computer/headphones, and screen sharing. With the increase of broadband Internet technologies, this kind of Web conference has become more and more popular.
Over the past eight years of facilitating and observing online meetings, most of which have been audio-only for training or recruiting, I’ve learned some important lessons. Here are some suggestions to make Web conferences more effective for both live and archive listeners:
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Target calls to a specific audience. When you do this, Web conferences are well attended and listened to longer. For example, a call that is designed for new people in the business, which gives the simple and essential steps for a newcomer, works well. Or, a call that introduces a new product can also reach a target segment. Another effective call is the well scripted recruiting call. Distributors like to know that when they bring someone to a call, they can count on quality and predict the outcome. A call that tries to do everything for everyone rarely holds the group.
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The length of the call depends on the subject matter. Usually, calls that are shorter in length are more effective. People are also more likely to go back and review a call if it is 20 minutes rather than 40 minutes. Typically, 15 - 20 minutes seems to be the average length of time people listen to a call.
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Visual aids can add interest and improve retention. Audio-only calls seem to have a big drop off at about ten minutes. By adding visuals, you can increase the amount of time your audience will stay on the call. The visuals don’t need to be fancy; they just need to be pertinent to the subject. A few graphics with words or pictures of the product add up. Use bullet points to show what you are covering. When you do a slide presentation in front of a group, you might use 40 slides and change slides on every point. In a Web conference, 20 slides with the same key points provide focus and interest without slowing down the presentation while waiting for the slide to load. Too many visuals can be distracting.
The most important lesson I’ve learned over these last eight years is that having a cool Web page rarely works to recruit people. People recruit people. Although it cannot replace the building of relationships, Web conferencing provides a 24-hour-a-day way to quickly connect people to people anywhere that results in increased business productivity, time efficiency, and most importantly, revenue!