Which do you prefer? Teleconference or Webinar?

13 years ago

I prefer webinars. But I need to put a big disclaimer here.

I only like webinars that engage me.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of webinars that are nothing but PowerPoint text slides. The presenter never bothers to use a poll, or draw on the screen...nothing. Just preplanned text slides with pure text and no images.

I end up staring at text while listening to audio.

Needless to say, I usually disconnect and wait for the replay so I can convert it to mp3 and listen to it at the gym. These types of webinars should have been teleconferences from the beginning. They would have held my attention way longer.

That said, I do also enjoy teleconferences with seasoned pros. I recently heard one with Terry Telford that really impressed me. I also saw a webinar by Robert Plank that engaged me so much, I never clicked away. A rarity indeed.

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Robert Plank 13 years ago

Originally Posted by BlueSquares

I also saw a webinar by Robert Plank that engaged me so much, I never clicked away. A rarity indeed.

Do you remember which one?
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ChrisBa

13 years ago

Webinars, you get the best of both worlds, most have teleconferencing built-in

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Popstar

13 years ago

If I have to choose, I'd choose a webinar. It's too easy to get distracted with a teleseminar.

But in reality, I'm tired of them both. I don't think it's a problem of format; it's a problem of content. Too much fluff, not enough polish.

The days of listening to people umming and ahhing over their rags-to-riches intro stories are over for me. I don't believe that many marketers are skilled enough to keep a one-hour or longer webinar (or teleseminar) interesting.

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affilorama-portal

13 years ago

If by teleconference you mean one that has only audio then it's webinars for me. I like to be able to see things while listening to something. On the other hand, if the teleconference is a video conference, then I prefer it over webinars in which interaction is not possible during presentation. I like to be able to see things and ask questions or provide feedback at the same time.

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Entreprenette

13 years ago

I prefer teleseminars during the day as I'm normally running around or travelling so I can put my hands free on and listen in the car and I prefer webinars if I'm sat in front of my computer as it makes the experience more interesting.

I do agree with Popstar that it's really important to engage the audience and where a lot of webinars & teleseminars are failing is that they're pure sales pitches and the content is all geared to making a sale.

The best webinars are the ones that don't have a sale as a close and are all about usable and helpful content. I particularly like interviews as that includes conversation and variety.

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Alan Petersen 13 years ago

Hate to be wishy-washy but it depends. If your conference is showing me how to do something than webinar all the way. But as Blue said, only if it's engaging and showing me a strategy hands-on. Not just a powerpoint presentation. That get too boring so than a teleconference would be better.

If you put a gun to my head and make me choose...webinar.
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Clark056

13 years ago

I'd say GoToMeeting.com is better since you can at least show some screen shots. But truth be told, I'm finding face to face meetings more and more valuable as my business grows. Something about meeting personally can really take a client / vendor relationship to the next level.

Clark

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MichaelHiles

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Clark056

I'd say GoToMeeting.com is better since you can at least show some screen shots. But truth be told, I'm finding face to face meetings more and more valuable as my business grows. Something about meeting personally can really take a client / vendor relationship to the next level.

Clark

This is for training & mastermind stuff. I agree client face to face is hand's down the best.

The webinar pros seem to have it, and yes, most webinar solutions now offer teleconference dial-in as opposed to just strict IP voice.

I think it's important to be able to appeal to people who might be mobile and not in front of their PC when the event is scheduled.

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Zeus66

13 years ago

Originally Posted by MichaelHiles

I think it's important to be able to appeal to people who might be mobile and not in front of their PC when the event is scheduled.

That's why Beelzebub invented recording. I hold multiple webinars monthly, and I record them all (very easy if you use a service like GoToWebinar). Just zip it up and make it available for easy download.

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David McAnulty 13 years ago

I prefer webinars. I find myself learning more when audio/video are used together as opposed to just audio. I would have to agree with the BlueSquares statement above.
User engagement is a must for keeping the focus on the information you are trying to pass along.
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- LaunchGal 13 years ago
  
  I am with @bluesquare
  
  The other issue is ease of use....I have tried to get on to webinars and had issues with platform... or got sound but no pic....
  
  Granted, I am on a Mac.....but there are tech issues, even with expensive 'high end' platforms... [as an aside...signed up for such a platform and had to get a refund as my beta testers on pc and mac had trouble getting on]
  
  Good content rules in either format!
  
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  Palo Coyote 13 years ago
  
  You (Michael) and Zeuss66, John, makes an excellent point. Provide the audio as an MP3 to the webinar so we can listen in our car or whenever.
  
  I prefer Webnars where: I can see the presenters face, little box in the corner is good, it's better communication. Disembodied voices are somewhat distracting.
  
  PowerPoint slides are OK to make a point but using multi-media is much better, images, photo's, screenshots, mindmaps, video, if you have it, the more interactive the better. Interactive in the sense of a marker or even a cursor that moves on the image to make a point.
  
  Webinars where participants can text questions, (audio Q's are good, but can take a long time) and always with a Q & A and a later email or PDF with the Q's that didn't get answered Live on the Webinar.
  
  60 Seconds for anything on a screen is a Looong time (you're a marketing guy and I know you've done Ad Agency stuff and radio and TV so you know this also).
  
  Thanks,
  Palo
  
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TracyNeedham

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Zeus66

That's why Beelzebub invented recording. I hold multiple webinars monthly, and I record them all (very easy if you use a service like GoToWebinar). Just zip it up and make it available for easy download.

OK, I'm going to risk defying the all mighty Zeus

but I think you're saying you can just record the webinars to solve the problem for people who are out and about and I take a couple issues with that...

1. Michael's a pretty bright guy so I'm going to take a wild guess that he's thought about recording them. LOL

2. If it's a small mastermind where everyone gets to interact with him and the other members--I would definitely want to be able to participate live.

Watching a recording later wouldn't have nearly the same value. And a teleconference would make it much easier for everyone to do that.

Yes, GTW allows people to listen in by phone and that's fine, I guess. It's kind of frustrating though when you try to do that and others are talking about something they see on their screen.

Anyway, maybe I'm an anomaly, but I hate watching pre-recorded videos--to just sit there and watch feels like I'm wasting my time. And trying to work and listen drives me batty.

If visuals aren't necessary, I'd rather just listen to a recording while I'm driving, exercising or whatnot. Some people give you both audio and video files though, which is good.

Anyway, IMO the answer to your questions depends on...

Your audience--are they sales people who are usually out and about, execs or A-list IMers who are often traveling?

What is meant by "mastermind" (it's so hard to know these days--the word has become so *******ized Napoleon Hill is probably constantly rolling over in his grave )

The content--honestly, there are many times I'd rather just see the person talking and feel more connected to them than their so-jam-packed-they're-practically-reading-from-the-slides. But of course, there are some things you have to see to understand.

But perhaps I'm over-thinking it... LOL

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Jesus Perez

13 years ago

Michael, if your mastermind is small, these are 2 superb solutions for really "connecting".

Web Conferencing, Online Meeting, Web Meeting Software | Fuze Meeting

TokBox - Free Video Chat and Video Messaging

I've used both with great success. TokBox offers a non-expiring, free option.

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Dennis Wagoner

13 years ago

I prefer webinars because I can listen, watch and ot have to hold a phone to my ear for an hour +.

Also, the added benefit of video helps when the presenter has issues with sound quality or speech.

I'm from the southern US, so I cannot speak or listen as fast as some of my fellow IMers talk.

Video allows me to keep up!

Dennis Wagoner

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gkutz1

13 years ago

I prefer webinars because you pause them when needed but many are too long, Just listened to one nearly 50 minutes with info that could have been given in 5 many are becoming a waste of time

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Jacer

13 years ago

I prefer Webinars in most cases. Why?

-More engaging = less likely to get distracted

-Higher info retention = more valuable to me

-Greater perceived value (I know it takes more time for host to put together, so I respect and appreciate that much more)

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Rob Barbour

13 years ago

Webinars for sure...more features and adds the visual aspect (voice alone can lose people).

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hanandaner

12 years ago

for me its Webinar...

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kiteg2

12 years ago

6 months ago webinars would have won hands down, but they are basically all pitch fests now. Think you will find teleseminars probably have more real content now.

So what are you trying to do? Offer a product educate, what is most convenient for the target market also?

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JohnMcCabe

12 years ago

Unless there's a specific component that absolutely requires visuals, I'll take the conference call every time.

I can slip on a headset, rock my Lazyboy back with a clipboard on my lap and pay quiet attention. I don't need to watch you (the general 'you', not Mike specifically) read your PowerPoint to me, or spend an hour looking at a photo of your product.

With a few rare occasions, most of the teleseminars I've been on were 1/3 content, 1/3 useless, self-aggrandizing bio and 1/3 pitch. Which makes them too long by at least 1/3...

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Yogini 12 years ago

I prefer just getting a pdf after the fact as I find it is mostly a sales pitch or a hidden sales pitch. There is often a lot of self-importance and ego going on and it is hard to know how to "skim" a video or audio, whereas with a pdf you can just find the meat.

Debbie
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Manny Derek

12 years ago

Both are good but there are differences between them. I like Webinars. It's because it is the one that i use. Webinars have teleconferencing built-in.

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Rageki

12 years ago

Webinars is great, I see many webmaster use it and looks fine.

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GregSilva

12 years ago

Webinars, but not crappy ones. The ones that are short, sweet and to the point that are engaging...and not too long. Around 30 mins or less is good. I hate those webinars that last two hours and the first 30 mins are about the author and their accomplishments and them talking about why you should trust them...so bad.

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mongsky

12 years ago

haven't tried webinars yet but they say its good

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go4wealth

12 years ago

Seems that webinars are by far the preferred format. Even though there are some issues with poorly held webinars and I think the same can be said for teleconferences. I fall into the webinar camp as a preference but I like the fact that with a teleconference I can listen in from wherever I am.

I prefer educational webinars versus sales pitches unless I get grate content first. One of my favorite webinar hosts is Lon Naylor because I have a high interest in using power point effectively in both a webinar format and movie format. Mike Call is also becoming someone whose webinars I enjoy... they all teach me something..using well done power point slides with some graphics but not to much.

Woke up early this morning and found this humorous video regarding power point presentations.. watch it if you need a laugh...

How NOT to use Powerpoint - YouTube

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albertosm

12 years ago

they say it's webinars are good, but i've read in some article that some webinars are staged.
i can't confirm it but i really want to know the true side of webinars

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NYC SEO

12 years ago

Either as long as it is CLEAR and not on some crappy system.

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vince04

12 years ago

I prefer to choose webinars coz based on my experienced it is more effective and easy to understand. But course if you're going to create your webinar you should input all the details that you wanted to say and followed by email support for any inquiries

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Jeanne Lovely

12 years ago

Foe me webinars are the best - I like to be able to follow along - I agree that the content has to be great - and engaging

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celente

12 years ago

I do not think there is a right or wrong answer here.

And it really has more to do with the content.

One of my warrior friends in here converts at 45% - 50% on all his webinars.....

but the reason is that his presentations are better than some $97 ebooks. LOL.

So it all comes down to the content, and how you woooo your prospects.

if you can do this well, you can make some serious cash, very fast too.

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winseosoft

12 years ago

Webinars builds more trust because lots of people prefer to see something and visualize what they hear.
They are a new trend in IM so I recomend them.
Teleconference makes your information look a little "old".
This is only my oppinion and it works good for my audiance.
Good luck

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Which do you prefer? Teleconference or Webinar?

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