What Are Teleseminars?
Teleseminars are seminars which are web-based. They are also referred to as online workshops or online seminars. Webinars have many uses such as building a brand, generating sales leads, training groups of people, press conferences, corporate announcements and focus groups.
Webinars are similar to conference based seminar; the only difference is that the participants listen to the audio through telephones and view the presentation by their web browser. The main feature of webinar is the interactive element which is the ability to discuss, give and receive information. It is different to “webcast” which doesn’t allow interaction between the audience and presenter.
Numerous companies have started offering webinar as an exchange to the traditional face-to-face seminars. Companies are acquiring the advantages that webinars give. These vary from flexibility to cost efficiency. Participants will not have to travel just to attend a seminar; they can learn on the comfort of their homes and their most convenient times. Other benefits are cost reduction, ability to reach much larger audience, lets future playback and can be recorded digitally.
Companies can save a lot from traveling budget and other expenses relative to trainings. A computer, an internet access and a phone line are just the items needed to attend a webinar. Materials like handouts can be printed and are downloadable and can be maintained as reference file.
Webinars also help marketers reach larger audience immediately. The geographically scattered colleagues may be able to work and collaborate as a team. Announcements can be posted to all the employees no matter where they are. Attendees and presenters can collaborate and interact through Q&A, document sharing and live polls; thus attendees can easily participate and learn from the activity.
The usual model for a webinar may be to offer a 5 week course and during which diverse lecture and module is uploaded on a specific day, for example, Monday. Registrants will have 1 week to take in the information.
If you are not into webinar hosting, you can just attend or let your employees participate on one. There are those with reasonable price and some are offered free. There are those which can be viewed and archived on demand. The archived webinars are made available for the viewing public; this can be accessed at Archived Webinars Page.
Looking for a webinar to attend will take a little research. If you’re always receiving invitations to online seminars, wait for the provider’s broadcast of an event. Also keep your eyes on upcoming webinars on trade magazines. Check websites for any webinars that have appealing topics since technology and universities are holding them.
Before registering on a webinar, do your homework first. Research the credentials of the presenter and the costs accompanying it. Even if the online seminar is free, try to analyze if it will be worthy of your and your subordinate’s time.
At first glance, webinars may seem less effective and meeting a person is better. But in various ways, the discussion group is a more effective method of communication. The discussion boards allow exchange of knowledge and information wherein the speaker also participate. The discussions are maintained online and anyone can review it anytime; this will let information propagate in many ways physical meeting cannot.
Webinars are fastly becoming the latest choice in web conferencing. Through its accessibility and low cost, companies can hold interactive meeting. Take advantage of the internet communication through attending or having your own web based seminars. You can also let your employees attend them for their development. Just do your research first and let your webinars help you with your success.
Tips on How to Sell Your Teleseminar Effectively
Find one topic that you are interested in and do a search online. Chances are, you’ll find a teleseminar that offers that subject. Teleseminars are quite popular these days because they are not only very convenient to host and participate in, they are also relatively cheaper to produce than more traditional person-to-person seminars.
Now that you have your own teleseminar to promote, the very first concern you probably have is how to compete. When there are so many teleseminars tackling similar subjects out there, how do you effectively sell a teleseminar? Here are practical tips you can use:
Be prepared to outsell the competition
The key to successfully selling a teleseminar is making an impact on prospective attendees. For this, you have to make the proper preparations. Some of the most important considerations you need to keep in mind are:
Your subject matter
Choose your topic carefully. If you want to sell a teleseminar successfully, the topic must be relevant to the current needs of your target market. Find out what these needs are through research. Go to forums, check comment boxes or join online groups to find out what types of topics people want to learn about.
In-depth knowledge of your subject matter
Never host a teleseminar if you don’t know your subject completely. You can’t always bluff, you know. Besides, your attendees will be able to tell. Always research your subject thoroughly, cover all the necessary bases and make sure your information is up-to-date. Anticipate any questions that may be raised so you’re always prepared.
The contents of your teleseminar
To sell your teleseminar, you should be able to offer something different. Consider your subject matter right now and do a search online for teleseminars with similar content. You’ll probably see plenty of competition.
To stand out, make sure your lecture can give a different point of view or approach. People want something that is refreshing and if you can take the subject matter in a different direction effectively, then do so.
Your headline
The title of your teleseminar has a lot to do with how successfully you can sell it. It should intrigue, create curiosity and invite people to know more. Although it should be able to show people the topic you’re offering, it shouldn’t reveal everything. Be clear but leave enough mystery to make people want more.
Selling your teleseminar
Now that you’re ready to host a teleseminar, it’s time to sell. Here’s how:
Free or paid?
There are pros and cons to both, so choose the one that will help your purpose best. Just make sure that it’s a win-win situation for you and your attendees – you get the benefit you’re after from the teleseminar and they learn something new and useful from it.
Use a website or at least, a web page
You need your own website or web page in order to sell your teleseminar and handle attendees’ inquiries, registration and payment. You can place ads on the homepage that your visitors can click on to learn more about your teleseminar. Use applications to automate the registration and payment processes for faster transactions.
Set your fees
If you opt for a paid teleseminar, you should be able to charge your attendees enough to cover for your expenses (and let you earn a profit) and still give them value for their money.
Promote it
To sell your teleseminar, expose it. If you have a network of contact, use that. If you have an e-mail list, send out invitations. Post ads online and on websites or blogs that have a high number of traffic coming from the market you’re trying to target. Each article you write on your website, blog or article directory should also include a link to your teleseminar web page.
Get as much exposure as you can, paying particular attention to the segment of the market you want to target.