Can webinars really be “full?”

The sold-out webinar: Is it false scarcity? Or is it for real?

I confess: Since the dawn of the webinar, I've always thought that statements like these from webinar hosts were nothing other than feeble attempts to use scarcity to try to convince people to "sign up now":

• There are limited seats and we're almost full up.
• Seats are limited, so don't miss out.
• Only A Few Seats Remain For Today’s Facebook Ads Training.
• So if you haven’t already done so, claim your spot now….
• P.S. - FAIR WARNING - I do NOT intend to do a re-play. Space is limited....

Those are actual statements found within real emails in my inbox right now.

But I never believed it.

Until today.

My experience with a "full" webinar.

Today, this morning, I registered in advance for a webinar hosted by a company I respect and trust. Maybe 15 minutes after the start time (I was running late), I tried to log in. And was shocked to get this message:

I tried several times after my first attempt, and each time received the same dismal message.

Hoping against hope to get in, I emailed the organizer as prompted, using the contact email in the confirmation message I received when I first registered.

But that was 20 minutes ago. By the time I hear back, the webinar will be over.

And what makes it worse is this statement in the registration email:

Will there be a recording of this training sent out? No.

Too bad. So sad.

The lesson for potential webinar attendees?

First, webinars really can and DO sell out -- so sign up right away when invited. Second, show up on time! I registered in advance, but still couldn't get in because I was a few minutes late.

The lesson for webinar hosts?

I'm not sure what you can do if you host webinars for your prospects and customers, other than to "hold" spots for a time for registrants who might be a little late instead of giving those spots away immediately.

I have to say, the feeling I had when I couldn't sign in was not a good one. And I'm not sure if your company really wants its customers feeling this way, especially when they signed up in advance.

Having never launched a webinar myself, I was clueless.

Now, though, I'm fully clued in, and hope that by sharing this experience I might help someone else someday!