Sharat Sharan - Webinars For Dummies

Webinars For Dummies

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013957975

ISBN 978-1-118-88572-7 (pbk); ISBN ePub 978-1-118-88551-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-88567-3 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Chapter 1

In This Chapter

Describing the webinar

Understanding the tools of the webinar

Grasping the roles of producing a webinar

Understanding what a webinar can do for you

In the 1960s animated sitcom The Jetsons, George Jetson did a lot of business via a television screen from his office at Spacely's Space Sprockets. The futuristic show imagined the future of the workplace and beyond, and that particular scenario came true with the webinar.

Nowadays, thanks to webinars, people can channel their inner George Jetson and attend meetings from anyplace they choose.

Webinars are a newer kind of meeting with a funny name that allow you to attend from home or office anywhere with Internet access, actually.

Who doesnt like that kind of meeting? If you were ask anyone to describe their favorite kind of meeting, besides them saying none at all, theyll usually choose ones that are most comfortable. How often are those industrial-type office chairs comfortable, especially when you're sitting in them for more than an hour? Almost never is a likely guess, unless you compare it to sitting on its non-cushioned folding chair cousin. Then its a clear never!

But when you allow your audience to trade in some utilitarian area for the comfort of their home, office, or on the road, you have them relaxed and attentive when listening to your message.

Thats why webinars are so fantastic. They let you hold a meeting from a remote location that participants can join from their own computer. Not only are the participants comfortable and less stressed (commuting and travel do take their toll, after all), but you can also throw in some cool technology like video and PowerPoint presentations.

Yes, the webinar has changed the meeting game.

Much like the telephone, shown in Figure , made the location of a conversation between two people irrelevant, the webinar has done the same for the traditional meeting or seminar. Combine that idea with video and information graphics, and beam it out to thousands of people, and you see the value of the webinar.

Figure 1-1: The rotary dial telephone enabled communication between people in different locations.

What a webinar is

Although webinars are a relatively new concept, many people have at least heard of them. Whether they can accurately describe one is another story. No worries. If you cant, let me take a stab at it. Basically, a webinar is a communication between two or more individuals over the Internet that uses audio, video, and interactive technology. Unlike a group chat in a glassed conference room, a book club discussion in your living room, or a large gathering in a public lecture hall, the meeting takes place wherever the participants are located.

So although the host resides in one location, the attendees can participate from anywhere theres an Internet connection. In some ways, a webinar is like a telephone conference call on steroids, but at the same time, it's very different.

Comparing a webinar to a conference call shares the same logic as thinking a 1928 Model A, as seen in Figure , does the same thing as a 2013 Cadillac Escalade. Sure, both will get you to your destination, but one clearly offers more comfort, efficiency, and style. Unless youre an antique car aficionado, the Escalade appears the more logical choice. And so is the webinar.