On last week’s blog I was so excited about my new webinar series. I started off by saying – thrilled, excited, scared.. then (insert a dramatic “dum, dum daaaaa”) my greatest fear came to pass – a TRAIN WRECK of my first live webinar using new technology. So much for me to unpack and of course I am writing about it… I am laying it all out bare so you can see what it is like to fall flat on your face and stand back up again.
Let me back up a bit…
I have been blogging for not quite a year. The pandemic knocked me and my hosting business on my butt. I needed to pivot and pivot quickly. The first few months of 2020 were spent rebranding my beloved Tokyo Family Stays from a robust, inbound tourist STR cash machine to a local, mid-term stay, serviced accommodation for the domestic digital nomad and quarantine stays. Quite the change. But my husband (my business partner) and I looked at our options, finances and made some hard choices.
It was quite a few months before we found our new rhythm with homeschooling, shutting down houses, laying off staff and basically adjusting our business plans to accommodate a very different 2020 in Tokyo. No Olympics, no Hanami, No inbound tourists. That was a lot to deal with on top of the same fears as every other human on the planet facing an previously unknown virus bringing death, uncertainty and economic destruction across the world.
History of TNC
“Tracey Northcott Consulting” as a business had been working with local hosts in Japan since 2018 as a face-to-face mentor and consultant. I started this at the request of friends who had picked my brains for years on how to create a profitable Short Term Rental business. It had a different website, a different focus and a different mission from what it is today. It really was a side hustle. But given all the extra time on my hands in 2020, I rebranded the website and pivoted this business too. TNC (Tracey Northcott Consulting) was gearing up to be a global hospitality training business to share what I have learned as a host since 2011. I have learned, grown stretched and pushed myself into uncomfortable new areas of the internet and into the world of trainers, coaches and consultants. My first blog post went out in July 2020. I have really enjoyed the writing. It has been cathartic and productive and it feels like I am adding value to the people who are reading it.
Finding my Groove
Over the last 12 months, I have been working on my business. Branding is my new superpower, learned mainly as I have rebranded my own businesses multiple times over the last few years. I have really enjoyed running the live events and getting to know clients through one-on-one calls and coaching. Looking at listings and figuring out how a host can make more money by tweaking the copy, photos and the algorithms has been really satisfying work.
The satisfying part of it all, is that I have really discovered how my experience, life skills and personal study of marketing has given me something of value that I can share with others. I never see myself as an expert by any means – more of a “leading learner”. I am constantly learning and growing and also sharing with others who are also on the same journey. Being able to help another host identify a goal or a new goal and stretch to get there gives me a real sense of fulfillment. If you have been on one of my calls or seen a live or been coached by me, you know that I am always trying to serve you and your needs.
I have my own coach and mentors too. I am eternally grateful for the safe place they provide me to learn and stretch. A big shout out to Natalie Sissen, Sarah Furuya and Kate Kordmeister.
Back to this week’s train wreck…..
In order to deliver more video content, I signed up for a new tool – a very powerful webinar program called Webinar Ninja that is great for developing and delivering a series of trainings. This was new tech for me and lots of bells and whistles. I pre-recorded the first in the series, “Start Up Checklist for Airbnb & STR Hosts” which is a lovely freebie of a check list that I created for new hosts.
This leads into the next webinar – a live version to offer a tool that I have found useful when costing out a new listing combined with an introduction to branding. This leads into paid series of high level coaching where hosts can really dig into their brand and leverage this for higher sales and profitability. Great right?
Well running a live webinar with real people that I couldn’t see and with new tech, really threw me for a loop. I had real people watching but without seeing people’s faces and hearing feedback live, it was so strange to be speaking to my computer only – it was almost an out of body experience. People were giving me great engagement via the chat and that was scrolling but I couldn’t read it and speak at the same time.
Rookie error 1: I had my mouse hovering over the slides and so the presentation thumbnails were covering the current one so I couldn’t see the content. I was basically flying solo and blind.
Rookie error 2: I was about to present my “magic spreadsheet” – the tool that I had put my heart and soul into creating – the screen share didn’t work (I hadn’t checked the right camera permissions on my side it turns out – totally bad prep on my part.) ARRGGGHHHH
The Train Wreck
So I was flustered, embarrassed and completely thrown. I lost my focus and NEVER regained it. My inner critic was screaming on overdrive and my heart was pumping. I was tripping over my words, not able to complete a thought and then when it came to present my offer I felt like a complete idiot. I had sabotaged the pitch and I had already convinced myself that nobody would hire me after that performance.
I made an executive decision. I saw the time and realised that I really needed to cut it short to maintain some dignity and not to waste anybody else’s valuable time. What should have been an hour webinar (30 mintues teaching, 15 minutes pitch and 15 minutes questions) I cut down to just over 30 minutes.
My VA Laura was on the call and she did her best to get me on track by asking some softball questions that I could answer easily and fluently. For this, I am grateful but by this stage I was just way way way off the reservation and there was simply no recovery.
I wanted to DIE… curl up in a ball of shame, delete my website, cancel my social media accounts and go live in a yurt. OK – that is a little extreme but I certainly very disappointed in my performance.
Unpacking the learnings
But then, I thought to myself, “What can I learn from this?”. Here is what I unpacked:
- Do a complete runthough beforehand
- Test screen sharing and animations
- Get more sleep
- Slow down
- test test test
Damage Control
After a cup of tea and some self compassion, I mulled over a few different ideas for damage control. I wanted to walk the line of not pretending it wasn’t anything other than a disaster of a pitch. But at the same time not wanting to play the victim or fishing for fake compliments. In terms of crimes against humanity, it really was mild – I am realistic enough to accept that. But I am also conscious that the people who attended gave up their time to attend and I let them down by not delivering the value that I offered.
I ended up sending a follow up recorded message to the attendees of the webinar – self deprecating and light. I included the run through of the spreadsheet training that I couldn’t do due to the screen sharing debacle. My approach was to acknowledge that the performance was less than stellar and yet be real, tell the truth but have a laugh at myself. So that is what I did.
The other side
How do I feel now? Still a little mortified if I am honest. But I am determined to chalk that one up to experience and try again. Perhaps it is all the growth in the last 18 months has given me more resilience. But then, living in a yurt isn’t all it is cracked up to be.
There is a Japanese say, “Fall down 7 times, get up 8”. I have this on my wall. So I don’t consider this a failure so much as a learning. Plus it makes for a good blog post. 🙂
Now if you have read this far, I am sure that you are searching for where the recording of this train wreck is.. well unless you signed up, you won’t get to see it. You just have to take my word on it.
BUT if you want to check out my next series, you can simply sign up here. I WILL be much better prepared I promise. It is a three part webinar series kicking off June 1st all about Mining your Airbnb for Cash.
disclaimer: We may receive a small introduction fee from vendors. This will not affect any prices that you are charged. But I will only recommend vendors that I know and love and ones that I have used for myself as a customer.
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