Our customer acquisition team landed in Indianpolis for the Exact Target Connections 08 Agency and User conference.  Our management attended last year's event and found the sessions so valuable that additional investment was made to send three of us to the conference this year.

Little did we know what we were in for.  I have to say we were all a bit weary and war-torn getting there, as the end of 3rd Quarter has resulted in quite the rush to crank out events for 4th quarter.

What a shot in the arm we received from this conference! They got it right on so many levels.

Exact Target used their own technology for effective lead generation for months prior to the event.  They launced their own personalized marketing campaign to first get us there, and then, once registered, to get us to the break-out sessions they had carefully planned.

And it didn't stop there.  Once we were there, we continued to get cues from all angles as to what not to miss and how we would be "rewarded" by making it to certain meetings. (Amazing what grown adults will do for a free beach towel or oversized foam finger).

Yes, we went to the conference tired, and weary.  However, we left energized and ready to take on not just the day's challenges, but new horizons, as well.

Good job Exact Target!  

Any suggestions?  Yes!

I think ALL event/conference organizers could use some Vontoo in their back pocket.  While everyone is rushing around with their cell phones in their pockets--send them a voice reminder that "The keynote speaker will begin in 10 minutes."  

AND---Include in your follow-up an email-embedded brainshark presentation or email flash movie to remind your folks of the best points in that keynote, or the funniest jokes at the last-night-reward dinner.

Have you ever hosted an event and during your last hours prior, spent hours on the phone and email clarifying the details for the participants, when what you really need to be doing was preparing for the event, itself?

You drive customer acquisition through events, but the marketing tools you use to get them to your event or location can dramatically improve attendance and lead generation.

When you put time into a beautiful html invitation, include links that will provide an on demand presentation that explains how register, how to get there, and what's expected of them once they are there.

Don't assume that what you think is obvious will be obvious to everyone.  Of course it's obvious to you--it's your event!

An email-embedded movie or short brainshark presentation can provide the "over your shoulder" instructions that can make all the difference between clarity and confusion for your customers.

Here is how I determine if my instructions have been clear:  I imagine my 86-year-old grandmother reading them.  If she could rsvp and/or register per my instructions, then I know it's good. Don't assume your typically technically-minded audience will make the same assumptions you do.

Another tip for getting your customers there--provide an incentive.  Offer a clue word or key in the registration acknowledgement, and for all who present that clue or key at your event--reward them with something meaningful to them--a coupon to apply towards your services or products, or a handy item that complements either your services, product, or event at hand.

Our customers who have the most success in the customer acquisition process typically are more savvy with the both the information they provide to their prospects, and they way that they provide it.

For more information on how you can implement an effective lead generation process, produce a personalized marketing campaign, or turn around a beautifully executed interactive web presentation, check out http://www.webinarresources.com, or contact me directly at joanna@webinarresources.com.

 

We recently assisted a customer with a webinar that focused on reducing the total cost of support while improving the total customer experience.

 

Our customer had some great graphics and statistics on how customer service affects customer retention, and how companies can serve their customers profitably as we are now mid-way through 2008.  Back in the day, my grandparents knew of only 2 ways to approach customer service:  1:--Go to the store or place of purchase,  2:  Call the company.

Now, there are more options for assistance round the clock:   1-on-line self-help, 2-email Support, 3-Voice support, 4-fee based support, 5-on-site support, and more.

 

Ironically, I was loading his presentation into Brainshark for replay, and while I was timing the slide animations to synch with the audio, it hit me how powerful a Brainshark replay could be in customer service.

 

Searching through a company's online self-help manual can be a daunting task.  It's usually only a couple steps better than  the electronic version of the product manual that comes in the box (or in the contract), anyway.

 

How much better to have access to a presentation--complete with audio and great graphics to illustrate the points.  Because you can pick and choose which slides to view--or watch them all in succession, if you want, you now have a multi-media solution with a human voice attached to help you determine the root of your dilemma.

 

Every company already has the data---all it takes is a one-time presentation with a speaker, and you now have the tools to reach every customer with web access.

You can view sample Webinar for ONE presentations at:  http://www.riceresources.com/webinars/webinarforone_landing.html

 

 

 

Two decades ago we used to let our fingers do the walking to find people, fast.  Now the power of the web offers many effective processes for lead generation and the telephone still plays a major role in customer acquisition.

We have customers who run a series of live training events.  The classes fill up fast, and always have a wait list, so every "no show" represents multiple lost opportunities.  In addition to the standard email reminders, we began sending Vontoo reminder calls to all class registrants the day before the training, and the customers love it.

The participants in the classes provide a preferred phone number for the reminder when they register for the class.  The director of the training series records her reminder, and through the beauty of Vontoo, we send her reminder to those specified numbers.  These calls provide another layer to your personalized marketing campaign.

So, while yes, the days of the 4-inch thick "yellow pages" are quietly slipping by, you can still ensure none of your participants have a chance to forget to attend your carefully planned event or even a web presentation by putting a ring in that ping using a Vontoo reminder call.

Having just recently re-entered the job market at Webinar Resources after a 7-year maternity leave, I have been entertained by many advances in the world of telecommunications and conferencing.  Nothing has amazed me more than the advancement of video technology.  I remember PictureTel pioneer and President, Norman Gaut, telling us that video would become synonymous with the telephone call, and that the day would arrive in which the technology would resemble a tv broadcast.

Well, he was correct on one front.  The technology is astounding.  We use interactive web conferencing on our team all the time, and it does look just like a TV broadcast.  It's a simple click of the mouse, and there's Mark and Carolyn in St. Louis, while I sip my coffee in Simsbury, CT.  Our team meeting is underway, and though I've never met them, I'm part of the team.

Years ago, I always loved the "sell" for videoconferencing, because the technology was so much fun, and it truly helped the customer conduct business.  Now, the technology of video is just a given, and the aid to business is the way that Webinar Resources is able to drive customer acquisition by getting hundreds to attend a seminar that is webcast right to their laptop.  Technology aside, the sheer logistics of assembling a crowd that large, virtual or not, is amazing, but we do it all the time.

Also amazing is how that web conference crowd is a bit fluent through time.  Those who can't attend, live, at the scheduled time, are invited to attend the "webinar for one"--in which they view a video replay from their laptop, at their leisure.

We've come a long way, and who knows, in another 7 years, video may be synonymous with the phone call, but for now, I'm really stoked by the volume of people we can touch with a web presentation because of the effective lead generation we perform weeks before the event.  Seven years ago I thought it was a great time to be working with the technology.  Now, the technology is proven, and it's a great time to share it so easily with so many.

 

Corporate Photos:

So, we all do it.  We multi-task, even at inappropriate times, such as during a meeting, or especially during a virtual meeting or webinar.  Who hasn't realized that they missed that key piece of information while responding to the fire drill of the hour, or worse, while checking scores from last night's games.  It's just too easy to claim that extra mile of "productivity" when you're not called on for direct interaction.

As a presenter, how do you get around this?  There're plenty of time-tested techniques that command direct interaction:  polls, directed Q&A, tests, etc.  However, one simple technique may be hanging from your neck:  the corporate photo.  When you attend a webinar, and the presenter's photo is displayed, you immediately have an affiliation with that person you'd never have without the photo.  Instead of tuning out a webinar, you're now turning away from Chris, the guy with the nice voice and the red tie who has all of these great tips on how to market your product.