How to Create a Webinar to Increase Your Sales - by Glen Ford

Normally I write and teach about creating webinars and teleseminars and other products to teach. But there is another purpose entirely. A purpose for which webinars and teleseminars are well suited.

I'm talking of sales of course.

These internet commercials are quick and easy to create. And they can be quite effective. In this article I'm going to talk about the two types of sales webinars and teleseminars and how to create each of them.

The first type is the simple sales presentation or commercial. These are variations on the type of advertisement you see on the television. Webinars of course use video and match television. Teleseminars are audio based and therefore are closer to radio.

There are two main ways to create a webinar commercial.

The first technique is to use presentation software such as MS PowerPoint or OpenOffice Impress. The script for the presentation is designed into a set of slides. Typically animations are used in order to provide as much visual stimulation as possible. A voice over of the script is usually recorded or music may also be used.

The second technique used is to use movie editing software such as Adobe's After Effects or Jahshaka. These tools have the ability to create animations and add special effects. This capability is used to create a much more flexible animation with a corresponding increased visual stimulation.

Typically the process to create this type of webinar doesn't vary that much from the process used to create a learning content webinar or teleseminar. You begin with a clear understanding and focus on the customer and their needs. The content is then designed in detail taking into account the effects of the webinar (or teleseminar) format. A script may be generated from the design. In any case, the next step is recording the webinar or teleseminar. The result is edited and prepared for publication.

The second type of sales presentation is the hybrid. Unlike the sales presentation or commercial this type of sales webinar uses teaching to sell the product. Think of it as an online version of the local groceries sample carts.

It's a very well known statement that you don't mix training and sales because the audience will consider it dishonest. However, in this case the presentation is considered a sales presentation. The training is considered a sample. In this way it is acceptable.

However, there are some caveats as a result. First you must separate the sales and training portions. Second the training portion cannot contain any sales messages. This is a sample and needs to follow the same rules as any other training. Third you need to refer to this always as a sales presentation -- or it needs to be obvious that is what it is.

Finally the structure is limited. Unlike a normal hybrid, each segment needs to be separated. Typically the structure is in three parts. A beginning setup sales area is followed by the training. After the training is the sales effort and closing.