Um, I have a JOB! (warning, this is a rant)

I think we have a Catch-22 going here.

"People keep doing them, so they must convert well."

"If people keep doing them, they must convert well, so I'll do it, too."

And the wheels on the bus go round and round...

What I really hate and I won't mention a name is when they say you have to sign up to the webinar because there is no recording being done because the guy doing the webinar is soooooo amazing he won't allow it because all this free info is like vomiting gold dust. Only a suicidal freak wouldn't show up for this free ride. Yeah baby.

Then by a miracle the next day they send the replay that wasn't even recorded the day before because, wait for it, he's extended the limited time offer that was never mentioned yesterday either.

Desperation stinks really badly of desperation.

I agree: it's INCREDIBLY annoying and disrespectful of my time to not have a recording. I think this is the new thing in IM because (as one marketer who does this tells it) so many people don't show up to a live call, depending on the recording. But there's a steep and sharp drop off of people who actually listen to the recording (nevermind those actually take action on it).

While I sympathize with WHY they do it, I'm HUGELY turned off by it. I, too, have a day job. Unfortunately, I work a split shift, INCLUDING nights, weekends and holidays. So I can't make your 8 PM webinar, nor can I hear the encore "live" recording at 10 AM Saturday morning. I'm WORKING! I know I'm probably an outlier, a small minority of people who really can't make almost any "normal" time that's offered. But that's my reality.

I also resent it when it's a "buy now!"-only special offer. A deadline is hugely important in getting people to act, but WHY does the deadline have to be in less than 24 hours??? If I need to shift money between accounts (or put cash in the bank to cover the purchase), you give me no time to do so.

So in crafting my own promotions, I'm particularly sensitive to these issues. Fortunately, not everyone does it and I've seen some very smart people doing some AWESOME marketing. The keys are 1) strong e-mail followup and 2) a hard deadline in a few days.

So basically, they 1) notify me of the upcoming webinar/teleseminar, 2) host the live webinar, 3) follow up with an excellent e-mail sequence and 4) shut the offer down in a few days (3-5 days) using a special software which automatically shows an "offer expired" page if I try to go to the offer page after the deadline.

I love this because it respects my time and allows me to view/hear the presentation on my (admittedly weird) schedule (I'm usually watching this stuff at 2 AM) and gives me the chance to take advantage of the offer. And it still gives the marketer a chance to get results in a very short time frame: less than 7 days and typically in just 3-4 days.

Also, given my own schedule, I really can't (and don't want to) do a live presentation. So instead, I'll do a Jeff Walker-style promotion with a sequence of multiple videos (relatively short, just 12-20 minutes) with a hard deadline at the end. It works with just one video too. It allows me to do a promotion without the constraints of a "live" presentation (difficult to do with my weird schedule) and since I'm giving a hard deadline and will yank the whole thing after the deadline, it gets people to act.

There is so much noise in the market anyway and so many people vying for your dollars that I decided that if someone doesn't respect my time enough to allow me to view/listen to the presentation when I can, I'm not buying, period. Believe me, there's always another offer and program around the corner!

Occasionally, there will be that PERFECT PROGRAM that you REALLY want, but just can't get all of the info you need to make a purchase since you can't make the webinar. In that case, it's time to do a bit of sleuthing to get the info you need. See if you can locate the sales page. Try the Way Back Machine for earlier/older versions of it. If all else fails, e-mail them, explain your situation and ask for more details or a recording.

But that's only for something I really want and feel I just have to have. Otherwise, if they don't respect my time enough to allow me to view the webinar when I can, I don't give them my dollars, period.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

I've never done a webinar, but I know that there are marketers out there making a killing with them. Apparently some people like them and are persuaded to make the purchase at the end.

There are different ways of learning - some people do better visually, others like to read and learn. To each his own.

Which brings me to the point I wanted to share.

In today's multi-media environment, maybe the best thing we can do as marketers is one of two approaches:

1. Be consistent if we choose to provide our audience with a particular type of media solution. Let them know how you're going to operate and then look for and cater to those people who are comfortable with what you're doing.
2. Spend a little more time and effort to give your audience your material in a variety of media formats and let them choose the one (or several) format(s) that they prefer.

I personally think choice number two will pay the most dividends for today's serious marketers.

I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.

Steve

I'm not buying that theory at all. The number of people who would spend
several hundred dollars just becasue they watched the whole thing has to be
so small that it's actually unmeasurable. Those people would also be likely to
suffer buyers remorse and request refunds.

Good rant - it's justified, imho. I click off - anyone who is so desperate for a sale that they have to force me to watch their ad, I don't want to do business with -

I usually ignore most webinars. Every now and then I'll watch one and if it's good I'll buy something.

this can't be emphasized enough - it's like the commercials on TV, do you ever notice how the volume seems to go up on your TV when they come on? I noticed that especially on some shows - you have to turn the volume up to hear the show and turn it right down during the commercials -
So the solution for me was simple - Now I watch everything online the next day - commercial-free - works for me!

We need to start being pro-active - and take responsibility for our life choices - we are a lot more in control than we know.

Lol I guess it's time for the annual "Herp Derp I'm mad at VSLs and Webinars because they don't respect my time, and all videos should be like youtube and let me control everything!" thread.

These are always good for a laugh as people on a MARKETING forum cry about marketing and act like their civil rights have been violated because someone else chooses to sell a product in a way that doesn't suit them perfectly, all the while acting like marketers are holding a gun to their head and forcing them to sit through anything.

Don't want to watch folks? Don't watch.

It's really that simple. You're all adults, and if you REALLY think a video playing on someone else's website that YOU don't get full control of is a problem, well, you don't have any real problems.

This forum never ceases to amaze. :rolleyes: