If you're doing your first teleseminar, you're probably a bit nervous.
But preparation can minimize that feeling, because you will be focusing on your agenda and organizing your materials.
Concentrating on the steps you need to follow will help you relax and your listeners will relax, too.
It's frustrating for anyone attending your event when things don't work out right.
So it's up to you to be sure everything goes well.
Here are some tips to accomplish that: 1.
Before the teleseminar or webinar is scheduled, be sure everyone knows what they need in order to attend.
Give them this information well in advance in case they need time to acquire certain items, such as your notes (if you provide a cheat sheet), the browser that works best with your event service, any required media services or software, such as Flash, Windows Media, RealMedia, etc.
and Adobe Reader if you provide anything in pdf format.
Some services ask attendees to register with them, too, and a software download may be required as well.
Give people enough time to work through these acquisitions and to work out their own technical issues before your event.
On a recent webinar, it took me 20 minutes to download, install and set up all the necessary components to access the presentation.
If I had known what was needed, I could have started an hour earlier.
Instead, I missed the first 20 minutes and was a bit annoyed.
I went through 3 browsers before I discovered the event was optimized only for Internet Explorer.
Then I had to download the latest RealMediaPlayer and install it.
Mine was outdated.
Then I had to register with the webinar service.
This is not unusual, but sometimes I encounter an odd combination of requirements.
2.
Describe your event and tell everyone what to expect.
Who's it for? Who will benefit? What will they learn? How will this help them? 3.
Tell them how to attend.
Where must they register? What is the deadline? When is it scheduled? How long will it last? 4.
Provide a help page, if you can, with FAQs...
frequently asked questions...
and the answers.
Include your email for specific questions, or a phone number if you use one for your events.
5.
Send a reminder email a day before the event.
Don't count on a one-hour notice being seen.
Or my favorite: "Open up...
we are starting the teleseminar right now!" I usually see that email an hour after the event has ended.
6.
Work out your technical needs well in advance, too.
It's irritating to not see a survey load, or to listen to comments like, Oh darn, it's not recording.
Wait a minute folks...
I need to find out why it's not recording.
Yes, the gremlins can't always be eliminated, but most of them can be avoided if you do a practice run first, before you have 300 hundred or more people hanging out on the line.
7.
And last, but certainly not least, be sure you know how all the admin controls work.
You will need them.
There is always one or two listeners who don't know how to mute themselves out and you can hear their dogs barking in the background.
When you are ready to wrap things up, don't forget to give out any links or information on how to get your bonuses and how to sign up for future events that you are promoting.
Enjoy yourself, and don't forget to smile.
It will "show.
"