I was in a webinar recently where the facilitator was supporting people looking at delivering online training for their services; think personal skills like crafts, coaching, etc. There were a few elements which deserved review – pricing, social learning, completions and certification to name a few – but the one which really stood out for me was about sound in these sessions.

To respond to a few various points:

• Yes, you do need an external mic
• No, your laptop mic ISN’T good enough
• Yes, you can pick up a decent headset for very little money
• Yes, spend a little more and get a better external mic
• No, you can’t just use it, you have to PRACTICE
• No, good video won’t carry you through if the audio is poor
• No, putting all the words you want to say on slides isn’t a ‘good backup’
• Yes, the quality of audio WILL engage people to stay

I don’t subscribe to ‘best practice’ (there is accepted practice), but there is a minimum standard which people need to understand and be able to deploy.