you? Most important, what did you do after you fell? How did you process the experience, and what did you learn? Did the pain ease, or is it still there?
When I confronted my techno-phobia a few weeks ago, and managed to scare myself even more than I’d ever thought possible (I was sweating gum drops!) I was able to get through it, calm down and keep my wits about me. However, it took a hefty chunk out of my central nervous system. I hadn’t really conquered my fear, merely confronted it.
All equestrians know that if you fall off your horse, you get up and re-mount immediately. If you don’t, the fear of falling can take hold and grow, and by the way, it hurts. With this in mind, I scheduled another webinar for the following week. It had to be done quickly, before I had too much time to think about it.
Webinars are a breed apart, when it comes to the many different ways to communicate our business messages. I’ve worked across all platforms and to host webinars or conduct online courses, and do them well, takes a combination of skill sets that humbles me. So I practiced a lot, and got familiar with the control panel for Go-to-Webinar; I wanted to fly solo for this one.
You know what? It was just fine…smooth execution, relaxed focus and able to be both “in the zone” but also have an eye on the panel that showed questions, raised hands, how much time I had left etc. I had control now, where I’d felt out of control before, and it was as exhilarating as it was empowering.
Moral of the story: “Don’t let your fears make you foolish.”
I Had a Panic Attack Before My Webinar on Stage Fright…Here’s How I Survived.
Oh, the irony! I decided to confront my fear of tech issues by hosting a webinar on public speaking, including how to be interesting and managing stage fright. I know that fear holds a lot of us back-in different ways of course, but it’s always getting in the way and never really helps a situation.
My wing man was in place, to help me manage the tech end. The platform was Go-To-Webinar, and I made sure to get in and do some rehearsals on my own, before a 4 pm start. That’s when I got myself into trouble. I started clicking things within G-T-W, and somehow locked myself out of my account, at 3:55pm.
So you know what I did? I panicked. I couldn’t think, or read the prompts on the screen, or even breathe. The very thing I’d been afraid of was happening and I was helpless. My wing man emailed me, saying he was locked out. My mentor called on the phone, to ask what was going on. All I could do was email back, “I am dying.”
Because that’s what it felt like. The wave of anxiety was…huge! When I finally got in, it was 4:09. My voice was shaking, and so were my hands, but I was in. I hit the record button and let everyone know the truth…that I was agitated and uncomfortable. Then I followed my own advice, by getting my breathing under control. Slowed it down, settled deeper into my chair, and regained control of my wits. Because I’d prepared the presentation, I was able to more or less follow my prep, with a few detours.
When it ended, I heard from some people right away, saying nice things. I couldn’t believe them until I watched playback (nerve-wracking) but it turns out that most of my nerves really don’t come across, which is what I’m always telling my speakers. The internal experience of stage nerves is always much more acute than what the audience perceives.
My husband wanted me to edit out my first few minutes of the webinar, because he thinks it makes me seem weak. I completely disagreed, and posted it on YouTube, precisely so people can see that we ALL have our moments that challenge and scare us. Just go with them, don’t fight, and keep breathing. You’ll be just fine.