Agent Webinars: When is the Best Time to Have Them?

[Josh]

Towards the end of next week I'm planning on holding a webinar (about wordpress/websites/etc) and am a little torn on what would be the best time to have it. I know a lot of agents spend a great deal of their time in the field running appointments and as such I would want to make it a convenient time for them and on the flip side I know a lot of agents have a typical work schedule and wouldn't want to attend a webinar in the evenings because they have checked out for the day. That being the case, when is the most convenient time to hold webinars and such?

At the moment I'm leaning towards Thursday at around 1pm because it's not too early for west coast agents and it's not on Friday when everyone is trying to clear stuff off their desk so they don't have to deal with it over the weekend.

Also, as a free piece of cool information, anymeeting provides a fairly robust webinar platform that has a free (ad supported) version as well as a no ad version for $19/month for up to 25 people and up to 200 for something like $59/month I believe. Even with the price set aside, I like the interface more than gotomeetings so far and before this I thought they were one of the best options.

So, what say you?

 

[reductable]

As a spectator/agent, my attendance ratio is higher the earlier the webinar. No earlier than 10ET but no later than 2ET for starting time and you should be good. The day gets busy. Good idea on not doing it on a Friday (or Monday for that matter).

 

[Newby]

I like when they are recorded and I can play them back anytime. Any other time they are set always cuts into my day.

If it has to be set, very early morning is best 8:00

And ALWAYS tell the time of the webinar in ALL time zones. If the email only tells one zone I always get it wrong. I don't have a time zone decoder ring.

 

[carol369]

I like when they are recorded and I can play them back anytime. Any other time they are set always cuts into my day.

If it has to be set, very early morning is best 8:00

And ALWAYS tell the time of the webinar in ALL time zones. If the email only tells one zone I always get it wrong. I don't have a time zone decoder ring.

How did you handle it when IN changed to Eastern time?? (Well, most of the state.)

I agree that it's nice to have the webinar recorded. Especially on something I don't understand like wordpress.

 

[360]

I'll give a 4th vote to recording, who cares when it's live unless you need audience participation to make it work with Q&A etc.

 

[Newby]

How did you handle it when IN changed to Eastern time?? (Well, most of the state.)

I agree that it's nice to have the webinar recorded. Especially on something I don't understand like wordpress.

I never went Eastern. We stayed on Central in south-west Indiana.

 

[Josh]

I'll give a 4th vote to recording, who cares when it's live unless you need audience participation to make it work with Q&A etc.

My inclination is going to be to not record it for a few reasons, not the least of which is to encourage folks to attend it vs thinking "I'll watch it later". I know I have a great deal on my "watch later" list and very much doubt I'll get to it. That being said, I think this is a topic interesting enough that I'll probably have more than one.

 

[gerano]

I agree with Newby.

I've been an agent for 35 years and I can remember when EVERY agent meeting and class was scheduled early in the morning so that we could WRITE BUSINESS with the balance of the day. Webinars and classes do not generate an income. It irritates me when I see a webinar scheduled for the middle of the production hours.

I would favor 8:00 AM webinars. Is it too much for an agent to get up early so that he and his income can benefit from the added tips and knowledge?

I will NEVER give up production time for a webinar.