Due to the recession, there has been a dramatic shift to using Web Seminars (Webinars) to save money on Marketing Events. Executives have found that Webinars save money, are extremely effective, and the ROI is very measurable. This trend will be accelerating in 2010.
When planning a Webinar, the big question is: When is the best Day and Time to schedule the event(s)?
This year, I’ve attended 3 to 6 webinars per week. I’m amazed that almost all of them are scheduled on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, at 10am or 11am PST. Very few are scheduled at any other time.
So, why is this happening? Marketing Managers read or were told by the experts that these days and times are the ideal day/ slots to conduct events. The bad news is that everyone now knows this and there are way too many events during these times….and it is going to get worse. Only 6 hours (15%) out of a 40 hour work week are currently being targeted for webinars. That leaves 32 (85%) other hours to schedule your events.
Many times, I can’t attend Webinars that I’m very interested in due to conflicts with other company webinars scheduled for the same times
So…what are some other “Best Days and Times” that we should use?
A good rule of thumb is to schedule webinars when your target prospects are available.
Here are some suggestions: If you are targeting Executives, try early mornings, lunches or end-of-day. If you target Sales Managers, you should test webinars after hours. A great Salesperson once told me: “Sales people should be out with customer and prospects during normal working hours” …not attending meetings. Financial Managers should never be targeted the last few days…or the first few days of the month, quarter and year.
Don’t forget to be creative with your Webinar schedules. You maybe surprised to see how many people show up when you least expect it.
Please comment: When do you schedule Web Seminars? Any suggestions?
Small Business is always looking for the best return on investment when investing time and money in new technology. Web Conferencing and Seminar Technology allows you to save money and improve productivity within 2-3 months of the implementation. The service is easy to use and all training is done over the web while in your own office.
Some of the Benefits include:
Immediately reduce Travel Time and Costs
Increase the Number and Quality of Sales Leads
Improve the Speed and Number of Product Demos
Allow Senior Management to attend more Prospect and Customer Meetings
Reduce the Sales Cycle Time to Close New Business
Reduce the time and cost of New Product Introductions
There are plenty of alternatives out in the marketplace. Here are a few of our favorites:
DimDim - Free Version, a low cost paid service, only open source products and very easy to use on a PC or Mac DimDim Free Trail
Skype – Free Version, a low cost business service, Very Low Cost International Meetings and very easy to use on a PC or Mac Skype for Business
We attended Google’s IO Developer Conference in San Francisco in May 2009. During the first day Keynote, Google announced and Demo’d Google Wave. It took me 15-20 minutes before I “got” what they were introducing. The Wave Software has the potential to change the way we communicate and significantly change the software we use in business today.
It will be a few years before we know if Google Wave is going to take off. However, it is very helpful to understand how the web could change when planning your business IT Infrastructure.
Introduction to Google Wave
This is a very short easy to understand YouTube video introducing you to Google Wave.
Google Developer Conference – Google Wave Keynote Announcement
This is a very long (1 hour and 20 minutes) YouTube video introducing Google Wave during the May 2008 Google Developer Conference in San Francisco.
CRM Magazine published a list of the top CRM vendors in June 2009. This is the 8th year of their survey.
CRM magazine “honors the vendors, consultants, and end-user companies that focus on customer relationships and the customer experience through the sophisticated integration of people, processes, and technologies. In each of 10 categories, the magazine named one Market Winner, denoting the highest score compared to its peers. Each category also produced four Market Leader awards and One to Watch.”
Click on the link below to find the best CRM vendors in the industry. Keep in mind that the “best” can also be very expensive to implement and maintain.
Q. How can a Small Business Save lots of money within 3 months?
A. Learn how web technology can dramatically reduce the time and cost of travel for the following activities: Meetings, Conferences, Sales Calls, Sales Demos, Service Calls, Customer Support Calls, Training, Partner Meetings, New Product Roll-outs, Team Meetings, Executive Meetings and Board Meetings.
1st Action Step – Watch this fun short video on “What is Web Conferencing.”
Many Business Executives are interested in understanding more about how they can use Social Networking (like Twitter) to grow their businesses. However, most people still don’t know “What” Twitter is?
Below is a wonderful video from Common Craft that seems like it was created for 3rd graders (please don’t this personal)…. perfect for most people trying understand new technology. Hope this helps with your understanding.
Many Small Business owners want to build a new website or upgrade their existing website to increase their sales. Everyone is also concerned about the cost and complexity of implementing new technology.
Here is some great news. Now there are several excellent website options for Small Businesses that never existed 5 years ago.
You do NOT need a fancy designer or programmer to have a website. You just use a template. Here is a list of four of my favorite Small Business Website Services to help you get started.
Yola.com – A Free or Low Cost Hosted Website Squarespace.com – A Low Cost Hosted Website WordPress.com – A Free or Low Cost Hosted Blogging / Website Blogger.com – A Free Google Hosted Blogging Service
Feel free to contact us at 650-866-5517 if you have any questions or want some free Small Business Advice.
Google 411 Service is FREE – Watch the Fun Video Introducing the Service
Dial 1-800-goog-411 (800-4664-411) Go to the website for more information: google.com/goog411
Give it a try now and see how simple it is to find and connect with local businesses for free. Tip: We add the Goog411 number in our mobile address book and marked it as a favorite.
Here are some tips for traveling abroad with AT&T Wireless Service:
1. Visit Att.com/travelguide to determine if your phone will work in the country you are visiting
2. Call AT&T Customer Service at 800-331-0500 and verify that international roaming service is active or international blocking is on
3. Visit att.com/worldpackages and understand the pay-per-use calling rates in each country
4. Learn how to call home from an international country
5. Consider sending text messages to save money. Simply dial “+” (10-digit number)
6. Lean how to call AT&T Customer Service from an International Country Visit att.com/knowb4go
