Hello friends,
Thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.❤️
I’m tackling one of the most common myths that crushes engagement in live online sessions.
I’ll share 5 simple strategies you can use straight away to turn things around and get your sessions buzzing with energy.
Let’s jump right in!
Hands up if this sounds familiar:
You’re in an online session, and the leader is on a mission. Slide after slide, graph after graph, the information keeps coming like a high-speed train with no brakes. After an hour of nonstop content, the session screeches to a halt. You log off feeling more drained than inspired.
👆Let’s unpack this.
That, my friends, is a classic example of one of the most widespread myths in online sessions:
MORE CONTENT = MORE VALUE
But here’s the truth:
When it comes to live online sessions the exact opposite is true:
LESS = MORE
Here’s why:
Online audiences can easily slip into cognitive overload. Our brains are already working harder to process information through a screen. So too much content is a recipe for overwhelm.
And yet the myth persists.
Unfortunately, overwhelm has become a hallmark of a lot of online courses, workshops, and webinars.
I get it.
It’s tough to decide how much content to include in your session. It’s one of the biggest challenges I hear from online session leaders. I’m still trying to figure it out.
Here’s how I like to think about it:
Your job is to make it easy for your audience to absorb concepts, process information, and take action. And that’s what will make your session memorable and valuable to them.
So how do you do that?
Here are 5 simple strategies for reducing content while delivering more value:
1/ 🗣️Bite-Size Your Talking Points
We all know that attention spans online are shorter. That’s why monologues that drag on for too long just don’t cut it.
Tip: Limit your talking time to 3-5 minutes at a stretch.
Value: This keeps your audience engaged by breaking information into digestible pieces that are more likely to stick.
2/ ✨Add Interaction
When you bite-size your talking points, you create opportunities for your audience to engage with your content.
Tip: Mix up your methods like this:
Poll Concept Chat Question Concept Breakout Concept Group Discussion
Value: Alternating between presenting and interacting gets your audience’s attention and keeps the energy high.
3/ 💡Reduce and Simplify Your Slides
It’s easy to go overboard with slides, but a content-heavy deck is a fast track to overwhelming your audience.
Tip: Use fewer slides, with less text and more visuals.
Value: This keeps the focus on your key points in a visually engaging way helping your audience absorb information more easily.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. Here’s one I created for my online course Live Session Magic in Google Slides:
4. 👉 Remember the “Rule of Three”
Our brains love patterns, and three is the magic number when it comes to making information memorable.
Tip: Organize your content into groups of three—three key agenda items, three aims, three takeaways etc…
Value: This structure makes your content easier to remember, so your audience walks away with the most important points firmly in mind.
5. 🎁Share a Takeaway Resource
You don’t need to cover everything during your live session. Instead, create a 1-page resource with the most important points.
Tip: Drop the PDF link in the session chat and send it in the follow-up email as a bonus resource.
Value: This reduces the pressure to deliver all content live and delivers extra value to your audience by giving them something handy they can refer back to.
Recap – here are the 5 simple strategies:
1/ 🗣️Bite-Size Your Talking Points
2/ ✨Add Interaction
3/💡Reduce and Simplify Your Slides
4/ 👉 Remember the “Rule of Three”
5/ 🎁Share a Takeaway Resource
The next time you’re tempted to add just one more slide or cram in a little more information, remember: Less is more.
By focusing on delivering high-quality, digestible content, you’ll create a more engaging and valuable experience for your audience—and they’ll thank you for it.
How about you? Which of the 5 strategies are you excited to try in your next session? Hit reply to this email and let me know!
This Week’s Facilitator Finds 💪
In this section, you’ll find curated resources, tips, and tools that are worth checking out.
1/ 🛠️AI Tinkerers Club – An online club for facilitators, trainers, and solo consultants who want to unlock the benefits of Gen AI. You can register for free. Brought to you by the multi-talented Alex Eisenchteter.
2/ ✍️State of Facilitation Report Survey – If you lead meetings, teams, and live sessions take part in shaping the future of facilitation by filling in Session Lab’s annual State of Facilitation Report.
3/ 🎙️There’s a Workshop for That – a podcast by facilitator extraordinaire Nathy Ravez with 30-minute interviews with seasoned facilitators to help you create unique workshop experiences.
💡New free resource – thanks for your input!
Thanks for sharing your input on the new free resource last week. We have a clear winner:) Stay tuned!
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
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Creatively yours,
Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:
👉Custom coaching & team training. Book a free 15-minute zero-commitment call with me to see how I can support you and your team.
👉 Live Session Design Video Course. Live Session Magic gives you a proven system for designing consistently high-quality online sessions. Join the interest list here and be the first to get access.
👉5-week Live Online Course. The Breakthrough Facilitation course gives you tools, personalized feedback, and a proven framework for designing and leading high-engagement live sessions. Join the interest list and be the first to get the next cohort dates and discounts.
