Webinar Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Almost every company I know offers webinars.  Do I need outside help to get started?

A:  Definitely.  It’s not difficult to pull a webinar of some sort together.  The tools available from most webinar vendors can automate many steps.  However, without experience it’s unlikely that you’ll garner the best results for your sales pipeline.  There are many ways a webinar can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing.  Having the right assistance can mean the following:

	An eye-catching title and subject line that results in high numbers of registrations.
	Exact invitation and reminder timing that helps your prospects with scheduling.
	Extensive promotion venues that garner great interest.
	Speakers with industry reputation that are a significant draw for your target audience.
	A compelling presentation that results in low drop-off rates.
	No logistics problems during the webinar, leaving a positive impression with prospects.
	An organized follow-up with sales to capitalize on webinar results.

Q: I need revenue now, this quarter.  Can a webinar realistically help someone in my situation?

A:  Yes, it can.  The majority of B2B purchases are not made or broken on one marketing touch.  Chances are you have some prospects in your pipeline for this quarter who are still sitting on the fence.  A webinar is a great venue to showcase your expertise and push those laggards over the line to a near-term sale.  The most effective marketing approach with B2B prospects is a mindful, multi-touch program that uses webinars and other techniques to impress over the course of the sales cycle.

Q: When should I begin promoting a webinar?

 A: There are two schools of thought on this question.  One, if you promote too early, you risk losing attendance as participants forget they signed up for your event “a long time ago”.  Second, if you promote too late, prospects calendars are filled up and you’ve missed your opportunity.  Chocolate Vine recommends that you begin promotion about 3-4 weeks in advance of the webinar date.  This give enough time for people’s calendars to be clear enough, but not too much time that they’re enthusiasm for attending will wane.

Q: Webinars seem like such a one-shot chance with a hefty budget behind them.  Isn’t this risky?

A:  It would be risky if it truly were a one-shot event.  However, you can mitigate that risk with some simple techniques.

First, you can offer your webinar in two different time slots or on two different dates.  Many companies have done this to accommodate international schedules.  It’s an advantage for your national prospects as well, who then have a couple of time slots from which to choose.  It does take a small additional amount of work on your part, since you’ll have to actually hold the webinar twice.  However, you might find that you more then double your attendance if you offer people time choices.  Chocolate Vine has also found that the second webinar actually can be better than the first due to lessons learned and more relaxed speakers.

Q: How is speaking for a webinar different from speaking to an audience in person?

A: Actually, it's quite different. For one, you don't have the advantage of gauging interest in a real-time way. Yes, some webinar services will allow you to monitor who has left the session (perhaps to do their email), but this is just a fraction of what you would detect from the behavior of a live audience. Therefore, it's up to you to use the right speaking techniques to ensure you keep the interest level high during the webinar. Additionally, you should conduct a follow-up survey to your attendees to measure the effectiveness of your webinar. This will help you better prepare for the next one you host.

To learn more about speaking in an online environment, check out Chocolate Vine's white paper: "Into the Void: Techniques for Speaking to an Online Audience."