One of the challenges for any business committed to providing quality training to its employees is to provide that training in a consistent, time-efficient, and cost-effective manner. Particularly as the economy is in flux and as organizations scramble to maximize their training dollars, while being prudent about travel costs, a viable alternative is to effectively utilize web conferences.

Web conferences (also known as webinars or webcasts) are used to conduct live meetings or presentations via the Internet and a telephone conference line. It allows participants from around the globe to see and hear the same presentation simultaneously as well as to have a collaborative experience. Not only can the audience receive the same message and/or training from the presenter, but the presenter has the ability to:

• poll the audience and post results (true/false, multiple choice, short answer)
• conduct question and answer sessions that allow full participation between the audience and the presenter
• form “break-out” rooms for small groups of the audience to discuss issues privately from the larger group
• monitor a “chat room” where presenter and audience can typographically record their thoughts and comments
• see a list of names of participants and answer their concerns and questions as they raise their “virtual hand”

The key to utilizing web conferences successfully is to enlist a seasoned presenter – someone who has knowledge of the content they are training, but someone who also knows the technology and various platforms of web conferences. A presenter who is experienced in conducting web conferences knows that a different skill set is required to train effectively in the “web classroom” vs. the live classroom. Our consultants are well-versed in conducting web conferences and know how to engage the audience to make it the most effective learning experience it can be.

Follow this link to see our list of web conferences for more information.