How to Set Up a
Teleclass in Five Easy Steps
By Christine
Louise Hohlbaum
Are you looking for a new, cost-effective way of reaching your target audience?
Enter the teleclass.
Distance learning has taken a new twist through so-called teleclasses which
serve a dual purpose: they instruct the participants about something they wish
to learn while allowing you an expert platform to market your product or
service. If your clients won’t come to you, you can go to them through their
phone lines. We’re not talking about telemarketing, but a voluntary, one-hour
course on a topic of choice.
What is a teleclass? Also known as a teleseminar, a teleclass is essentially an
interactive phone call with any number of participants on a specific topic. It
is called a seminar or class because the participants are there to learn
something. “Tele” comes from the Greek language, meaning far off. As the host of the
call, you offer a toll-free number (or a regular number for international
participants) and a PIN code for the particular teleclass you have set up. Most
often, it is a complimentary service you offer to attract customers to your
website, storefront or catalog.
Why do a teleclass?
Think about it.
People make purchases based on a feeling of trust. Why is Wal-Mart so
successful? Because people trust they are getting everything they need at the
lowest possible price. Whether this is true or not is immaterial. It is the
feeling that propels them to buy. Conducting a free
course on the phone gives people a good feeling that they are getting something
useful for the time they spend listening and interacting with you.
How do you set one up?
Here are the steps:
1. Choose a sponsor (optional, but highly recommended).
2. Choose a conference call service.
3. Market the call based on your defined target audience.
4. Offer an incentive for people to attend the call.
5. Prepare a script.
Choose a Sponsor
In the best case scenario, you want a sponsor to help you promote the event.
Partnering with the owner of a well-visited website forum is one way to spread
the word. In the spirit of cross-promotion, ask the website owner to send out a
special announcement about the teleclass in his or her next mailing. If you are
an active member of the forum, post the event or offer a few “teaser” postings
to attract more participants.
Select a Conference Call Service
Determine who your target audience will be. Are they US-based or does your
business have a global presence? If you require an international line, you will
need to make certain the conference call service you select has that option.
Consider whether or not you will need recording capability as well. Piggyback on your
hard work and success by selling a recording of the call afterward for a set
price. CafePress.com handles the manufacturing and shipping of many promotional
items, including CDs. Your profit margin is drastically reduced using this
avenue, but you won’t have the hassle of mailing each individual CD. An
alternative is hiring an assistant to do order fulfillment. As your popularity
grows, you may wish to consider this option.
Marketing Your Teleclass
Who is your target audience? Who is your ideal participant? Design a demographic
profile. Determine where these people hang out. The best way to reach them is to
conduct an Internet marketing campaign. Through viral marketing you can reach
thousands of people fairly quickly. Ask everyone you know to pass on your
teleclass announcement.
Jason Potash’s
www.seminarannouncer.com is a complimentary teleclass listing service. Take
advantage of reaching your audience with this fabulous site.
**Tip: Be certain to provide time zone assistance with
http://www.worldtimeserver.com to ensure people don’t miss the calls due to
a time mix-up.
Offer a Free Incentive
Charging nothing for the teleclass is often not enough to attract people to the
call. Build in a teaser by offering a free eBook or other complimentary item
which they will value. You can ask your sponsor or some other business to
provide the giveaway as a means of cross-promoting, or you can provide a
promotional item directly from your business. Participants will view it as an
exchange for the time they have invested. Provide a promotional code during the
call that they must e-mail to you in order to receive the free item. By doing
so, you can track who actually participated in the call and offer follow-up
announcements as deemed appropriate.
Prepare a Script
Prepare a few key points you would like to address and offer ample opportunity
for participants to ask questions. Make the teleclass as interactive as
possible. It will guarantee return customers and support the elusive
word-of-mouse marketing we businesses seek to attain.
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, marketing expert and American author of Diary
of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff and SAHM I Am: Tales of a
Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe (2005), is a frequent guest on NPR. She is
currently launching a workbook and audio series entitled “An Author’s Companion:
A Self-Guided Course on Book Promotion” (Wyatt MacKenzine Publishing) based on
her popular online course, “How to Market Your Book.” When she isn’t writing,
leading intensive seminars or wiping up messes, she prefers to frolic in the
Bavarian countryside near Munich where she lives with her husband and two
children. Visit her website to subscribe to empowering ezine for parents:
http://www.DiaryofaMother.com.
