A Primer For Marketing With Teleseminars and Webinars
WHAT ARE TELESEMINARS?
Teleseminars are basically seminars that are given over the telephone. Your guests will not need leave their homes; which means they don’t have to make extensive arrangements, or pay expensive travel costs to attend. They simply call a telephone number and enter a special access code to listen in to the seminar, hence, the term “teleseminar.”
WHAT ARE WEBINARS?
Teleseminars shouldn’t be confused with “webinars,” because although they are similar in the fact that they allow for virtual presentations, they do differ in some aspects. Whereas telesminars are done solely over the phone, webinars may use a combination of both the telephone and the Internet, or the Internet alone.
Webinars are interactive in the sense that information doesn’t just go in one direction (from presenter to listener), but rather in a “hands on” format that enables the host and guest speakers to intermingle with their attendees in a virtual setting.
A webinar is more like an actual seminar in the fact that is gives guests that “live” feeling through the use of on screen presentations, audio (computer microphone and/or telephone), and the ability to ask or type their questions. But not only that, it gives guests the ability to network in much the same way they would at an in-person seminar. They can mingle and chat with the other guests virtually, share their website address by typing it right on the computer (as opposed to pen and paper over the phone), while typically, most teleseminar guests won’t stick around for after call networking.
TELESEMINARS vs WEBINARS
As with all things, there are both positive and negative aspects to consider when determining how best to serve your target market. In some cases, teleseminars will be the best option for your presentation, and in others, webinars may provide the better teaching format for your particular seminar; so it’s essential that you know the pros and cons of each method in order to achieve the best overall results.
TELESEMINAR PROS:
• Conducted solely over the phone and you can record the call for use later
• Guests do not need a computer to attend
• No cold calling; people attend listen in because they want to
• There is no need to travel anywhere to listen to speakers because guests can listen from the comfort of their own home, which allows you to reach the people who don’t have the time or money to attend a traditional seminar
• Your out-of-pocket expenses will be low because there is no need to arrange for the rental of a conference room, meals, lodging, etc.
• When your costs are kept down, your guests will benefit by being able to access your teleseminars for a minimal fee, or even for free
• Your planning time is cut down because the only thing you have to focus on, is what you and your guest speakers are going to be talking about and when
TELESEMINAR CONS:
• Depending on where your guests are located, they may be required to pay high long-distance fees to listen to the call
• You won’t be able to visually show your guests anything, such as a slide-show presentation
• Valuable networking time may get cut short, or be non-existent due to long-distance charges, and because some guests won’t be comfortable talking on the phone
• Some guests may not feel comfortable asking questions over the phone, therefore they may leave the call feeling unsatisfied
• Guests will have to take written notes of important points mentioned on the call, as well as having to write out entire website addresses, and this may be distressing for those who aren’t able to write things down fast enough
• Connection issues can be a problem, and with no other way to let your guests know what is going on, they could be left hanging
• Since the majority of your guests are going to be listening to the call from their homes (which means there are bound to be interruptions) it may be difficult for them to stay on the phone for the entire call
WEBINAR PROS:
• Guests can choose to listen in over the phone or by using their computer speakers
• Text based conferencing for those who aren’t able to listen in
• Low costs for your guests to attend because they do not have to leave their home to do so, and allowing you to reach those within your target market who wouldn’t be able to attend a live seminar
• In-expensive for you to host, usually only the cost of renting an online conference room
• Guests can ask questions using their computer microphones, the telephone, or through text chat; whatever they are most comfortable with
• You can give presentations via slide shows or video, and even bring up websites right in the conference room
• Make notes on a white board that guests can see in real-time
• Poll guests on important issues
• The ability to record the call to an mp3 file for later use
• The capacity to use web cams so that guests can see you presenting, and if you want, you can see your guests
• There are no long-distance charges because attendees can use their Internet connection
• Guests are more likely to ask questions, and interact with other each other because of the text chat option
• After seminar networking will be more highly attended because people can stay in their comfort zone, and exchange information and website addresses easily
• You can simply type in key website addresses into the text chat area, or bring it right up in the room for guests to browse in real-time
• Note taking may not be necessary if you provide downloadable hand-outs and worksheets for guests
WEBINAR CONS:
• Connection issues may prevent people from gaining access to the online conference room, or boot them out of it for unknown reasons
• There are those in your market who are not computer savvy and would have a hard time figuring out how to attend a webinar
• Some guests may be intimidated by an online conference room, and perhaps have a hard time following along
THE BUSINESS BENEFITS OF TELESEMINARS AND WEBINARS
Both teleseminars and webinars have proven to be effective marketing tools for business owners. They’re not only a great way to teach your target market, but they give you the opportunity to introduce your business and products or services.
Here Are 5 Ways You Can Benefit From Using Teleseminars & Webinars:
1. If you hold regular events for your customers, you can really add value to your business. These could be used as benefit of being one of your customers, and will give you the opportunity to sell more to those who are willing to buy from you.
2. Using this form of marketing is an easy way to build credibility within your niche. People are drawn to those they can learn from, and if you’re the one answering their questions or providing solutions to their problems, than they’re going to be more likely to buy from you.
3. It’s essential that you have a great relationship with your customers if you want them to buy from you, and by implementing teleseminars and webinars into your marketing campaign, your customers can truly get to know you. When they feel like they know you, they will be loyal to your business by returning again and again.
4. By having guests register for your event, you can build a list of people who are interested in what you have to offer. So even if they don’t buy from you during the actual seminar, you can send out promotional emails in the future reminding them of your business.
5. This is probably one of the best benefits to you as a business owner, and that’s using your presentation to create fresh products. By using the recording from your event, and the audio transcription, you can create an information product to sell to others. Even those who attended the seminar may want a copy for future reference.
TELESEMINAR & WEBINAR IDEAS
There are many different reasons why business owners hold these types of events, but if you’re not sure what you can do
• If you’re repeatedly asked the same questions about your products or services, hold a question & answer event where you answer 10 of the most pressing questions that your customers have. When you have people register for your event, be sure to leave a space for them to ask a question.
• Interview an expert in your field to teach your market, and follow it up with a question and answer session.
• If you have an ebook, hold a teaching session that covers the key points from your ebook and then tell your guests how to buy a copy at the end of the call.
• These types of events can also be used for training. You can increase the value of your current products and services by including access to a training session with you. Or, if you have an affiliate program use it to train your affiliates and to find out how you can help them sell more of your products.
• Create a paid tele-class that will teach something to attendees over the course of a few days or even a month. Then compile all of the materials into an information product (home study courses) that you can sell again and again without the work on your part.
• Teach people how they can use your products to their benefit, and then at the end of the call tell them how and where they can buy your products.
The ideas for hosting teleseminars and webinars are endless. Take note of how other business owners are using them, and come up with your own ways to serve your market.
TIPS
1. Have An outline: To ensure that your presentation goes off without a hitch, and to progress smoothly, make sure that you prepare an outline for your teleseminar. It will help keep you on track for the time frame you've allotted, and maintain a sense of professionalism. You may even want to provide a copy of the basic outline to your participants so they can follow along and take notes accordingly.
2. Keep A Drink Nearby: This is especially necessary if you are the only presenter, all that talking can make your mouth dry and you want to make sure you sound clear.
3. Backup Plan: If you have a guest to interview during your event, make sure that you have a backup plan or secondary guest on hand in case something happens and they don't make it to the call.
4. Call Length: The average length for a teleseminar or webinar is about an hour; however, more detailed topics may need up to 2 hours. Just keep in mind that your guests are in their homes, so it may be difficult for them to attend for more than an hour.
5. Give Directions: Some of your callers will be experts and know what to do, and others will be on their first teleseminar call, so make sure that you give clear instructions. Let them know how to mute and unmute themselves in case of background noise, and tell them when you'll be opening the line for questions.
6. Make A Recording: Always make a recording of your event. You can provide it to those who were unable to make the call, or use it in a future information product. Check to make sure that the teleseminar or webinar service you choose allows you to record, and then you can make an mp3 version.
7. Question & Answer Time: Try to make time for a Q&A session sometime during your event to encourage participation from your listeners, and to add value to the call.
8. Call To Action: End your teleseminar or webinar with a call to action for your guests. Give them an assignment, ask them to send in feedback, direct them to your message board, give them the link to your special offer, etc.
9. Transcribe That Audio: Don’t forget to send the mp3 of your call to a transcriptionist. You’ll want to have a text version to go along with your audio for your members
TOOLS
You Will Need:
- Bridge line
- An autoresponder
- A recording
- A transcript
- A squeeze page
- An outline
- For a webinar you may want a slide show or video presentation
Teleseminar & Webinar Services:
December 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Steven
Valuable content for the newbie to teleseminars, well done… A little extra tip for Tip #5 if I may… add a page or post to your site with the directions and any links you might want them to visit listed there as well. Sometimes people don’t write it correctly or they forget, saves them having to ask you to repeat the directions during your event.