One of the biggest risks of presenting via webinar is boring your audience. No one wants to watch as a disembodied voice clicks through slides. So be sure you’re giving people a chance to interact with you.

o Depending on the number of attendees, you may ask them to “raise their hand” if they have a question, type their questions into the comment box, or use a separate Q&A feature.

o Whatever you decide, clearly explain the instructions at the beginning of the webinar, and periodically remind people how they can join in.

o Remember that it may take participants some time to formulate their questions, especially if they’re typing them, so give several minutes’ warning before you dive into the Q&A.

And if you expect there to be a lot of comments or questions, you may want to have an assistant pick the ones you’ll respond to, so you can focus on your talk.

Adapted from “How to Give a Webinar Presentation,” by Dorie Clark