Episode C.005 Conference Calls & Webinars

Incorporating conference calls and webinars into your sales strategy allows you to create another stream of income while building your email list. Email lists can be one of the most valuable assets a business owner has. Webinar and Conference Call guests give their email address to you in exchange for the event log in details. You can then use your list over and over again to generate more and more income. 

CONFERENCE CALLS

A conference call is simply a telephone call where the host and guests can speak to several call participants at the same time. A conference call is usually done with a telephone, although it can also be done with the help of IP telephone service providers like Skype or with similar call applications. Many conference call services offer their own VOIP and free numbers for different countries. Conference calls can be either audio or both audio and video.

Advantages of Conference Calls:

1. Telephones are widely accessible.
2. Multiple parties can participate in a discussion.
3. You can easily reach a larger audience without crashing the system.
4. You don’t have to dress professionally because nobody sees you.

Disadvantages of Conference Calls:

1. Technical failures with equipment, including connections that aren't made
2. Unsatisfactory for complex interpersonal communication, such as negotiation or bargaining
3. Impersonal, less easy to create an atmosphere of group rapport
4. Lack of participant familiarity with the equipment, the medium itself, and meeting skills
5. Difficulty in determining participant speaking order; frequently one person monopolizes the meeting

WEBINARS

A webinar is defined as an interactive online event that anyone with an Internet connection and the necessary software can view over the web. They can be hosted and viewed on a PC, smartphone or tablet. Webinars are typically informative presentations, such as seminars, lectures, workshops or product and service demonstrations. Interactive features allow for shared screens, question-and-answer sessions and topic discussions. A typical webinar can include video of the presenter talking, slideshows, or other visual elements.

Advantages of Webinars:

1. A wider audience reach
2. Hosting webinars develops authority and trust
3. Create deeper business relationships
4. Interactive webinars help you understand your target audience
5. Raises brand awareness with visual branding.
6. Can be repurposed.
7. Can be an added revenue stream.
8. Webinars build your list and generate qualified leads.

The Disadvantages of Webinars

1. Technical issues hit harder
2. Audience can get easily distracted
3. Hijackers and security
4. Must dress professionally
5. Lack of participant familiarity with the equipment, the medium itself, and meeting skills

​PUTTING IT INTO ACTION

Whether you choose to use a Conference Call or Webinar format, you can minimize potential problems by carefully evaluating meeting needs and goals to determine if a Conference Call or Webinar format is the best option. 

Best Practices include:

1. Get Help.
2. Do a Dry Run.
3. Think About Visual Branding and decide on a marketing strategy
4. Offer Your Products or Services as an Add-On. Offering your product in the middle of a webinar won’t turn the whole thing into an ad.
5. If you use handouts, send them in advance to participants

Three questions you must answer as the business owner before hosting a webinar or conference call:

1. Who will be attending?
2. What challenges/problems are they facing?
3. What are their goals?

Recording conference calls and webinars can easily be repurposed as marketing material on social media and your website as well as turning them into courses that can be marketed and sold as what we call evergreen products.

The big thing to remember is that you are the subject matter expert who you clients already know, like and trust. What service and value can you provide to them and how can you use that to generate a new stream of income? You are good enough! It can be daunting to push the start button the first time.

We always feel uncomfortable the first time. Get over yourself! Your business needs you and so do you clients.