All the tools in the world will do nothing to help you build a house if you don't have a blueprint. The same theory holds true in the business field; you can sign up for the right software, the right hardware, the right programs, but if you lack a blueprint, success will slip through your fingers.
With technology having evolved to the point where it is at today, web conferences now offer a great alternative to traditional, large- or small-group seminars. With software and hardware costs as low as they are, it barely makes much sense to get into your car and drive to the airport or even the local conference center... nor does it make sense to allow your prospects and employees to do so.
If you have any doubts about just how popular the web conference craze has become, check out the article in Business Week from last month (September 2008). The article discusses how some companies will spend upwards of $300,000 for hardware and software that will allow them to host web conferences. Also, Ipsos estimates five hundred percent growth over the next 5 years. Wow. The best part is that you don't have to spend more than $25.00 per month to host your own web conference.
However, a webinar alone does not "do" anything. Look at it as a seed. You have to plant that seed, water it, nurture it. With a webinar, you need to invite attendees but once everyone shows up you have to give them something. Internally, this is easy. Host a training seminar or new product roll-out. Often, it makes sense to use free trial periods this way so that when you pursue prospects, you will have developed some sort of expertise with the software. For external customers, watching that seed grow to the point where it bears fruit is much less easy.
The best way to make the technology work for you is through adequate planning. Plan your marketing efforts and plan your message. Consider a highly targeted marketing plan (don't invite existing or recent clients to a webinar that will focus on pitching your services to prospects; likewise, don't target prospects when you want to update existing clients on products and services). Also, you will want to place emphasis on your message so that your prospects and clients know exactly why you have invited them.
With these easy tips at the top of your mind, you should offer your attendees a value-added reason to sign up for your web conference. A sales pitch by a mortgage broker, for example, might invite prospects to learn about different mortgage products, some of the difficulties facing applicants in today's economic climate, and how this particular mortgage broker can get the job done properly. Emphasis on your area of expertise and qualifications should be made throughout the web conference so that it will stick with attendees who may not be ready to sign up for a new mortgage at that particular time; either way, they will surely remember the experience as it is unlikely that your competitors are pitching to prospects the same way. Since not all readers are mortgage brokers, you will have amend these strategies to fit your particular niche. If you need help, contact me.
No matter how you intend on using a web conference (existing-customer touchbase or new customer pitch session) this technology can certainly work to your advantage. You can not only improve your new and existing relationships, but you can start realizing savings almost immediately.
With technology having evolved to the point where it is at today, web conferences now offer a great alternative to traditional, large- or small-group seminars. With software and hardware costs as low as they are, it barely makes much sense to get into your car and drive to the airport or even the local conference center... nor does it make sense to allow your prospects and employees to do so.
If you have any doubts about just how popular the web conference craze has become, check out the article in Business Week from last month (September 2008). The article discusses how some companies will spend upwards of $300,000 for hardware and software that will allow them to host web conferences. Also, Ipsos estimates five hundred percent growth over the next 5 years. Wow. The best part is that you don't have to spend more than $25.00 per month to host your own web conference.
However, a webinar alone does not "do" anything. Look at it as a seed. You have to plant that seed, water it, nurture it. With a webinar, you need to invite attendees but once everyone shows up you have to give them something. Internally, this is easy. Host a training seminar or new product roll-out. Often, it makes sense to use free trial periods this way so that when you pursue prospects, you will have developed some sort of expertise with the software. For external customers, watching that seed grow to the point where it bears fruit is much less easy.
The best way to make the technology work for you is through adequate planning. Plan your marketing efforts and plan your message. Consider a highly targeted marketing plan (don't invite existing or recent clients to a webinar that will focus on pitching your services to prospects; likewise, don't target prospects when you want to update existing clients on products and services). Also, you will want to place emphasis on your message so that your prospects and clients know exactly why you have invited them.
With these easy tips at the top of your mind, you should offer your attendees a value-added reason to sign up for your web conference. A sales pitch by a mortgage broker, for example, might invite prospects to learn about different mortgage products, some of the difficulties facing applicants in today's economic climate, and how this particular mortgage broker can get the job done properly. Emphasis on your area of expertise and qualifications should be made throughout the web conference so that it will stick with attendees who may not be ready to sign up for a new mortgage at that particular time; either way, they will surely remember the experience as it is unlikely that your competitors are pitching to prospects the same way. Since not all readers are mortgage brokers, you will have amend these strategies to fit your particular niche. If you need help, contact me.
No matter how you intend on using a web conference (existing-customer touchbase or new customer pitch session) this technology can certainly work to your advantage. You can not only improve your new and existing relationships, but you can start realizing savings almost immediately.
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