My Webinar Learning Experience

Webinars – a Real Time Learning Experience -

Learning as well as teaching through a webinar, really makes a lot sense.

A Webinar can be inexpensive to attend and to present, convenient for the attendee and the presentor, fill a need for a source of valuable information, and provide targeted contact information to grow your list. There are instructional webinars and “sales pitch” webinars and some are a mix of both.

As an attendee, you get to absorb and learn from the comfort of your own home. No need to rush to get somewhere or plan what to wear. They are inexpensive and convenient.

With so many familiar experts out there teaching on trending topics, it is hard not to find one that helps as you grow your business. I’ve even experienced days when I had two or three scheduled at the same time and had to choose which topic I needed most! (There is a great one on WordPress security that I will not miss today!)

As an instructor, the services available online make hosting a workshop very easy. (Most are very user friendly with instructional videos and on line help.)

Just select the service you will use, plan your topic that you will deliver and then send out an invitation – If you’ve listened to the needs people have and the topic is what they are asking for, your webinar may have to locate a “larger” room for an overload audience.

Because Webinars are so convenient for learning new internet applications, programs and general knowledge, we, as attendees, willingly provide our contact information for the privilage of attending. Most often a presentation is free for the attendee with perhaps a fee to receive the recording. If you are attending a “sales pitch”, listening to the end of the presentation often gives you a link to their “very special – limited time offer”.

An astute presenter realizes, when the content in the webinar is of value and fills the needs of their listeners, they are building not only a relationship with valued customers, but a targeted contact list that will serve them over and over again as they continue to market and grow their business.

Now I have attended many webinars and watched as many get “tripped up” by techie problems (the sound doesn’t work, the recording doesn’t work their screen is blank) and I have learned much from their problem solving techniques and how the communicate with the attendees. With this in mind, I decided to try out a new, free system today for a planned, private webinar.

I carefully prepared and took steps to ensure that everything would go smoothly.

Previewed the program yesterday giving myself lots of time to become familiar with the set up – It was straight forward and I easily got it all set up and working.
I even did a test drive with only me present, clicking buttons, checking options and thought I was set to go.
I created a time slot giving me lots of “before” and “after” time for tweaking things
I sent out an email invitation and right before I was due online – a reminder message – We will be starting in 15 minutes.
My PowerPoint was ready.
I tested my screen capture software and my microphone.

Feeling a bit cautious and “over prepared”, I woke up early and double checked the settings again. I didn’t want anything to go wrong – smooth and easy. Breath. I thought – “I’m ready. What could go wrong?”
Oh boy. Just a couple of things. Nothing too serious. Just embarrassing.

I was able to chat with folks as they arrived – that was good. They could hear me.

I started the slides, started the recording (forgot to select microphone ) and then
the chat box for questions stopped working. I continued on people still in the audience and me talking to myself.

Sigh.

Not sure what went wrong – I will make time to go back in and check. In the meantime I have a beautiful recording of my slides that I will need to “talk over” to put in the voice. ;(

So – This was my first webinar experience. I will do more – it was fun sharing and teaching and working with great, patient, woman business entrepaneurs.

Next time…

Well, next time I will just need to have it figured out better. And I am off to do that now. It is a good service. The problem was in the operator.