Business Conferencing Solutions Blog

Money Matters – Should You Charge for Your Webcast?

March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Should you charge for a webinar or webcast? Money matters can be tricky in a world where content is so easily and often freely available. But, for some companies, charging for webcasting content is a smart way to lift the bottom line. Ask yourself these questions to find out if offering paid live streaming is right for your business strategy:

  • Is the webcast for marketing purposes? If generating leads or driving website traffic is the goal, then common business wisdom advises that the webinar should be free. It’s perfectly fine to collect information (contact info, web address, etc.), but avoid the urge to ask for a fee.
  • Will attendees be willing to pay a webinar fee? Everyone has an eye on the bottom line these days, but it’s still important to consider the audience when deciding whether to charge for webcast events. For example, a homeschooling mommy blogger audience is likely less able to pay a webinar fee than a multinational corporation. Always consider the target before setting a price structure.
  • Is the webcast for training purposes? Whether the content is designed for professional development or software training, chances are better that attendees would be willing to pay for learning opportunities. Be aware that some decision makers will view this type of online learning as voluntary, so prices generally need to be at the lower end of the scale.
  • Is the content necessary for compliance? Compliance training is a must-have for a range of sectors, making it more likely an employer would be willing to pay for relevant, targeted webinar content.
  • Can we make the payment process smooth? Not all live streaming webcast providers are set up to provide a payment solution that’s easy for you and attendees to navigate. Look for a web streaming company with the tools to integrate a range of payment options, from PayPal to credit cards.

For more info about offering paid live streaming content that includes stress-free payment solutions and mobile-friendly viewing technology, contact RollCall Business Conferencing.

 

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Teleconference Tips for the Solo Presenter

March 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Tips for TeleconferencesFrom teleseminars to hook prospects to conference call updates for investors, you may find yourself charged with delivering a teleconference (as Captain Jack Sparrow would say) all by your onesie. It can be a tall order for an already busy professional. So how can you present an engaging conference call that gets the job done? Check out these 5 gotta-have teleconferencing tips for solo presenters:

  1. Choose conference calling services wisely. Yes, you can find a free conference call provider. But if that provider delivers services on a less-than-professional level, you could find yourself spending time apologizing for technical difficulties instead of driving the message home.
  2. Get the feel for a “people-free” audience. Teleseminars and teleconferences have a different flavor than a face-to-face meeting, where a presenter can observe and interact with the audience. If you’ve never done a remote presentation before, practice the teleconference with colleagues or friends so you develop a better sense of how to interact with a group over the phone.
  3. Stand up. It’s easy to suffer a case of the slouches if you’re sitting down. Why does that matter on a teleconference? Slouching affects your volume and breathing, and that can make talking for an extended period a genuine slog. Standing up forces you into a posture that gives your voice clarity and command, and makes you feel more energetic.
  4. Don’t read. Teleconference attendees can smell a reader through the phone line. Use notes to remind you of pertinent points or data and to keep the presentation on schedule. The more you practice, the more natural the delivery will be and the less you’ll need to rely on reading.
  5. Watch the water (or coffee or tea….). When doing a solo presentation via teleconference, water can be your best friend—and your worst enemy. Take a bathroom break before the event, and then be smart about how much water you’re drinking throughout. (Bonus tip: Lips dry? Keep lip balm handy.)
  6. Consider a wingman/woman. Hosting an effective teleconference can present challenges, so don’t be afraid to turn your solo act into a duet. An assistant, for example, can keep you on schedule or take the lead on a particular segment. That person might also help people who are having difficulties, like the teleseminar attendee who can’t find the pre-event material you emailed last week.

You can go solo and still deliver an effective teleconferencing event. For more info about our suite of tools that gives you the power to deliver messages reliably and affordably, contact RollCall Business Conferencing.

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Chaos-Free Virtual Team Leadership – Tips for Project Managers

March 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Team Leadership BlocksAnyone who’s tried on the managerial hat understands that it’s challenging enough to manage a team working face to face. It can be even more challenging when the team is distributed across states, time zones, or even countries. So how can a team leader or project manager avoid chaos when trying to get the job done through tools like web conferences, teleconferences, or social media?

  • Establish leadership. No, we’re not talking about using dictatorial top-dog tactics to manage a distributed team. Rather leadership in this situation is about guiding team members toward completing the objective. Often that involves tasks like defining deliverables, managing timelines, and keeping team members focused on the end goal.
  • Respect culture. Work groups distributed across countries can easily fall into chaos when cultures clash. Take time to understand culture challenges your team may face when communicating with each other.  Remember, too, to pick up the HR basics for other countries team members may be working from because employment law may vary from country to country (for example, some countries may regulate working hours).
  • Schedule one-on-one time. It’s easy for remote workers to feel disconnected from team members or a team leader. Occasionally schedule time for your people to break out as well as time for you to connect with individual team members.
  • Record/archive communications. From DM’ing on Twitter about an updated timeline to teleconferencing your way through a major snag, recording and archiving communication allows team members to review things they may have missed or go back and clarify items they may have misunderstood. Upload the records to a central location, and regularly remind team members they have access to them.
  • Handle conflict. Whether it stems from a personality clash or difference of opinion, conflicts can trigger mayhem on any project. Unpleasant as it may be, team leaders need to deal with disagreements, misunderstandings, and misperceptions. Take time to resolve conflicts that arise. Although a face-to-face meeting is ideal, it’s not always possible. As an alternative, arrange a teleconference with the involved parties to hash it out—so the entire team can get back to working toward project goals instead of dealing with drama.

What tips can you share for managing remote teams that communicate via teleconferences, web conferences, or social media?

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CEOs Say “No” to Meeting Time Drain (Plus Tips So You Can Say “No” Too!)

March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Executive Business MeetingCEOs spend one-third of their work time in meetings, according to the Executive Time Use Project. The research, conducted by the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School, found that during a 55-hour work week, top execs spent an average of 18 hours in meetings.

So it’s no surprise that CEOs are finding better ways to conduct meetings than sitting around a conference table surrounded by suits. The Wall Street Journal, which reported on the Time Use study, notes that some executives are replacing formal face-to-face meetings with shorter, more frequent interactions. In an interview with the WSJ, Lionbridge Technologies CEO Rory Cowan says he’s investing more time in “doing frequent iterative touches,” often through texts or IMs. The results, Cowan reports, are meetings that often last under 15 minutes.

Tips for Battling the Meeting Time Drain

Meetings are a must-have for executives charged with producing results. But if you find yourself continually mired in meetings that go nowhere, consider these tips:

  • Compare the time you spend in meetings with your priority list. If there’s a mismatch, it’s time to reevaluate where you’re spending time. Remember to consider how much in salary you’re earning for attending non-productive meetings. For a more revealing analysis, add in the money spent to pay the salaries of the employees who attend as well.
  • Consider alternatives to face-to-face time. Do you genuinely need that full-on meeting in the conference room, or will a brief update teleconference get the job done more easily and efficiently?
  • Start incorporating the tactics that make the time productive. Learn more by checking out these productivity tips.

Have you or other decision makers in your company changed the way meetings are conducted to make them more efficient? Are you using social tools, like Twitter, or other tools, like conference calls, to stay connected?

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Cure for the Common Webinar – Tips for Training, Selling and More

March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Business training webinar

You are on a webinar mission. It might be to produce a compliance training webinar for administrative staff. Or it could be to generate a webinar that launches the company’s latest service. No matter what your purpose is, one thing is clear: your webinar needs to produce results. Here are the most common symptoms of a ho-hum webinar and the cures to get it back on the path to health—and measurable results:

Symptom: Too Glitchy. You can probably get away with a glitch during a webinar, but if it starts multiplying, you’re in trouble. The single simplest thing you can do to deliver an effective message is make sure you (as well as co-presenters) understand how to use the webinar platform. Choose a quality webinar vender, and then run through the presentation before the event, several times if necessary.

Symptom: Too Pitchy. No, not in an American Idol or The Voice kind of way. Even if you’re presenting a sales webinar, the hard sell can be a big-time turn off, so don’t hit attendees with a call-to-action between every point. And, please, don’t disguise an honest-to-goodness sales webinar as an information piece, like a “How To…” or “Tips for…” Be forthcoming about the purpose of any webinar you put your name on.

Symptom: Too Darn Long. It doesn’t matter if it’s a corporate compliance training webinar or a sales presentation, keep an eye on the time. If the event was slated to last about 45 minutes, stick to it. Having a Q&A session at the end? Factor in time for that as well.

Symptom: Too Abstract. It’s perfectly fine to tell a decision maker that your service will raise their revenue. But it’s far better to show them. Always share the basics of any concept or service you’re selling—and then provide at least one concrete example that will have attendees perking up their eyes and ears.

Symptom: Too Busy. We’re not talking about you (although chances are you’re really busy). No, this is about your attendees or trainees. In fact, they’re so busy that live webinars may not suit their schedules. Expand the event’s audience and extend the life of the webinar by archiving it and making it available on demand. At minimum, use social networks like Facebook or Twitter to share webinar clips and highlights.

What’s been your experience with ho-hum webinars? What poor practices have you seen that left you yawning or watching the clock?

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