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| | The Un-Marketing Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Why teleseminars? | Views: 1082 | | Apr 10, 2005 7:39 pm | | Why teleseminars? | # | 
Ron Amundson | | They seem to be pretty popular, and I'm wondering why?
Perhaps I am missunderstanding the definition as to what they are. To me, it would seem one could archive an audio presentation as an MP3, or even do podcasting. That way the course is available 24/7.
Is it the interaction, or is there some other value as to why one should do so. As far as interaction goes, I've often been frustrated with phone use, as compared to IM or email. Questions just do not get answered via phone. Then again, my experience is limited to situations where a phone based seminar has hundreds it not thousands of concurrent users.
Could someone enlighten me?
Thanks
RonPrivate Reply to Ron Amundson | | Apr 11, 2005 1:48 am | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
David Badurina | | Hey Ron,
I think they're pretty popular for a few types of businesses and for a few reasons.
A lot of people are still uncomfortable with Mp3 downloading (actually, downloading in general). If people have trouble downloading a file, they're not going to be big on podcasting.
Telephone's easy. Press numbers, listen. To a lot of people, downloading a file is a monstrous task that takes an hour from their life and replaces it with stress and frustration as they somehow manage to save the file, then can't find it. Then when they do find it, they don't know what to do with it. Or their speakers aren't turned on. Or they don't have speakers.
In my tech support days, I supported users in all of the above scenarios, "Sorry ma'am, you have to have speakers in order to listen to music."
The other part of this is from the perspective of the person creating the audio. A telephone is easy enough to speak into, recording an Mp3 perhaps not so. For those of us with good equipment (I have a high-end digital headset specifically to record quality tutorial videos) and some recording know-how, it's not a big problem. For other people, the quality is worse on those $10 mics that you get at Radio Shack than on a telephone.
There are many more reasons and for each biz it's different. If I know I have many net-savvy customers, I'll give them an Mp3 and they're fine with it. If I don't, the good old telephone is best because it saves all of us some frustration.
David BadurinaPrivate Reply to David Badurina | | Apr 11, 2005 2:53 pm | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
lisa micklin | | Hi Ron-
I love facilitating teleseminars! Here's what they offer in my eyes:
~ The ability to "meet" my virtual network, and them me. Putting a voice to the name increases the strength of our relationship, thus an increase in trust and loyalty.
~ The ability to answer questions on the spot. Granted, I don't lead calls with hundreds or thousands of folks on them. I usually limit the calls to under 100. This allows participants to ask questions and me to answer them. This "ask the expert" approach does wonders for perceived value with my audiences.
~ Encourages further correspondence. I always encourage participants to send me an email if I can be of any help after the call. Additionally if someone brings up a topic that is not relevant to the call, or too complex for the call, I encourage them to email me after the call. This leads to a 1-on-1 correspondence, that almost always ends in a sale.
There's oodles of more reasons, these are just a few off of the top of my head. Often, after I have led a call a couple of times, I may record one and make the audio recording available. Usually when I choose this route it is with the more technical how-to type calls rather than the more conversational calls.
Hope this helps,
lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Start Your Ezine
http://startyourezine.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Private Reply to lisa micklin | | Apr 11, 2005 3:10 pm | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
Denise O'Berry | | Ron --
Teleseminars are quite flexible in that the leader can allow or disallow interaction by the participants.
The really neat thing about teleseminars is that they can be turned into additional revenue streams such as online courses, downloadable files, etc. It's not a one-time deal and can create excellent passive income.
Best regards,
Denise O'Berry
P.S. Hop on over to the http://www.smallbiz-bootcamp.com and learn how to get help for your business.Private Reply to Denise O'Berry | | Apr 26, 2005 5:04 am | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
Tracey Paradiso | | Teleseminars give you a 'personal' opportunity to build an emotional connection with potential clients and to strengthen relationships with current clients. They give you the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert. Plus, you can modify them to your needs - for example, you can conduct freebies, you can conduct them for a modest fee, etc.
I've noticed that our esteemed leader here on this network has a brilliant way of using teleseminars as a marketing tool...
;-)
TraceyPrivate Reply to Tracey Paradiso | | Apr 27, 2005 8:28 pm | | re: re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
Kelly McCausey | | I enjoy a teleseminar but much prefer to simply listen online later - usually for scheduling reasons.
I have made it my goal to provide all of my audio in flash as well as providing an mp3 download - so those who are on dial up or who just don't like downloading can still listen in.
The key for me is multiple options :)
Kelly
Work at Home Moms Talk Radio
http://www.wahmtalkradio.comPrivate Reply to Kelly McCausey | | Jul 19, 2005 10:24 am | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
Maria Marsala | | You bring up a great scenario. There are people who prefer to not attend teleclasses. There are folks who want to "read" teleclasses. It's real important to offer a class the way it's best for the student. That's why many of us are offering audio's of our classes, too.
I started creating MP3's about 4 months ago. If someone has to miss a class, no problem. They get to listen to it on their time. I also have created CDs which I sell at events and each of them has at least one audio with notes that the owner can follow as I "teach".
=======
Now why I enjoy the classes?
I can have 5 happy students in the class, getting individual attention and be paid ;)
I can reach people that I wouldn't naturally come in contact with (and I've met some wonderful folks at classes).
They offer me a way to "meet" another business owner by attending their class. I get to know them on a new level.
They're on the 2nd step in my marketing funnel. And bring in new cilents.
Maria
http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com
Private Reply to Maria Marsala | | Jul 21, 2005 6:45 pm | | re: re: Why teleseminars? | # |
Francis Teo | | I wonder why people are not using webseminar instead.
Whereby currently the cost of webseminar has gone down to almost 2usd per person based on per month basis.
there is no long distance call involved.
I use my webseminar room regularly for demonstration and for powerpoint presentation and also recording the webseminar to be downloadable in the Internet.
Come to my room for a preview on how a webseminar can be conducted.
http://francis.ttcglobaltalk.com
Ask for an appointment.
Betw.. I have been conducting virtual conferences and physical conferences concurrently nowadays. Any one interested to know more.
Private Reply to Francis Teo | | Jul 22, 2005 3:01 am | | re: re: re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
John Anghelache | | Another great thing about teleseminars is that you
can create an instant information product from them.
You just get the teleseminar recorded and transcribed
and you can then sell those items as a package.
So it's a very versatile marketing tool.
John Anghelache Private Reply to John Anghelache | | Jul 24, 2005 10:29 pm | | How to conduct a teleclass | # | 
Denise Michaels | | I just had a question asking step by step instructions on how to conduct a teleclass yesterday on my "Testosterone-Free Marketing" network and so I thought it would be useful to share the information here as well.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
There are different kinds of teleclasses - I'm assuming that what you're interested in is an instructional teleclass. There are sales oriented teleclasses - I do these very rarely. And interview teleclasses - where you interview another expert. I do three or four instructional teleclass a week and have been for about four years ago. I also do some interview teleclasses - they're a lot of fun as well.
I don't do many sales teleclasses because I believe I do a better job at selling with sales letters. Let's face it - if no one could see you and you can hear that the speaker is swinging into a sales pitch would you stay on and listen or would you hang up the phone? A lot of people hang up the phone.
Larger organizations will tell you that if you're interested to call a different toll-free number. They want to catch you right away while you're enthusiastic. There they will have a room full of experienced "closers" sitting there waiting for your call. They will ask questions and answer your questions - but make no mistake about it - they want your business - even if they say they have to "qualify you" first. I don't have that kind of infra-structure set up. It's just me (and Ernie helps me out - but as much as I love him - he couldn't sell himself out of a paper bag *wink*) Besides I'd rather give great value when I've worked hard to gather a group of people on the phone together.
It takes a certain personality to be successful conducting teleclasses. You have to be firm but gentle. By that I mean you have to be firm enough that people know you won't put up with guff or rude, inappropriate interruptions on the line - and yet gentle enough that you thank every person who is brave enough to speak up and share their thoughts or answer a question - and appreciative of their involvement. You have to be authoritative but not so much so that you're dismissive of what other people have to say. If you're rude or dismissive in any way everyone else on the call will be upset with how you treated that other person AND will shrink back from joining in. Patience is important.
I got training years ago from www.teleclass.com They used to offer several teleclasses in how to conduct teleclasses. Same with www.teleclass4u.com I don't know if they are still offered - I think they're in audio downloads now - not a live class - but still worth it if you can find 'em. I recommend this kind of training to learn to listen a little differently. I'm not sure how to explain it - but it's very different than when you're standing in front of a classroom and you can make eye contact, read body language, etc.
The last five minutes I will sort of review what the people on the call learned. "What did you get out of today's class?" I don't want a recitation of their notes - what I want is how it was important to them. What will they DO with the information? I want them to make it a part of their lives. This is part of integrating what they learned with their current brainload of information. Most of the time I give homework - but it's always sensible homework that helps them to move forward with what they want to achieve. Also, beginning with week two I will say - "Let's review. What did you learn on last week's call?" to bring them back up to speed.
You have to learn to read the tone of the voice and the silences. Generally the silence doesn't mean that they're bored. Most often a little silence when you ask a question is because the people on the call are busy taking notes. Also, at the end of every teleclass I thank them for joining me and taking time out of their busy day to be there.
The first thing to constructing a teleclass is to create an outline. Don't make it too complex. I suggest that you don't cover more than 4-5 major points in a one hour teleclass. Otherwise people will be confused. They'll say it was excellent information but they will have no idea how to use it. Don't use a script - they will be bored to tears and will drop off like flies. Aim to have a discussion with your teleclass participants. Get them involved in talking about how the information can impact them, their business and their lives. Let's say I'm preparing for a four week teleclass. I'll prepare what I want to cover for week one and then put together a looser outline for weeks 2, 3 and 4.
Why? Because sometimes attendees in the class will come up with a question or comment and you'll say, "We'll address that issue in next week's class" and it results in you adding a whole new piece to your week 2 outline that you knew about but (Duh!) you forgot to include it. Or maybe you want to do a little more research about it - if possible - between now and the next class. This will result in a better class - because it's responsive to what people want - and it's more well rounded than what you could've dreamed up for all four weeks on your own.
People on your class will gain a lot - but they will also contribute by helping you consider new ideas, new concepts through their questions and comments. For that reason I outline all the weeks of the class - but week one is the detailed outline and the rest of the weeks are a little loose to accomodate for changes and improvements that you couldn't have predicted or expected.
The next thing to do is to set up a bridge line. Go to http://www.FreeConferenceCall.com and you can get a phone number with - I think - 50 lines available for free for 90 days. Pretty amazing. If you want to go top of the line go with Eagle Teleconferencing. They charge $90 a month for a bridge line for a month and up depending on the extra bells and whistles you want. PM me if you want more info but honestly Free Conference Call is a great way to go to get started. Learn how to mute people out and use the features that are provided.
If you are charging for a teleclass it's a very good idea to have it recorded on a replay line or on an audio download so that people can access it if they can't be on the live call. People have busy lives and if you're doing an 8-week teleclass and they email you with, "Gee, I'm wondering if I should do this - I'm going to be out of the country week six," you'll be glad that you have the replays available. It can be a very good selling feature because it makes it more flexible for people.
Now a lot of people get the very smart idea to record their teleclass so they can then sell it as a separate product. Great idea - but chances are you won't want to sell your first teleclass - unless it's info you've presented a lot before. The first time you do a bridge line teleclass there's a very good possibility that you'll end up having blips and interruptions and you won't know what to do and you'll get flustered and upset. Welcome to the human race.
Usually the first time I present new information on a teleclass I'll offer it to people who've purchased from me before as sort of a surprise bonus. Yes, free. And believe me when you have technical challenges at times you will be thinking in the back of your head, "Oh, thank goodness I didn't charge these people anything."
Look at it as you're getting a chance to test run your information with a live audience before doing the real deal. But sometimes I say, "Just promise me that you'll share your story of how it helped you after the class is over." This means that when I start really marketing the class and charging money for it I already have some great testimonials, I've gotten wonderful i-put - from questions and comments to make the class better - and I feel more confident that the class is an awesome value - not just "another great idea."
Now write a great sales letter and market your class. Timothy, I suggest you let people know about it on your new network. Put a clever, pithy PS at the bottom of your posts that direct people to a sales letter page. By the way, I still use PayPal.com or let people mail me a check and I'm pretty happy with that. You can also announce your teleclass on websites like www.SeminarAnnouncer.com but keep in mind that they will take a hefty percentage of the teleclass fee - 50 percent is common.
I've set up an affiliate program at my website where people can get paid a percentage for helping me to sell my products. Go to http://www.MarketingForHer.com and click on "Affiliate Program." Btw, my affiliate program was set up by Steven Boaze and his son Chris and I've been very happy with their work. I figure having an affiliate program saves me time from marketing myself and allows me to connect with others who would've never known about me otherwise.
You can also place ads or articles or other things at websites that are complimentary and not competitive with what you do. And of course we all know that the big way people will reach you is on search engine strategies.
Most of the people who've been through my TFM teleclasses are people who connected with me on Ryze - so that may be effective for you. But keep in mind that I've been here for over two years now and have had my network since January of 2004 - so I might be a little different from the average Ryzer.
Hope this info is helpful to you Timothy - and to other TFM Network Members.
All the best,
Denise Michaels
Author "Testosterone-Free Marketing"
Moderator TFM Network on Ryze.
PS: Get the Book! To get a personally autographed copy of my myth-shattering book go to http://www.MarketingForHer.com and click on "Get the Book!" If you'd rather clean up baby spit-up or change diapers than market your home-based business - this book is for you.
Private Reply to Denise Michaels | | Aug 29, 2005 5:19 am | | re: Why teleseminars? | # |
Cathy Goodwin | | For some markets -- they make sense.See
http://www.makewritingpay.com/classmktg.html
The biggest challenge: fnding ways to announce your classes online, until you build up a decent mailing list. I llike teleclass.com but that attracts coaches and potential clients looking for mainstream coaches (which I'm not).
A new trend which I plan to jump into: Interviewing a professional in a different field who would be of interest to your clients. You both get exposure and it's fun to listen to.
These days many teleseminars are archived and made available through anything from podcasting to CD to RealPlayer. And some "big name" teleseminars may be presented as live when they're actually pre-recorded.
For promotional purposes: When the product is "you," you can give potential clients a chance to learn who you are and decide if ou're a good fit as a coach or consultant. I've found that teleseminars and websites are the best way to screen a prospective consultant or coach -- even better than references. And I've had clients call who said, "I heard you on a class -- six months ago! and now I need you..."
For education and training: I've held some classes for career change. Although rates were lower than one-to-one consulting/coaching, participants chose classes because they liked the energy and exchange of ideas, even if they could afford a one-to-one option.
My biggest pet peeve about teleseminar classes: leaders who don't respect their participants' time and (if applicable) money. I don't want to spend 20 minutes listening to a bunch of folks introducing themselves. I expect to call the assigned number - not have last-minute changes (except in genuine emergencies). And the leader needs to take charge, not defer to class members or get side-tracked.
The biggest benefit of teleseminars: No driving and parking. No waiting around while everyone assembles. No dressing up! No suits. No heels-and-hose. No expensive manicure (today's professional women are judged by their nails).
AND you get considerable confidentiality. You can use a fake name and it's very unlikely that your voice will be recognized if you ask a question. Private Reply to Cathy Goodwin | | Aug 30, 2005 9:48 am | | re: Why teleseminars? | # | 
Marilyn Jenett | |
Ron,
Hope some of this will answer your question...
My telephone programs are very interactive and for that reason I limit them to 50 maximum. I sat in on a couple of calls with a speaker (there's usually a host also) and large attendance. Boring. At least to me.
Why teleseminars?
Well, I don't call mine seminars. I don't talk "at" participants. I teach them. I mentor them. I share wisdom and knowledge. I have one goal. My students will get results. Period.
I use my intuition to draw on the needs of the participants and for that reason I don't mute the "room". I have tried it a couple of times and it doesn't work for me. I want my students right there with me. I want the sounds, the nuances, the responses. And for the most part, they are very respectful about background noise and will mute themselves if it occurs. (They understand that if we start hearing pots and pans, they are then required to make dinner for everyone).
To explain why people would choose to participate in telephone programs, here are a couple of scenarios:
1. I usually have some international students on my calls even though they would have to be awake after midnight in their time zones. However, I also record all of my calls. I have a sound engineer in Tennessee who records everything in high resolution. For the students, we immediately put the recording on my website in Instant Audio so they can listen the next day or any time if they missed the call or want reinforcement. The recordings are password protected and stay up indefinitely (the high resolution files are used to make saleable products later).
But here's the interesting part. The international students choose to stay awake and attend the calls live, even though they could listen to the recording the next day. And even though they may not speak up or participate on the call.
Why?
The energy. The connection. When the human connection is good, the energy is palpable. We are connected. It's a wonderful feeling. The recordings are just like being on the live call, however there is that special element when you are right there with everyone.
2. I have discovered that in any given group, there is a percentage of people who speak up, are gregarious or like to ask questions and share. Others are very attentive but like to process information quietly and don't speak. The quiet ones learn from the interaction with the others.
So it is not necessary to interact to feel the benefits of being live on the call.
3. As I mentioned, the calls are recorded. This is a courtesy that I feel is necessary if you want to provide the greatest service to your following. I know that many seminar leaders record and then sell the recordings to the participants. Nothing wrong with that, but I choose to allow my participants to have free unlimited access to the recordings so that they CAN listen 24/7 if they want. For those who are not participating in the programs, they can buy the audio programs I offer.
Interesting side note (I think):
I turned down an offer to do a live program out of state for 500 participants, but the coordinator wanted me to have the subsequent three sessions on the telephone. I told her there was no way I could interact with 500. She would set it up so that the room was muted and attendees would email questions to the moderator who would get them to me.
I suppose this is done by a lot of speakers, but it's just not for me. I couldn't guarantee the integrity of my program that way and didn't believe the students would get results without the human interaction and our live connection. My program has succeeded because of the great results my students get, and I won't jeopardize my program or my reputation. I offered instead to fly in for all four weekly sessions, but the coordinator said she didn't believe people would commit to attending weekly. This was very shortsighted of her - she had already gotten sponsors who would pay for the expenses and we stood to make $250,000 profit (she would get 20%) but her limited thinking wouldn't let her acquiesce. Oh, and we would have videotaped everything and had a wonderful program to later sell to that industry (this was for a niche industry).
So, this was a l-o-o-o-o-ng answer to your question and I guess the short answer to "why" would be...
The human touch.
Audio has its place but will never take the place of human connection, the human voice, and human energy. Humans will always hunger for it :-) I believe the need to gather is part of our biological programming, isn't it? And the Internet has replaced a lot of Town Hall meetings I would imagine :-)
Marilyn
Full Serve Prosperity Pump
A Few Spaces Left...
http://www.feelfreetoprosper.com/teleclass-announce1.html
See Results Already Coming In...
http://prosper-network.ryze.com
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