jason_ga
Kennon
Fort is the creator and owner of the website http://www.TeleseminarOnTeleseminars.com
. He is a leading authority on hosting outrageously successful teleseminars
and teleconferences. Kennon also regularly attends training events
related to seminars, marketing and doing business on-line. He wants
to help others like you add teleseminars to their marketing mix for
increased profits and greater customer satisfaction.
ANP: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Kennon. First of all, could you explain briefly what we mean when we talk about teleconferences?
Kennon: Thank you for the special opportunity to work with you, Jason. Certainly I can explain teleconferences which are also known as teleseminars and/or teleclasses...
A teleseminar is an instructive meeting by telephone in which a potentially large number of people participate (up to thousands). Most often, teleseminars involve every participant calling in to a central phone number (also known as a bridge line) that will enable them to key in a passcode to join the group.
Recently teleseminars and tele-workshops have increased in popularity as they have proven to be a cost-effective means of communicating valuable information to the masses all at one time.
ANP: What sort of things can be done with a teleconference?
Kennon: Teleconferences can be utilized for instruction, for promoting an event such as a seminar or workshop or even another teleseminar. They can be used to promote a new product or service and provide listeners immediately usable information. Teleseminars can be utilized as a rapid means to product creation where you as the host don't even have to be the expert on the topic being discussed. This is done by audio recording and transcription of the calls.
Teleconferences allow a person to step beyond the limitations of the internet to "reach out and touch" the prospects and customers of almost any type of business. Doing these calls also allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in real time.
And, very significantly, teleseminars are used to generate several sources of income for those who host the calls. Not only can one charge an up-front fee to access the call, but also they can generate income through product sales and subsequent coaching/consulting.
Teleseminars are for many the single greatest source of income for their businesses. And so consequently, lots of business owners are currently throwing away a lot of money by not doing them.
ANP: What options do I have for hosting my own teleconference, and what sort of difference in price & features would I be looking at?
Kennon: My observation of the industry up to this point has been that there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of variability when it comes to the features offered by conferencing companies. There is, however, all kinds of pricing out there. Some services you can get for free with a slight degree of less functionality (which could be crucial to the success of your conference calls).
One thing I would advise for anyone serious about doing teleseminars is that they make sure they get a conference line where THEY will be able to mute out the listeners. That way, only the hosts can be heard by the audience...simply put, you cannot count on your callers to cooperate with your instructions to mute themselves. Most free services available do not allow users to have this crucial function.
One other valuable piece of advice is that in most cases you'll want to avoid conference services where you must pay per user per minute on the call. These charges add up quickly and unless your call is very small, you're much better off economically to get a 24/7 conference service that allows you much more flexibility and capability.
ANP: What other functions are sometimes available for conference lines, so people have some of the range of features they can consider?
Kennon: One other valuable function is the ability for attendees to the conference to mute themselves. While the hosts cannot count on the attendees using this function, it can prove helpful on occasions where the host opens up the line for all callers so that they can ask questions of the featured speakers. If the host makes a simple announcement to the callers about this, they can cut down on a lot of background noise that might otherwise inhibit open, audible communication of the questions.
I should also mention that many conference lines have a built-in recording function. One added feature to this is the ability to password protect the recording. On the line that I've used the past few months, I have been able to have one recorded conference in electronic storage at a time. There is an additional playback function that enables access to that recording. If I have a recording stored, it will be erased the next time I turn on the record function.
ANP: When someone is looking for a company to host their teleconference, is there anything they should pay particular attention to - any "hidden traps" that may catch people out?
Kennon: Beyond the scope of what I already mentioned, there isn't a whole lot. I'd say the biggest concern would be the issue of customer service. Only consider teleconferencing companies that demonstrate a "can-do" attitude.
ANP: What methods are there for recording the teleconference (so it can be later sold or given away as a bonus)?
Kennon: There are various ways to record. One of the simplest ways is to have the teleconference company do the recording for you and then make a cassette tape, CD, and/or downloadable audio file available to you.
Other common means of recording would require a quick visit to a store like Radio Shack. There are pieces of equipment available to record directly into your computer and used in conjunction with software to get a quality recording. Up to this time, I have not used any of this equipment, although I am likely to be doing so shortly.
One thing that must be emphasized with recording, regardless of how it is done, is to have a back-up! I've heard horror stories of people who have not had a back-up, only to walk away from their call with great regret.
ANP: That's a great tip Kennon! What additional mistakes do people commonly make when they are first starting to host teleconferences, and what should they be doing instead?
Kennon: Well, one of the most common mistakes for teleseminar hosts to make is to give their co-hosts and/or participants the wrong access number or passcode. This is something that can be easily avoided by carefully checking and double checking your email notices you send out.
Another common mistake teleseminar hosts make is simply failing to connect with their audience. There are two simple things that every call lasting over 30 minutes must have. Number one, take breaks to open up the conference line to make sure the audience is still alert and awake. And number two, have a break at every 40-minute interval for listeners to make a trip to the bathroom. It's very similar to being at a LIVE seminar. As the saying goes, "What the butt cannot endure, the mind cannot absorb!"
ANP: Do you have any sort of standard format when you are hosting a teleconference? Apart from breaks, do you have any "do's" and "don'ts" for making the teleconference a success?
Kennon: It depends on the type of call. I have used various formats: Question and answer sessions, open coaching sessions, use of an expert panel where each speaker has a designated time to speak. Another kind of conference call I have done recently was to put together a MasterMind group. (The first one of these calls I did lasted 90 minutes. Two nights later we had another one like it and it went for just over three hours!)
Also, some use expert panels who all get to speak to address questions during the entire call. Most significantly, the better one is tuned in to the needs of their audience and what they want, the better prepared they will be to give the quality content that is desired, no matter what format is used.
So, the biggest "do," is to make sure you have great content, regardless of whether it comes from you or your featured speaker(s).
The biggest don't is to "avoid pitching." What I mean is that you give immediately usable information and that any special offers you make will be a natural flow from the content provided. When that happens, no one can justifiably condemn you for "trying to sell to them." In other words, you don't come across selling or posing as a pushy sales person.
ANP: Some people are starting to do web broadcasts, where everyone joins in using their computer via the Internet. Do you have any thoughts on how this may change how teleconferences are done in the future? Do you think it will take off in a big way?
Kennon: That's an excellent question, Jason. Web broadcasts have their advantages and disadvantages. Just in the last few weeks I have logged on to the first three webinars that I've ever been to. I like them from the standpoint of having a different type of interactivity with the participants and for the ability to demonstrate things visually. However, because of the flexibility of teleconferences, they will be around for a while still. Teleconferences don't require you to be "tied to a computer" somewhere. Also, since many people are "techno-phobic" or lacking the technical skill with their computer, less may choose to get onto a web conference. The telephone has been around much longer and so people feel more comfortable with teleseminars.
Quite frankly, I see both teleconferences and web broadcasts booming in the years to come. Please take note that recently I became equipped to serve as an agent for the teleconferencing company I've used. The small website set up for that is at http://www.ProfessionalSeminar.com
ANP: Setting a price for anything can be difficult. Do you have any tips or advice on pricing a teleconference?
Kennon: The simple answer to this question is, "whatever the market will bear." My marketing mentors have emphasized that when it comes to pricing your offer, it all comes down to that four-letter word, "test." That's the best advice for pricing admission to fee-based teleconferences.
ANP: Obviously a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes on before the actual teleconference takes place - can you give us an idea of all the things that have to be done to ensure the event runs smoothly?
Kennon: Jason, there's so many details to getting ready for a sensational teleseminar. Let me try to make it really simple here.
First, you have to make sure this is something your audience wants. If you don't make sure about this, you are not going to have any customers for the event and/or product/service you're offering.
Second, you must have a clearly defined goal or purpose to the teleseminar. (Is it to add new subscribers to your email list? Is it to create a product and generate direct income? This is just a small sampling of questions you'd want to have answered before doing a teleseminar.)
Finally, make sure those working with you are focused on achieving the same goal.
ANP: If your best friend was thinking about hosting their own teleconference, what advice would you give them to make sure it was a success?
Kennon: Interesting you should ask that, Jason, because just last week I did a teleseminar with my best friend for the first time. And this call was his first teleseminar! So, with this, I can give you some real practical advice...
I first did everything I could to make my co-host feel very comfortable. We actually had some technical difficulties getting him onto the conference line and I ended up having to 3-way him into our call. Not only that, but he got disconnnected once or twice and I had to ask everyone to hold on while I got him back on the line!
So, it was good that we had that call without an admission charge (where we get all our benefits from the back end). I assured him he was "allowed to skin his knees" since it was his first time.
Basically, our success for this call is yet to be determined and will be based upon our future results of the referrals we give as affiliates for other people's products and services. At this point, there's plenty of untapped potential for what we did on that one call.
ANP: Thank you for the superb information you've given us today, Kennon. Hopefully some of my readers feel confident enough to run a teleconference of their own now!
Kennon: Thank you, Jason. It has been a pleasure to participate in this. In closing, I'd like to share that anyone who would like to get access to a free sample audio recording of the first 20 minutes of my first teleseminar may come to http://www.TeleseminarOnTeleseminars.com/popup.html and find out how to listen in on-line.
ANP: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Kennon. First of all, could you explain briefly what we mean when we talk about teleconferences?
Kennon: Thank you for the special opportunity to work with you, Jason. Certainly I can explain teleconferences which are also known as teleseminars and/or teleclasses...
A teleseminar is an instructive meeting by telephone in which a potentially large number of people participate (up to thousands). Most often, teleseminars involve every participant calling in to a central phone number (also known as a bridge line) that will enable them to key in a passcode to join the group.
Recently teleseminars and tele-workshops have increased in popularity as they have proven to be a cost-effective means of communicating valuable information to the masses all at one time.
ANP: What sort of things can be done with a teleconference?
Kennon: Teleconferences can be utilized for instruction, for promoting an event such as a seminar or workshop or even another teleseminar. They can be used to promote a new product or service and provide listeners immediately usable information. Teleseminars can be utilized as a rapid means to product creation where you as the host don't even have to be the expert on the topic being discussed. This is done by audio recording and transcription of the calls.
Teleconferences allow a person to step beyond the limitations of the internet to "reach out and touch" the prospects and customers of almost any type of business. Doing these calls also allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in real time.
And, very significantly, teleseminars are used to generate several sources of income for those who host the calls. Not only can one charge an up-front fee to access the call, but also they can generate income through product sales and subsequent coaching/consulting.
Teleseminars are for many the single greatest source of income for their businesses. And so consequently, lots of business owners are currently throwing away a lot of money by not doing them.
ANP: What options do I have for hosting my own teleconference, and what sort of difference in price & features would I be looking at?
Kennon: My observation of the industry up to this point has been that there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of variability when it comes to the features offered by conferencing companies. There is, however, all kinds of pricing out there. Some services you can get for free with a slight degree of less functionality (which could be crucial to the success of your conference calls).
One thing I would advise for anyone serious about doing teleseminars is that they make sure they get a conference line where THEY will be able to mute out the listeners. That way, only the hosts can be heard by the audience...simply put, you cannot count on your callers to cooperate with your instructions to mute themselves. Most free services available do not allow users to have this crucial function.
One other valuable piece of advice is that in most cases you'll want to avoid conference services where you must pay per user per minute on the call. These charges add up quickly and unless your call is very small, you're much better off economically to get a 24/7 conference service that allows you much more flexibility and capability.
ANP: What other functions are sometimes available for conference lines, so people have some of the range of features they can consider?
Kennon: One other valuable function is the ability for attendees to the conference to mute themselves. While the hosts cannot count on the attendees using this function, it can prove helpful on occasions where the host opens up the line for all callers so that they can ask questions of the featured speakers. If the host makes a simple announcement to the callers about this, they can cut down on a lot of background noise that might otherwise inhibit open, audible communication of the questions.
I should also mention that many conference lines have a built-in recording function. One added feature to this is the ability to password protect the recording. On the line that I've used the past few months, I have been able to have one recorded conference in electronic storage at a time. There is an additional playback function that enables access to that recording. If I have a recording stored, it will be erased the next time I turn on the record function.
ANP: When someone is looking for a company to host their teleconference, is there anything they should pay particular attention to - any "hidden traps" that may catch people out?
Kennon: Beyond the scope of what I already mentioned, there isn't a whole lot. I'd say the biggest concern would be the issue of customer service. Only consider teleconferencing companies that demonstrate a "can-do" attitude.
ANP: What methods are there for recording the teleconference (so it can be later sold or given away as a bonus)?
Kennon: There are various ways to record. One of the simplest ways is to have the teleconference company do the recording for you and then make a cassette tape, CD, and/or downloadable audio file available to you.
Other common means of recording would require a quick visit to a store like Radio Shack. There are pieces of equipment available to record directly into your computer and used in conjunction with software to get a quality recording. Up to this time, I have not used any of this equipment, although I am likely to be doing so shortly.
One thing that must be emphasized with recording, regardless of how it is done, is to have a back-up! I've heard horror stories of people who have not had a back-up, only to walk away from their call with great regret.
ANP: That's a great tip Kennon! What additional mistakes do people commonly make when they are first starting to host teleconferences, and what should they be doing instead?
Kennon: Well, one of the most common mistakes for teleseminar hosts to make is to give their co-hosts and/or participants the wrong access number or passcode. This is something that can be easily avoided by carefully checking and double checking your email notices you send out.
Another common mistake teleseminar hosts make is simply failing to connect with their audience. There are two simple things that every call lasting over 30 minutes must have. Number one, take breaks to open up the conference line to make sure the audience is still alert and awake. And number two, have a break at every 40-minute interval for listeners to make a trip to the bathroom. It's very similar to being at a LIVE seminar. As the saying goes, "What the butt cannot endure, the mind cannot absorb!"
ANP: Do you have any sort of standard format when you are hosting a teleconference? Apart from breaks, do you have any "do's" and "don'ts" for making the teleconference a success?
Kennon: It depends on the type of call. I have used various formats: Question and answer sessions, open coaching sessions, use of an expert panel where each speaker has a designated time to speak. Another kind of conference call I have done recently was to put together a MasterMind group. (The first one of these calls I did lasted 90 minutes. Two nights later we had another one like it and it went for just over three hours!)
Also, some use expert panels who all get to speak to address questions during the entire call. Most significantly, the better one is tuned in to the needs of their audience and what they want, the better prepared they will be to give the quality content that is desired, no matter what format is used.
So, the biggest "do," is to make sure you have great content, regardless of whether it comes from you or your featured speaker(s).
The biggest don't is to "avoid pitching." What I mean is that you give immediately usable information and that any special offers you make will be a natural flow from the content provided. When that happens, no one can justifiably condemn you for "trying to sell to them." In other words, you don't come across selling or posing as a pushy sales person.
ANP: Some people are starting to do web broadcasts, where everyone joins in using their computer via the Internet. Do you have any thoughts on how this may change how teleconferences are done in the future? Do you think it will take off in a big way?
Kennon: That's an excellent question, Jason. Web broadcasts have their advantages and disadvantages. Just in the last few weeks I have logged on to the first three webinars that I've ever been to. I like them from the standpoint of having a different type of interactivity with the participants and for the ability to demonstrate things visually. However, because of the flexibility of teleconferences, they will be around for a while still. Teleconferences don't require you to be "tied to a computer" somewhere. Also, since many people are "techno-phobic" or lacking the technical skill with their computer, less may choose to get onto a web conference. The telephone has been around much longer and so people feel more comfortable with teleseminars.
Quite frankly, I see both teleconferences and web broadcasts booming in the years to come. Please take note that recently I became equipped to serve as an agent for the teleconferencing company I've used. The small website set up for that is at http://www.ProfessionalSeminar.com
ANP: Setting a price for anything can be difficult. Do you have any tips or advice on pricing a teleconference?
Kennon: The simple answer to this question is, "whatever the market will bear." My marketing mentors have emphasized that when it comes to pricing your offer, it all comes down to that four-letter word, "test." That's the best advice for pricing admission to fee-based teleconferences.
ANP: Obviously a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes on before the actual teleconference takes place - can you give us an idea of all the things that have to be done to ensure the event runs smoothly?
Kennon: Jason, there's so many details to getting ready for a sensational teleseminar. Let me try to make it really simple here.
First, you have to make sure this is something your audience wants. If you don't make sure about this, you are not going to have any customers for the event and/or product/service you're offering.
Second, you must have a clearly defined goal or purpose to the teleseminar. (Is it to add new subscribers to your email list? Is it to create a product and generate direct income? This is just a small sampling of questions you'd want to have answered before doing a teleseminar.)
Finally, make sure those working with you are focused on achieving the same goal.
ANP: If your best friend was thinking about hosting their own teleconference, what advice would you give them to make sure it was a success?
Kennon: Interesting you should ask that, Jason, because just last week I did a teleseminar with my best friend for the first time. And this call was his first teleseminar! So, with this, I can give you some real practical advice...
I first did everything I could to make my co-host feel very comfortable. We actually had some technical difficulties getting him onto the conference line and I ended up having to 3-way him into our call. Not only that, but he got disconnnected once or twice and I had to ask everyone to hold on while I got him back on the line!
So, it was good that we had that call without an admission charge (where we get all our benefits from the back end). I assured him he was "allowed to skin his knees" since it was his first time.
Basically, our success for this call is yet to be determined and will be based upon our future results of the referrals we give as affiliates for other people's products and services. At this point, there's plenty of untapped potential for what we did on that one call.
ANP: Thank you for the superb information you've given us today, Kennon. Hopefully some of my readers feel confident enough to run a teleconference of their own now!
Kennon: Thank you, Jason. It has been a pleasure to participate in this. In closing, I'd like to share that anyone who would like to get access to a free sample audio recording of the first 20 minutes of my first teleseminar may come to http://www.TeleseminarOnTeleseminars.com/popup.html and find out how to listen in on-line.