ÜberzeugenUncategorized / Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Technische Probleme bei Online Präsentationen
Danja
We've all been there: you're in a video conference and suddenly the picture freezes – a bad internet connection. It's incredibly frustrating, especially when it was important. Many people have struggled with this technical problem during online meetings, and there are so many other things that can go wrong. The important thing in such situations, however, is not to despair, but to skillfully and confidently overcome the obstacles that arise. To achieve this, it's essential to first understand what technical problems can occur.
If you're not at all familiar with the video meeting or webinar tool, you're likely to encounter problems during your online presentation.
To ensure you're confident using the software, you should take enough time to familiarize yourself with the system. You can also read the FAQs to quickly find answers to the most common questions. Before starting a live video conference using a new system, conduct a test run that simulates a live situation as closely as possible. This will help you understand how to best use each function.
I had a similar, frustrating experience. At my first "Rock the Digital Stage" webinar, the participants were sent the wrong webinar link. I alerted the organizer that the participants were being directed to a completely different webinar. It took half an hour to resolve the issue. At that point, I was still calm.
Despite these hurdles, half of the registered participants still showed up, which is something. But when I wanted to interact with the participants via chat, I couldn't find the chat history. The day before, I had gone through the chat with the technician, but it wasn't a simulated live situation. The webinar software was new to me and, frankly, very difficult to use for the first time. I should have taken the time to communicate with the technician, who was assisting me that evening, during the problem and told the participants that we would resolve the chat issue shortly. Unfortunately, I didn't do that, and as a result, all the interaction with the audience was lost. In situations like these, it's crucial to stay calm, take a few minutes, and solve the problem. I've learned from this, and now I know how to do it better next time.
An unstable internet connection is one of the most common obstacles online users face. The most frequent signs of these problems are choppy audio, constantly freezing video, screen-sharing errors, and unexplained delays. To resolve these issues, you can first check the tool's speed and bandwidth requirements for your internet connection.
As Einstein said: Problems should never be solved with the same mindset that created them. Therefore, it is advisable to have an alternative solution or a backup plan and to test it beforehand.
Recently, I encountered the following technical challenge. I was giving a presentation training course for the BFI Vienna University of Applied Sciences and was staying at a friend's apartment in Cyprus at the time. I met the organizer a few minutes beforehand in the room, and we tested the technology. When we noticed that the internet connection was very unstable due to the severe weather at the time, I immediately switched to my backup – my mobile phone's hotspot. With just a few clicks, I was able to establish a new internet connection. The presentation training then went perfectly.
Problems can never be solved with the same mindset that created them.
Albert Einstein
If users can't see or hear each other when using a conference tool, it's not very useful. System delays, echoing audio, or even insufficient volume can render the tool unusable. To solve such problems, first make sure that all users, but especially yourself, have the right equipment. Noise-canceling equipment, for example, is very helpful in minimizing audio interference from background noise. Everyone using a computer should have a headset, headphones, or a good microphone to reduce echoes. Also, check all connections, including those for the headset and camera, to ensure all cables are properly plugged in. It's also advisable to have a backup of your lighting, microphone, and camera in case your original equipment fails during your online presentation.
These days, people rely on a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers, for everyday use and video conferencing. Before choosing a video conferencing system, its compatibility with existing devices and other applications, such as the browser or operating system, should be checked. This helps avoid common problems during video conferences.
I had a painful experience with this when I first used MS Teams. I spent several hours the day before going through everything with the technician to avoid errors. However, on the day of the training, many things that had worked during the test run, such as playing PowerPoint presentations, videos, and music, didn't work. My audience, lecturers at a university of applied sciences, were very upset with me afterward. It was very embarrassing.
In retrospect, it turned out that my MacBook's "outdated" operating system was incompatible with MS Teams. Only installing a new operating system resolved these issues.
Preparation, advance planning, and backup: Prepare as thoroughly as possible for potential problems and plan ahead. Consider what could happen and how you can quickly resolve the issue. Backups of microphones, cameras, lights, internet connections, etc., are highly recommended to allow for rapid switching. Having a backup plan readily available is very useful and demonstrates important skills in foresight, planning, and leadership.
Stay calm and take it with humor.
Losing your temper when problems arise is unhelpful, unprofessional, and a waste of time. Stay calm and approach the situation with a sense of humor. Try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and don't despair. Problems can always arise, no matter how thoroughly and well you prepare for them.
Communicate authentically and openly.
Be honest and explain to your audience what isn't working. Don't leave them in the dark about what's happening. They will understand when something isn't going as planned, and the participants might even have solutions to offer.
Take your time to solve the problem. Solving problems without burying your head in the sand demonstrates your professional leadership qualities. You remain calm even in stressful situations.
Get help
You don't always have to solve everything alone. People love to help others when they can. Therefore, have a tech specialist on hand who can quickly answer your questions.
Engage the audience
If a technical problem occurs, keep your audience occupied while you resolve it. For example, you could start a short discussion in the room by asking, "What technical problems have you experienced in the past?" Or you could ask a question related to the topic at hand.
Learnings
When problems arise, you can learn a lot from them, whether you overcome them or not. If you successfully resolve a problem, you can remember how you did it and perhaps even do it faster next time. If you weren't able to eliminate the problem, you should look at how you can solve the situation next time to act more quickly. Generally, you can examine why the problem occurred and how you can avoid it as much as possible in the future.
In conclusion: Technical problems can occur at any time and have various causes. While you can try to minimize them, you can't completely prevent them from arising. However, to best prepare for potential problems and be able to handle them confidently in an emergency, you should create an overview of obstacles and their solutions and develop a backup plan. It's important that you remain calm when problems occur, resolve the issue, and communicate with your audience. If you follow this guide for confidently handling technical problems, you will be well-equipped in the future and can overcome problems with ease.
