Maybe you don’t have to stand. A webcam of the rubber chicken just doesn’t sound the same. And most webinars probably aren’t the time or place for off-key renditions of “I’m a Little Teapot.” But this WSJ piece on agile meetings does offer a few good reminders for webinar hosts and presenters.

Your Webinar Needs an Agenda

And a slide deck is not an agenda. Do you have a strong, well-rehearsed open and close? (If a presenter is going to run off the rails, these are the two most likely culprits.) If you’ve got multiple presenters, do you know who’s speaking when? Who is moderating Q&A and how? Do you have checkpoint slides in your deck? (Checkpoint slides are the ones that clue you in to your progress against your scheduled timing – e.g. you should be at the 15m mark on slide 8.) Agile webinars have a plan.

Your Webinar Should Start On Time

While fining your attendees probably isn’t an option, starting your webinar on time is. Using a webinar may mean you get the (occasionally valid) “it took forever to get connected” excuse, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Manage to the rule and keep your webinar on schedule. Two minutes past the scheduled start is a fair allowance for connection time, and respects the time of those who were prompt.

Your Webinar Could Probably Be Shorter

When we get a deck that’s so large we have to break it before loading into the software, my eyes roll back into my head on behalf of the audience. If you have 40 slides, could you deliver a better presentation with 35? (And not by squeezing more information onto each slide, please.) While you’re taking a second look at your deck, practice. Less fumbling equals a better and shorter presentation. And while you’re practicing, pull yourself up on every filler word – ummm…uh…well…actually… Ditch the detritus and you’ll come across better and faster. Agile, even.

Are your webinars agile? Share your best tips below.