You’ve never attended a webinar? Don’t sweat it!

An of how to use GoToWebinar

Attending webinars can be easy and fun, but the first time is always a little confusing. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the basics. Every webinar software vendor works a little differently, but Engagement Strategies produces webinars for our clients using GoToWebinar (Or GoToMeeting). The following information will guide you through the steps for GoToWebinar by Citrix.

REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR

1. Click the registration link or button provided on a registration Web site or in an invitation email.2. Complete the registration form.

3. You will receive an email confirming your registration for the Webinar, along with the option to add the Webinar information to your Outlook® Calendar.

Note: Some Webinars may require organizer approval prior to the delivery of a confirmation email.

Next…
The following information will walk you through the steps of logging into the webinar and getting set up with the audio.

You can read through the information or watch this brief videoJOIN A WEBINAR

1. At the time of the Webinar, open the Webinar confirmation email or Outlook appointment.2. Click the Join Webinar link provided in the confirmation email or Outlook appointment.

3. You will see a dialog box that indicates that you are downloading a small application to your machine. DON’T BE ALARMED! It’s safe and reliable. It is the software that provides you will access to the webinar. It should only take a few seconds. You may be prompted to allow the application to install.  If prompted, click “Yes, Grant or Trust” to accept the download.

4. Next you should see either the webinar in progress or a message that indicates that the session has not yet begun with instructions to hold. You may or may not hear sound. If you have internal or external speakers or a headset connected to your computer, you will be able to hear when there’s something to hear.

If you do not have speakers, you will need to join the audio portion of the Webinar. Audio information is provided in the Audio pane of the Control Panel, which you will see on the left side of your screen. The audio number and a PIN number will be visible on the control panel. You will need to call the number you see and follow the instructions. These numbers can also be found in the Webinar confirmation and/or reminder emails.

Audio:
By default, when you log into the session, you will be joined into the Webinar with your microphone (if you have one) muted. That means you can hear the session, but we can’t hear you. That’s OK. We often do not “open the audio” or allow attendees to talk, but in smaller sessions we do. We will make sure you know when we need to speak with us and how to do that.

OK! You are logged in!  How to Participate
You can listen through your computer speakers or  your phone.

Best Practices

  • Try to log in 10 – 15 minutes early.
  • Be sure to turn off all other applications you may have running during the session. This will improve the performance of the software.
  • Adjust the volume on your phone or computer speakers to ensure you can hear well. If you experience trouble with sound, first check your volume, and then switch audio mode (from speakers to phone, or phone to speakers.)

To switch audio formats during a Webinar:

You can switch between using VoIP (Mic & Speakers) or your telephone during the Webinar session.In the Audio pane, select either Use Telephone or Use Mic & Speakers. If joining via telephone, be sure to enter the Audio PIN noted in your Control Panel.


ASKING QUESTIONS

You will need to “chat” your questions or send them to the webinar organizers through the Questions pane in the control panel as you will see in the images below.

ACCESS WEBINAR HELP

Click Help at the top of the Control Panel to access online help.

USING THE CONTROL PANEL

Once you have joined the Webinar you will see the Attendee Control Panel and Grab Tab. The Control Panel contains panes that can be expanded or collapsed by clicking the +/- on the left side of each pane.

  • Grab Tab – Click ORANGE arrow to open/close Control Panel. Click square to toggle Viewer Window between full screen/window mode. Click hand icon to raise/lower hand. Click mic icon to mute/unmute your audio (if organizer has enabled)
  • Audio pane – Select audio format. Click Audio Setup to select Mic & Speakers devices
  • Questions pane– You can submit questions and see answers from the webinar organizers. 
  • Type your question and click Send to submit it to the organizer
  • Webinar details – Provided for quick reference

If you ever have problems, you can contact GoToWebinar support at +1 805 617 7002.