Do you recommend a maximum # of presenters that share in delivering the content?
There's not hard and fast rule about that. Really I think it a matter of what benefits the presentation the most, but as the event producer you need to think about things like transitions from presenter to presenter. Also, it can be a challenge with multiple presenters with regard to getting your script and your PowerPoint together. My personal preference is 1-2. Its been suggested that two is nice because it breaks up the monotony. Taking that a step further some feel a woman's voice and a man's voice is good to have because the more obvious changes in voice. While we've done it, four was little crazy for me.
Are you including the content development in the timeline?
Yes my timeline does include content development.
Do you have a simple timeline?
Yes it will be posted on the resource page.
What if you get no response from participants?
I would be surprised if you were using the poll or quiz tool and you had an audience in which no one responded. I've been a participant of several webinars and I've never seen that happen. Its possible you might ask a question or have a Q&A period in which you've got nothing but silence, but in that case you would handle things just as you would in a face-to-face scenario. You would rephrase the question or just move on.
Why are cell phones a problem?
Cell phones are problematic because they often times have a lot static/cracking and echoing. A land line is more clear. Also, a cell phone is mobile, which means often times people will move about and you'll get a lot of that background noise, but regardless of whether you are using a cell phones or land lines you'll want to make sure your participant lines are muted. Another problem with cell phones is that the signal can be dropped so you definitely want to make sure the host and presenter are on land lines.
If all this technology is recommended, how many people do you need while running the webinar?
Kathy and I are the only ones running this webinar. I took care of the technical setup (about 1hr ahead of time) and Kathy is here to help monitor the time and the chat.
Can you talk more about the ”host” computer? Do you use that one to connect to the web meeting company? And should it be the same location as the presenter’s?
Yes, the host computer is the computer that was used to initially start the webinar through the web conferencing service. It does NOT have to be in the same location as the presenter. Kathy and I are sitting in a conference room and I have 3 computers running. The computer I used to start the meeting, the computer I am using to deliver my presentation, and then Kathy is at a computer and logged in as a regular participant. I started the meeting on the host computer, then I went to a second computer and logged myself in as a regular participant. Next I went back to the host computer and I designated myself as the presenter and then I moved myself (physically) to that computer. The host computer is just sitting next to us.
What if we only have access to one computer? Should we not attempt a webinar?
No, but you should know there is a lot of risk in that. Just know that if you lose your connection that could be the end of your event. You should also know that the web conference services deal with this in different ways. For example, if I were disconnected as the host/presenter, with DimDim I could login with a special password to regain administrative privledges....that is if one was specified. Consider having multiple computers as your insurance.
What software do you need to record the session?
The web conferencing services have a record feature built in, and as far as I know most are free. If you are using a separate teleconference service then you need to arrange to have that recorded as well. Some of the web conferencing services out there also offer teleconferencing and if you choose to use their teleconference service, they will automatically synch your webinar to the teleconference. Since this webinar is really only one-way audio I chose to record my voice separately and to then synch it to the PowerPoint using slideshare.net
Is there a cost for each practice session?
Most of the web conferencing services that are fee based are charging based upon seats, so generally speaking, that means you can hold as many practice sessions as you want. DimDim is free for up to 20 people so I've had multiple practice sessions. If you are just learning the software don't forget to also take advantage of free trial periods.
You mentioned audio taping the webinar… Are there pros and cons to doing so?
The pro is that you end up with a better quality recording. A teleconference recording is typically not very good. The only con I can think of is that there is the possibility that someone may feel less inclined to comment if they know they are being recorded.
On our webinars there is a lot of conversation. Does it get recorded as well?
If its through the phone, you need to request from your teleconference service that you want the call recorded---this may involve a fee. The record feature in a webinar only records what is on the screen and again, depending upon the service, they may or may not include all of the elements. For example, when recording with DimDim, the whiteboard feature is not captured, but the PowerPoint that I am displaying is, as well as the conversations happening in chat. So if you are using web conferencing software along with a separate teleconference service, you need to specify with both of the companies that you need a recording.
Is the price of the photos a one-time expense? Do you download them for multiple uses?
Yes its a one-time expense and once you have the image you can use it as often as you want and for whatever you want.
Have you tried switching back and forth between an internet slide and slide show during the webinar?
I have done that before using WebEx. It takes practice because you are turning features on and off.