The use of webinar technology to sell to potential customers seems to have grown exponentially and is a very powerful resource for business. This technology allows you to extend the sales experience by connecting at a very personal level, but without the challenge and cost of travel, meeting locations, etc.

Hosting a webinar is a skill-set that many are acquiring after some painful first steps into the online demonstration space. Creating a seamless experience for the audience and providing a session that is beneficial can make/break the sale.

Below starts a series on successful webinars, starting with “Captivating Content”.

  • Word-of-Mouth Magic
  • Optimal Experience
  • Discussions and FAQs
  • The Webinar Is Over, Now What?

Captivating Content

People want to come to your webinar because you have something amazing to show/tell/teach them. This is a great opportunity to expose the heart of the business, the mission behind the company, the goal of the product. Attendees want to learn something of value so make sure the content you are delivering is something they cannot just read about on your website or in your marketing collateral.

Make sure that the title of your event is something that will trigger a response, solves a problem, answers a question and heals a pain.

One idea is to tap the shoulder of one of your most enthusiastic customers who have found great success with your product/service and let them tell their story. Case studies are always well received and customers want to see how this service/product works “for real”. Set yourself apart but not just delivering a great product or service, give away your knowledge and those attending your event will feel they gained great value for the time spent.

Use of “New Features” or “Best Practices” is also a great way to cultivate interest. This helps to bring back those customers who are familiar with your product and could lead to a potential up-sell or might remind them to tell others about what you offer.

If you are going to use a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Keynote, make sure to work with a graphics person to really make the session impressive. While we love your ability to find random images on Google and then use them without permission, put some extra thought into what the attendees will actually see. This is really their only visual representation of your company (unless you will actually use a video camera to stream yourself).

A good rule of thumb is to outline the agenda (tell them what you will tell them), present your content/examples (tell them what you told them you would tell them) and then wrap up your presentation clearly (remind them what you told them). We will get in to discussions and questions in a few days, but know that there should be some good dialogue happening throughout. Ensure that the content you have promised is going to be delivered no matter how tempting it will be to get side tracked.

If you have any other insights or ways that you have delivered exceptional content, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below!

Author

With over a decade of experience, I have managed online marketing for a wide range of industries including biotech, high-tech, financial, higher education, non-profit, manufacturing, hardware providers, and startups. My specialty is helping business make the right turn with their online efforts focusing on lead generation and analytics.

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