• Home
• About
• Support
• Articles
• Services
• Home Study
• SIGN IN
• Resources

• Categories:
• BLOG
• Free - Quick - Easy
• Growth
• Lead Generation
• Management
• Marketing
• Salesmanship
• Web Skills

Tips for Getting Your Callers to Interact

One of the most important aspects of a conference call is interaction. It’s probably one of the reasons that you opted for a conference call instead of just recording an audio presentation to distribute. However you can run into a couple of problems with audiance participaation:

1. It can be somewhat difficult to get your callers to participate in discussions.
2. A couple of people dominate the conversation

Getting the most callers to participate as possible takes care of the second problem - as well as your skill as a moderator. However, it will take some effort on your part to get the conversation ball rolling. Here are some tips to help you break the ice and get your callers in on the discussion.

• Ask callers to introduce themselves as they call in. Don’t just ask them for their names, though. Ask them open-ended questions about things such as their professions or what brought them to the call. This will help break the ice and let them know that their input is valued.

• If your audience consists of business owners, allow them to include a quick plug for their businesses in their introductions. Most will jump at the chance to promote their products or services, and this will set the stage for more interaction throughout the call.

• Interact with the other speakers. Doing so will make your callers feel more comfortable expressing themselves when the time comes.

• Consider offering online chat during the call. Some prefer not to offer chat because they feel that it is distracting, but if properly moderated it can be an asset to your conference call. It allows users to ask questions as they come to mind without interrupting the speaker, and it promotes discussion among callers.

• Hold an oral question and answer session. This is a good thing to do even if you are taking questions via chat or instant message. Some people prefer to ask questions out loud instead of typing them. Hearing other callers asking questions will also encourage those who may otherwise be too shy to ask their own questions.

• Ask questions of the audience. Encourage them to share experiences that are relevant to the discussion, or ask their opinion of something. Chat comes in handy if you want to ask your callers questions, because it eliminates worries about interrupting others.

• Have a poll. Online conferencing software may allow this, or you can find inexpensive programs online that will allow you to create polls. Results will update in real time, allowing you to analyze and discuss them during the call.

Audience interaction is an important component of a conference call. It keeps your audience interested in the subject at hand, and it helps ensure that the call will be a success. Getting callers to interact may seem difficult, but it’s really not. A little bit of gentle encouragement and ample opportunity to speak will usually do the trick.

Five Reasons to Conduct an Online Conference

Even if you enjoy going to new places, traveling can be tiresome. Security concerns have made getting through the airport a hassle, and airfare rates are nothing to sneeze at. These are some of the reasons why online conferencing has become a much more attractive option.

Online conferencing is simply a meeting conducted over the Internet. In its most basic form, it can be done with little more than a chat room or instant messaging software. But for maximum functionality, you can purchase online conferencing software and use audio, either online or over the phone. You can also use video if you like.

Here are some reasons to give online conferencing a try:

1. Online conferencing gives you the potential for a better turnout. Due to travel difficulties and schedule conflicts that can arise with face-to-face meetings, holding your conference online can allow more people to come. Online conferencing also saves participants money and keeps them from having to leave their families behind for several days at a time to attend.

2. Online conferencing is less expensive and more convenient for you. Holding a conference at a physical location is no small undertaking. You have to secure a location, purchase decorations and refreshments, and print out materials for the attendees. Even a small face-to-face meeting requires a certain amount of scheduling and expense. Having your conference online is more economical and less stressful.

3. Having an online conference provides a great deal of flexibility. You can collaborate on projects, make presentations with streaming video, and have discussions via the phone or chat. Questions may be asked by phone, email or instant message, or even by video.

4. With online conferencing, everyone gets a front row seat. Participants are responsible for making their own accommodations. If they need to turn up the volume to hear you or adjust their screen resolution to see things better, they can do it. They don’t have to worry about getting stuck sitting behind someone who is a foot taller than them and not being able to see what’s going on.

5. You can easily make your conference available on demand. Most online conferencing providers offer the option to record your conference and make it available by download or streaming audio or video on your website. This way those who were unable to attend can see what they missed. You might also choose to make transcripts available for those who prefer them.

Online conferences have not replaced face-to-face meetings, but they have lots of advantages over them. They are convenient and inexpensive for everyone involved, and they often result in better turnouts. Online conferences are great for seminars, project collaboration, and much more.

Online conferences can also be used for prospecting, lead generation, and lead nurturing. They develop your brand with new and existing customers. Customers perceive online conferences as having high value. They can be used to demo products, sell, train, and gather information from the market.  Now that there are so many inexpensive online conference providers and inexpensive software and equipment to have these type of conferences there is no reason not add online conferencing to your Internet toolkit.

Sign In

Thank you for joining the BusinessWebStep membership.

Your Name:
Your E-Mail:

Powered by GetResponse email marketing software