“I’ve asked Roger to join us today because he is a
nationally acclaimed expert on webinars. His company is the 1080 Group http://thevirtualpresenter.com.
Roger, what I had in mind was to ask my rowdy group of marketing advisors for their suggestions on how to build a webinar that works
and then get your take on the idea from the perspective of someone who has been
advising folks on how to do this since the 90’s. Does that work for you?” I said
“Sure.” He responded.
“Something I believe will really help is to shorten the
time commitment to 30 Minutes. Don Peppers of 1 to 1 Media and I had a
discussion about this years ago in cab hurtling down a mountain from the
airport to Medellin, Colombia for a speaking engagement. I notice that his
company has shifted to the shorter format. What’s your take?”
“Remember that webinars have a higher price than other
ways to get to prospects. The cost per lead for a webinar is higher than other
options for lead generation. The trick, regardless of length is to use the live
capabilities. Think about a few minutes of presentation and the rest of the time
on Q&A,” said Roger.
“What do you mean by live capabilities?” Kathy asked.
“You want to treat the webinar presentation as much like
if you were doing it live as you can. Shorten the intro. As soon as you can have
a dialog in the webinar. Ask a question and have them respond in the chat
panel. If you are using a technology that allows you to turn on a voice feed from
them turn it on for an individual and have a conversation.
I know you speak, Kathy. I’ve seen you. I know that you
work the room chatting with new arrivals and those that are entering before you
go on. You can do the same thing in a webinar, Roger said.
Kathy snorted and said, “How? You can’t see them. I guess
you could know they are there because people have to check in to get the
webinar on their screen. But, you still don’t know how to address them.”
Roger said, “You can tell who has checked in because it
is noted on the moderator screen. That means that both the video and audio
capabilities with them are live. All you have to do is welcome them and let them know you
are happy they are there. Notice others as they come into the virtual room. Say
hello. If the technology you are using allows switching on their audio do so
just for a moment or two. It’s easy to tell someone that you need to greet the
other newcomers to close out a conversation.”
Rick, a master networker and direct marketing icon asked,
“So how do you structure the presentation?”
I said, “How would you do it Rick?”
He said, “I would do it the same way as I would for a
live presentation but I would make sure there was something happening on the screen
and with my voice that held the audience. In fact, if I could, I would use a
presentation that had been tested that way.
One of the things that bugs me about webinars is guys
reading word slides. I tune out when that happens. I also tune out when it is
obvious they haven’t rehearsed.”
“Boy do I agree with that!” I said. “What really gets me
is that there is one slide up on screen as everyone assembles and the same
slide is there while they wait for a few stragglers and then the introduction
happens and finally a slide that has been there for ten minutes changes…to
words being read by the presenter!”
Roger smiled and said, “My work is done here. You understand
that all the things you do to make communications effective in a live format
apply here PLUS both the power and the restrictions of the technology. The key
is to think it through from the viewer’s viewpoint and then use both to your
benefit.”
The marketing mavens will return next week. As Bubba
would say, “Is there a question y’all would like to fling into the briar patch?”
Jerry Fletcher, your friendly reporter, is an
international keynote speaker. Learn more at www.NetworkingNinja.com
Jerry brings firsthand knowledge of product and business
development to professional practices, consultants, and service organizations.
He stopped counting successful new product introductions at 207. More
importantly, he knows why so many fail. Learn more at: www.JerryFletcher.com
Copyright 2012, Z-axis Marketing,Inc. All rights reserved.