“Why not just use NetMeeting for all your online meetings and webinars? After all, it’s free, right?”
Consider these reasons why you should consider using a better web conferencing solution:
• NetMeeting is not “firewall friendly.” So if some people are inside your network and some outside, you’ll have to reconfigure your corporate firewall to hold a meeting with everyone. Some may even be behind another corporate firewall. Most companies won’t accept the added security risk that comes with opening additional ports in their firewall.
• With NetMeeting, the number of connections is limited to 8-16 people per host. As a workaround people have to connect to others who are connected. This daisy chaining brings two problems: 1) You have to communicate with another of the attendees of a NetMeeting conference to get his or her IP so you can connect, 2) If there are any disconnections, you may need to “phone a friend” to get reconnected.
• NetMeeting is only available for Windows systems. Mac and Linux users are excluded from the party.
• Scheduling has to be done separately through e-mail or via a separate calendaring system.
• People who share their larger screens (e.g., 1400×1200) force people with lesser resolution to have to scroll around to follow the presentation, since the participant can only see a part of the presenter’s screen at any given time.
NetMeeting still does the basics well if you’re in the same network in a small group.
But if you are serious about making more money with less effort, you want something that works regardless of where your prospects are or what kind of a computer system they are using.
GoToMeeting is NetMeeting on crack. If you need a solution for larger groups you’ll want GoToWebinar which includes GoToMeeting. They get the job done. Let’s look at what GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar can do for you:
• GotoMeeting/GoToWebinar pass in and out of corporate firewalls with ease. Even in the case where you’re behind one corporate firewall and one of your participants is behind another, you’ll connect without issue.
• GoToMeeting does have a limit of 15 people in a meeting. But GoToWebinar allows you to present to up to 1000 participants.
• The participants of a GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar presentation can use Windows or a Mac to connect to the meeting. Only the presentation has to be done from a Windows system.
• Scheduling integrates itself seamlessly with Outlook, so everyone can easily import the meeting with all the connection information right into their calendar.
• GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar uses industry strength (128-bit) encryption, so your communications are secure.
• You can easily record your presentation and package them for sale. Webinars are a great way to add value to your existing products.
• GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar scales the presenter’s screen for the participants such that you don’t need to scroll around to see the entire screen.
Each participant can decide whether he/she wants to see that screen at full scale or reduced size.
It’s true that there is a price associated with GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar, but if you are serious about your presentations – and you should be, the price is small compared to the returns in sales and leads.
Even if you think you will never get your $49/month out of GoToMeeting or $99 out of GoToWebinar, you owe it to yourself to signup for a 30 day free trial. Give a Webinar and hold a meeting. Often people think they won’t like giving Webinars, and find out after they have done one, that it grows on you. And if you do it right, you can earn money off of your webinars while using your free trial!
And it is the fastest way to create a high ticket product, bar none.
If you want to become a major player and earn a decent income with Internet Marketing like Marlon Sanders, Frank Kern, Brian Clark, Mike Filsaime, Shoemoney or John Chow – ok, these guys earn more than “decent,” I admit – then you will want to give Webinars.
NetMeeting was great in its day, but I feel that its day has passed. Check out the free trial of GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar today, and take your business to the next level.