Amid the health restrictions and protocols that have been imposed since the start of the pandemic, we were compelled to participate in online meetings and events. Many people have resorted to creating virtual events but others find it way above their competency and did not want to handle the planning themselves. Today, I’m bringing in Matthew Pollard, a virtual event
planning expert and well-known international keynote speaker who’s going to share some tips
with you.
Virtual events are very different from live events and keeping the audience engaged throughout the entire session is very critical. With virtual events, you can do even more than you could from the stage and create even more interactivity. To keep the engagement running, Matthew highly recommends two things:
1. Leverage speakers and a conference structure for your events, but do it over a longer period of time. Making the schedule much more palatable is a great step.
2. Multiple sets really add value to your virtual events. Make sure you have the right technology and that there’s some form of interactivity if the event is going to go for more than 30 to 45 minutes.
Green Screen and Real Sets
Between green screens and real sets, Matthew strongly recommends using real sets for virtual events. One of the most important things that a speaker must give to his audience is authenticity. For one, green screens are prone to pixelation which adds tackiness to the presentation but the bigger problem is that your whole presence sends a message to the audience that what they are experiencing is not real. On the other hand, real sets are a great choice but they don’t need to be expensive. Instead of building a full-blown set, Matthew suggests using fake set backgrounds that look real but are cost-effective.
Live Versus Taped Virtual Events
Some of us have probably seen live events that crash because of internet connection issues and it’s easy to think that taping them would be more convenient. However, some event hosts find it ineffective and inauthentic. Matthew stresses that a backup internet connection is good to have when you do live virtual events. While changing over to the backup connection takes minutes, it’s better than having to cancel and reschedule the presentation and upset some people.
When it comes to taped virtual events, a lot of event companies now are wising up to the fact that speakers are willing to provide a slight discount for a pre-recorded interview because they can do it based on their schedule.
One other thing that Matthew suggests is a hybrid event. He recalls one event that he did with Laser Fish where his entire presentation was pre-recorded and the Q&A part at the end was live to give the audience an opportunity to interact with the speaker.
An Outspoken Introvert
Matthew Pollard is a leading sales speaker but some people probably still don’t know that he is an introvert. He believes in introversion and he teaches that introverts can be successful. Being an introverted keynote speaker, he believes he brings something to the table that other speakers do not. For one, Matthew plans and prepares his keynotes that when he’s asked to do the same presentation again, he can deliver exactly like the first one. Some extroverts find this hard to do because they tend to organize their ideas as they speak. Matthew also stresses that a lot of big-name speakers that project extroversion probably are introverts, too, because the major success factor for speakers, in general, is planning and preparation.
The other thing that he thinks introvert speakers offer is being good at empathizing with people. This trait is evident during Matthew’s Q&As after his presentations. One testimonial for Matthew points out that when the audience asks questions, he’s not just answering but also understanding their point of view and making the answer all about them so they walk away like they had a one-on-one coaching session. Matthew adds, “I’m not just speaking at people, I’m speaking with them.”
Matthew also teaches introverts how to be great salespeople. In fact, he has written two books called The Introvert’s Edge which equips its readers with an actionable blueprint on networking and a comprehensive system on low-pressure selling. What is the advantage of being an introvert and being in sales? Matthew shares two tips for event planners who are leaning more
towards hiring extroverted speakers to teach their people how to be great in sales:
1) An introvert needs to be inspired by another introvert. Part of the audience are introverts, too, and they need to know that it is possible to be great salespeople no matter whether they are the poorest performer in the organization.
2) A planned presentation will always exceed the success of somebody just winging things. Introverts have an impact and sometimes a far greater impact because they’re not winging things. They’re planning, they’re preparing, they’re customizing to make sure that when they’re in the room talking to people, everybody goes, “Wow, that was the best presentation”. Matthew added, “The best results come from being open and honest about your personality type and event planners realizing that it’s systems and processes that create results, not personality.”
As a final question, I asked Matthew one piece of advice for his younger self that he learned along the way. It is, “Speaking from the stage was much more about motivation and inspiration than it was about content.” A lot of speakers try to prove their expertise from the stage and share how much they know but, for the average participant, it is overwhelming. Matthew believes that speakers must focus on giving three ideas at the most that the audience could go and utilize as soon as possible and will allow their business to have an instant ROI result.
I hope you enjoyed our interview with Matthew as much as I did. If you’re an event planner, check out www.matthewpollardspeaker.com where you’ll find all of his keynotes, workshops, and training. If you’re a small business owner and you’re trying to work out how to obtain rapid growth in your business, check out www.matthewpollard.com where you’ll find tons of free resources. If you’re an introvert, go to www.introvertsedge.com and learn how you can be an amazing salesperson and networker.
