March 05, 2012: Skip the promo
Category: Business practices
Posted by: David M Patt
I just logged off a 30-minute webinar after listening to the presenter promote his company for the first seven minutes (including an announcement of tomorrow's release of its new book). I was expecting expert advice, not a commercial.
When presenting at conferences, webinars, or any other venue, spend as little time as possible talking about your business (or your association). That's not why people attend.
They come for the information you provide. Your value comes from being the source of that information.
So, keep the intros short (7 seconds, not 7 minutes, would have worked for this one) and provide content people want. Don't hijack the audience by forcing it to listen to promotional copy and don't just share a bunch of teasers.
When people find value in the info you present, then they'll be more likely to hire you or join your organization.
When presenting at conferences, webinars, or any other venue, spend as little time as possible talking about your business (or your association). That's not why people attend.
They come for the information you provide. Your value comes from being the source of that information.
So, keep the intros short (7 seconds, not 7 minutes, would have worked for this one) and provide content people want. Don't hijack the audience by forcing it to listen to promotional copy and don't just share a bunch of teasers.
When people find value in the info you present, then they'll be more likely to hire you or join your organization.
Deirdre Reid wrote:
In the other, the speaker gave a preview of his entire book. It was too much. A surface look at way too many concepts, many of which felt recycled from elsewhere, it was more like an infomercial than a learning experience. Let's just say, I won't be attending any of his sessions again.
I would have clicked away from that webinar too, but I'm glad it prompted this post from you. This message unfortunately needs to be said over and over.