As Mary said, Matt did a great job presenting his material. I agree that the combination of short presentation followed by discussion was a good mix. In my own presentation, I found that losing sight of the conference room while web-touring or showing slides quite disarming. One minor point I would like to make is that with such a large group it may have been advantageous to engage with half the group for one question and then the other half for the next question. It seemed to take a long time for everyone to respond to each question and the effect of this was to slow down the presentation. That said, interest was maintained throughout the session. I suppose this is one of many examples we have seen throughout the program where we have transfered our usual face to face presentation style into the virtual world only to discover that there are adjustments we need to make, and as Matt pointed out, it relates to lack of feedback.
It was also interesting to note how relaxed everyone is in the room after only six meetings. It demonstrates how quickly and easily people adapt to using the technology.
Google Groups is very quiet this week and I suppose that is to be expected as the program draws towards its conclusion next Wednesday. It has served its purpose as a method of communicating between sessions and as a place to post announcements about upcoming meetings. However, on the whole there has been very little chat. I believe that because we conducted weekly sessions in the virtual conference room there was no necessity for people to chat in between. It's possible that if the meetings had been monthly or even fortnightly there may have been more activity in the forum. Nevertheless, the quality of the posts was high which was great to see.
Looking forward to our final face to face session next week to hear what our participants have to say about their experience in the program from the viewpoint of a small business professional. (Ann)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Week 7 - eCommerce meeting
Our last formal group online meeting was with a presenter, Matt Freedman on the topic of eCommerce and Online Payment, areas where Matt has considerable experience. The online session was conducted as presentation plus discussions, and this worked well, as everyone (in the group of 10 attendees) was able to participate and share their own knowledge and perspectives. I think this is an excellent style for small groups where there already is a significant expertise level, and the online format provides the virtual room where a topic can be reviewed collaboratively.
Matt's comments reflected positively on the meeting format, although, as a frequent presenter to real time groups, he found the presentation somewhat challenging as he did not see the participants until the discussion resumed. This presentation used a more interactive approach than our previous, and this, I found well suited to the online meeting format. (Mary)
Matt Freedman commented: "It was a pleasure leading a discussion and presentation on eCommerce and Payment Systems for Small Business online meeting this week. The information covered was pretty broad, and each of the participants compared their experience with eCommerce both as a user and consumer but also how they are currently use it in their business or how they might use it in the future. It was a different experience presenting online compared to being in front of a live audience. You don’t get the same feedback from the audience as you can’t see their faces while you present, so you just have to imagine them and keep going. I also found that in this medium doing a short 1 or 2 slide presentation then a discussion, then back to another 1 or 2 slide presentation was a good mix of interactivity and information as you don’t tend to get the level of questions during the actual presentation component that you would in a physical seminar. I found the discussion part very engaging, and found it was easy to connect with each participant in much the same way as you would if you were in the same physical room. The definite bonuses were the text chat that went on in parallel with the voice chat and that everyone seemed very comfortable in their own environments (homes/offices) and people were more likely to dress casually, eat, drink, take notes which you are less likely to get in a classroom."
Matt's comments reflected positively on the meeting format, although, as a frequent presenter to real time groups, he found the presentation somewhat challenging as he did not see the participants until the discussion resumed. This presentation used a more interactive approach than our previous, and this, I found well suited to the online meeting format. (Mary)
Matt Freedman commented: "It was a pleasure leading a discussion and presentation on eCommerce and Payment Systems for Small Business online meeting this week. The information covered was pretty broad, and each of the participants compared their experience with eCommerce both as a user and consumer but also how they are currently use it in their business or how they might use it in the future. It was a different experience presenting online compared to being in front of a live audience. You don’t get the same feedback from the audience as you can’t see their faces while you present, so you just have to imagine them and keep going. I also found that in this medium doing a short 1 or 2 slide presentation then a discussion, then back to another 1 or 2 slide presentation was a good mix of interactivity and information as you don’t tend to get the level of questions during the actual presentation component that you would in a physical seminar. I found the discussion part very engaging, and found it was easy to connect with each participant in much the same way as you would if you were in the same physical room. The definite bonuses were the text chat that went on in parallel with the voice chat and that everyone seemed very comfortable in their own environments (homes/offices) and people were more likely to dress casually, eat, drink, take notes which you are less likely to get in a classroom."
Monday, August 18, 2008
Week 6 - Round 2 Presentations
As has already been said we were again treated to four fantastic presentations. Things that stood out for me were:
CMS and Google Analytics
- the CMS presenter was assisted by a colleague who answered the text questions. We haven't seen this support role in action before and the value of the role was really clear. All the text questions were answered quickly leaving the presenter to concentrate on the presentation. It was very effective and for anyone considering client presentations it's likely to produce a smooth and professional session.
- if the CMS and Google Analytics had been delivered in a training room I would have been the participant who grabbed the presenter during the break to pick their brains and find out more. In this case we were constrained by time as we had four presentations to complete within an hour and half, so I guess people were aware of this and asked fewer questions. Maybe in this context the virtual conference room is a place to give people a taste of something to see if there is interest, and then if there is, either a face to face meeting or a series of online sessions could be arranged.
Vibrant Hair Colour
- this presenter was a natural. She looked as if she was one of those TV presenters who sits very comfortably on the lounge and speaks without rehearsing! The headset she wore sits around the back of the head (rather than the Biggles look - on the top of he head with the massive earphones which I have!) and I think this really adds to the look of the presenter - the headset is barely visible so you can more easily forget the technology and focus on what is being said. The other comment I would make about the visual impression is that there was no clutter behind the presenter which again keeps your focus on the subject.
WebEX
- this was a presentation with a twist - a presentation about one conferencing software package from within another conferencing software package! This was a also a confident presentation which focussed on why some business' might choose WebEx over other software It wasn't a sales pitch but it was an example of how you could present a product in this manner. The strategies used were: to point out the benefits of the product; and to draw comparisons with other high-end and expensive technical solutions. It worked very well, in fact so well, that an additional session has been planned within WebEx.
So these are my observations. What I don't know is how much time and effort went into preparing for these presentations, how that compares to preparing for a face to face meeting, or how presenters feel about the feedback they receive in the room - is it sufficient? Do they know that they have been understood? This will be our Google Groups discussion topic for the week.
CMS and Google Analytics
- the CMS presenter was assisted by a colleague who answered the text questions. We haven't seen this support role in action before and the value of the role was really clear. All the text questions were answered quickly leaving the presenter to concentrate on the presentation. It was very effective and for anyone considering client presentations it's likely to produce a smooth and professional session.
- if the CMS and Google Analytics had been delivered in a training room I would have been the participant who grabbed the presenter during the break to pick their brains and find out more. In this case we were constrained by time as we had four presentations to complete within an hour and half, so I guess people were aware of this and asked fewer questions. Maybe in this context the virtual conference room is a place to give people a taste of something to see if there is interest, and then if there is, either a face to face meeting or a series of online sessions could be arranged.
Vibrant Hair Colour
- this presenter was a natural. She looked as if she was one of those TV presenters who sits very comfortably on the lounge and speaks without rehearsing! The headset she wore sits around the back of the head (rather than the Biggles look - on the top of he head with the massive earphones which I have!) and I think this really adds to the look of the presenter - the headset is barely visible so you can more easily forget the technology and focus on what is being said. The other comment I would make about the visual impression is that there was no clutter behind the presenter which again keeps your focus on the subject.
WebEX
- this was a presentation with a twist - a presentation about one conferencing software package from within another conferencing software package! This was a also a confident presentation which focussed on why some business' might choose WebEx over other software It wasn't a sales pitch but it was an example of how you could present a product in this manner. The strategies used were: to point out the benefits of the product; and to draw comparisons with other high-end and expensive technical solutions. It worked very well, in fact so well, that an additional session has been planned within WebEx.
So these are my observations. What I don't know is how much time and effort went into preparing for these presentations, how that compares to preparing for a face to face meeting, or how presenters feel about the feedback they receive in the room - is it sufficient? Do they know that they have been understood? This will be our Google Groups discussion topic for the week.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Week 6 – Small Business Presentations 2 – The Team
The remaining business owners took the hot seat this week and gave us an insight into their worlds.
First we were treated to a behind the scenes tour of some websites that have been setup using CMS, a really good way for small business owners to keep their websites up to date and fresh without having to get web designers to do this every time. In addition Google Analytics was explained a little, again as a powerful tool for small business owners to be able to focus their marketing and advertising spend, to get the most from dollars spent and see where their real customers are coming from.
We were then given a colourful training session into the world of Vibrant Hair Colour that was technical, enlightening and interesting – proving again the online software is a good medium for training especially for people located in spread out, remote or even global locations, and even for a supplier / customer relationship. After this we were given a very informative presentation on some of the other solutions for online communication, showing that there is a software or tool for every budget. Whether you are in small business with a small budget or a large corporate looking for sophisticated communications the online world of business communication is definitely starting to emerge and be accepted a great deal faster than even a couple of years ago.
Some of the main reasons for this are probably the need to cut costs as expenses in business increase rapidly, petrol costs, flights, freight etc. The reduction in cost and rapid improvement in internet connection speed, allowing for more seamless conversations and transfer of information and perhaps the saving in that other very valuable asset time… (Mike)
First we were treated to a behind the scenes tour of some websites that have been setup using CMS, a really good way for small business owners to keep their websites up to date and fresh without having to get web designers to do this every time. In addition Google Analytics was explained a little, again as a powerful tool for small business owners to be able to focus their marketing and advertising spend, to get the most from dollars spent and see where their real customers are coming from.
We were then given a colourful training session into the world of Vibrant Hair Colour that was technical, enlightening and interesting – proving again the online software is a good medium for training especially for people located in spread out, remote or even global locations, and even for a supplier / customer relationship. After this we were given a very informative presentation on some of the other solutions for online communication, showing that there is a software or tool for every budget. Whether you are in small business with a small budget or a large corporate looking for sophisticated communications the online world of business communication is definitely starting to emerge and be accepted a great deal faster than even a couple of years ago.
Some of the main reasons for this are probably the need to cut costs as expenses in business increase rapidly, petrol costs, flights, freight etc. The reduction in cost and rapid improvement in internet connection speed, allowing for more seamless conversations and transfer of information and perhaps the saving in that other very valuable asset time… (Mike)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hosting can be shared
In the past, our online training sessions have been very structured, and we've always tried to make sure that each online meeting room only ever had a single 'host' - or administrator - at a time. Partially, this was so that we didn't have any contention regarding the various features and settings one can manipulate as a host, but also because it was easier to visualise - a presenter manages the room as a host, while participants have no extra control. However, we discovered this week that it was actually advantageous to have two hosts in the room: the original presenter, along with a second, more technically able user, who was able to provide quick support for the presenter, who may be more focused on their presentation.
From a presentation point of view, this is a great feature, as it basically allows a presenter to get on with the task of presenting, and be backed by a technical user able to make live changes in the background. This might include allowing users into the meeting, changing speaking privileges for noisy users, or simply bringing up the noteboard and editing it with some live information.
We asked MegaMeeting about this feature, and whether they recommended it, and, as usual they got back to us within a few hours of us e-mailing them, basically confirming that there were no issues as long as there was good communication between the Host and the Moderator. (Sam)
From a presentation point of view, this is a great feature, as it basically allows a presenter to get on with the task of presenting, and be backed by a technical user able to make live changes in the background. This might include allowing users into the meeting, changing speaking privileges for noisy users, or simply bringing up the noteboard and editing it with some live information.
We asked MegaMeeting about this feature, and whether they recommended it, and, as usual they got back to us within a few hours of us e-mailing them, basically confirming that there were no issues as long as there was good communication between the Host and the Moderator. (Sam)
Session 6 - More presentations!
This week the remaining four business owners presented from their own premises using the Megameeting online meetings rooms and again it was a great session. While it took longer to start, as the session had been set up in a smaller room and we all had to move to the larger room (in terms of "seats") the four presentations were excellent and used all the features of the online meeting room. We were shown a content management system, and how to use google analytics- which is now active on this blog! Our professional hair stylist provided a short training session on vibrant hair colours and our last presenter discussed other video conferencing systems that she had investigated for her business needs.
One of the key elements that seems to work for the meeting environment is to keep presentations fairly short, and to return to the face to face meeting room for comments and questions. And it helps to have a Moderator, who monitors the questions as they come in on the text window. Its hard to present and watch the questions. And the audio - which can be used - sometimes comes across too loud or too soft. It works, but maybe some sound checks at the beginning would be useful. All up, another really great session, and I for one found it a fantastic way to learn! (Mary)
One of the key elements that seems to work for the meeting environment is to keep presentations fairly short, and to return to the face to face meeting room for comments and questions. And it helps to have a Moderator, who monitors the questions as they come in on the text window. Its hard to present and watch the questions. And the audio - which can be used - sometimes comes across too loud or too soft. It works, but maybe some sound checks at the beginning would be useful. All up, another really great session, and I for one found it a fantastic way to learn! (Mary)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Session 5 - Team Presentations
In five weeks the group have moved from nervous novice to polished presenter in the true spirit of the energetic entrepreneurs that they are!
The first thing that hit me in all four presentations was the confidence of the presenters. So I have been thinking about the factors that have led the group to this point and came up with the following list:
- participation as guests
- observation and critique of other presenters
- exploring the environment independently
- a willingness to take a chance
- trust within the group
- choosing familiar topics to present
- practice presenting
- an intention to have fun
Also interesting was that Google Groups was deathly quiet in week four, but after the presentations our presenters dived in to talk about how the experience had made them feel. All four presenters were incredibly positive and these are some of their comments:
“This session went really, really well! Thanks for listening to my
podcast.”
“Last night was a really good application of the megameeting platform.”
“As a host I found it a fairly easy process to navigate through.”
“…having a 'live' demonstration in the comfort of your home/office is pretty cool.”
“I realised something the other day - I love presenting!”
“In the beginning I couldn't believe it could be of any use...too technical, too much of a time waster fiddling around with settings and too impersonal - but now I am beginning to see the light.”
Friday, August 8, 2008
Week 5 – Small Business Presentations – The Team
It’s over to you! And it was, the participants were the presenters this week running online meetings of their own.
After a little practice with the settings and how to set up a meeting, polls and utilise other features we were off. We tried to think of different applications and ran an online training session that a small business owner could run, gave a presentation and used polls to gain audience feedback and developed a podcast, which again would be good for a SBO to put their ‘expert’ information on their website for customers.
In addition to the online meetings we ventured to explain other forms of online communication including Groups, Forums and E-Newsletters, again all very cost effective for small business and great mediums for everything from sourcing information to keeping in touch with customers and gaining valuable feedback.
Watch this space for more varied ideas and applications next week from others in the group… (Mike)
After a little practice with the settings and how to set up a meeting, polls and utilise other features we were off. We tried to think of different applications and ran an online training session that a small business owner could run, gave a presentation and used polls to gain audience feedback and developed a podcast, which again would be good for a SBO to put their ‘expert’ information on their website for customers.
In addition to the online meetings we ventured to explain other forms of online communication including Groups, Forums and E-Newsletters, again all very cost effective for small business and great mediums for everything from sourcing information to keeping in touch with customers and gaining valuable feedback.
Watch this space for more varied ideas and applications next week from others in the group… (Mike)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Week 5 - Show and Tell
This week was for our groups Online presentations in teams of two. We commenced with a great demonstration of how to make up a beautiful floral posy and this was followed by a survey, just to make sure we were paying attention! A great example of how to teach new techniques to remote staff or to demonstrate a feature to clients. Our next presentation was about the relative merits of groups environments eg Google groups, verses a forum, referring to the car detailing industry. The second team produced a podcast on making podcasts - we all listened to this and then returned to the Online meeting room, to finish up with a discussion and several polls about health and the benefits of healthy living, an important topic for busy business people. We were then shown the participant's website, and how to obtain more information on an ongoing basis.
After just a few online sessions, our four presenters, all small business people, were each able to run an online meeting, and use this to show off something about their individual businesses. With the team interaction and the text chat going on, it was a really interesting and fun session, and one that raised the confidence to a new level.
After just a few online sessions, our four presenters, all small business people, were each able to run an online meeting, and use this to show off something about their individual businesses. With the team interaction and the text chat going on, it was a really interesting and fun session, and one that raised the confidence to a new level.
Session 5 - a few technical tips
Week 5 session of the group came off mostly without a hitch! The presentations were very interesting, and it was great to see everyone get involved with the technology. However, from a technical point of view, setting up to host a room turned out to have a few more intricacies than we expected.
For instance, the Online Meeting room that was set up for us did not have "auto-accept clients" ticked, and the host (who was busy preparing to present) had to approve everyone who came into the meeting. Additionally, one of our presentations was very visual: however, it was remarked that it was fairly difficult to see the full detail of a floral presentation, as the video from clients is usually fairly low-quality, to conserve bandwidth. A feature that all of us forgot about was the ability to turn on high-quality video for one specific user, so that all other users could see them in a higher resolution. This is something available under Host Options.
There was another issue when we tried to swap the role of Host, however, we soon decided that it was easier to all move to a different online room and so were able to keep the meeting on track, without further problems. (Sam)
For instance, the Online Meeting room that was set up for us did not have "auto-accept clients" ticked, and the host (who was busy preparing to present) had to approve everyone who came into the meeting. Additionally, one of our presentations was very visual: however, it was remarked that it was fairly difficult to see the full detail of a floral presentation, as the video from clients is usually fairly low-quality, to conserve bandwidth. A feature that all of us forgot about was the ability to turn on high-quality video for one specific user, so that all other users could see them in a higher resolution. This is something available under Host Options.
There was another issue when we tried to swap the role of Host, however, we soon decided that it was easier to all move to a different online room and so were able to keep the meeting on track, without further problems. (Sam)
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