... And another blog joins the ever-increasing pantheon of information on the Web.
In this first entry, I'd better bring you up to speed on who I am and what you might expect to find here. I plan to mix business and pleasure in my entries, adding a little visibility for my company (Webinar Success at www.wsuccess.com) in a not so subtle attempt to get more search engine references. I do a lot of work with webinar vendors such as Microsoft Live Meeting and WebEx, and I will bring you occasional tips and tricks, personal opinions, and results of research into new offerings.
I will also publish examples of good and bad webinar practices as demonstrated in web conferences I attend or work on. These can be very illuminating in helping you to improve your own webinar professionalism.
My background includes an Industrial Engineering degree I have never tried to make use of and lots of programming experience from a ridiculously tender age (commonplace for today's kids, but unheard of when I started using a timeshare computer account in sixth grade in 1972). I have spent time in the advertising industry, tourism and travel, and technical product marketing. I also have quite a bit of experience in acting and public speaking.
I have planned, prepared, and delivered webinars for the past six years. I see this as an unstoppable growth industry just beginning to gain widespread acceptance and visibility. As travel costs grow, security inconveniences become more annoying and time-consuming, and traditional sales/marketing avenues become less effective, companies are finding the economic justification for web conferences. I found that many times when I worked with partners on webinars, their understanding of the unique needs for a successful web conference was lacking. People with training in traditional public speaking were uncomfortable in a venue where they could not see their audience or get the immediate feedback they were used to. I saw that I could provide a specialized area of assistance that was not being served by other providers. So here I am... out of the corporate cookie-cutter and into my own company, helping businesses blaze a brave new path in their online marketing and communications efforts. I provide everything from vendor selection assistance to speaker training to on-air hosting and presentation, along with planning and technical aid for any size event.
