Wayne Turmel | © 2008, Achis Marketing Services

by Lisa Fahoury, CBC

With the conflux of a down economy, slashed marketing budgets, and sales prospects who are more pressed for time than ever, it’s no surprise that webinars — workshops or lectures delivered online — have quickly become a popular lead generation tool for businesses of all sizes.

“The growth of webinars has truly been exponential,” according to Wayne Turmel, author of 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar. That translates into both good and bad news. “If you haven’t started using free webinars as a marketing tool, you’re behind the curve,” he explains. “The good news is that most prospects are already familiar with the term ‘webinar,’ and they know what to expect when they sign up for one.”

One thing your audience is expecting during a no-cost webinar is the inevitable sales pitch. “You’re not fooling your audience,” Turmel cautions in his book. “They know there’s a sales pitch coming — that’s why you’re doing a free webinar. Your goal is to give them sufficient value in exchange for their time so they won’t mind.” Though free webinars can have up to a 50% no-show rate (people who register but never log on for the actual event), you’re still collecting valuable leads, because registrants have expressed an interest in your topic, unlike the dreaded cold call.

For businesses that are testing the webinar waters for the first time, 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar serves as the ideal primer for planning and executing an effective event. Though it touches briefly on subjects such as the importance of the dress rehearsal, the book is not so much about how to present but rather what you’re trying to accomplish, drawing on Turmel’s years as both a corporate trainer and entrepreneur.

At the heart of 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar is a detailed six-week checklist that breaks down seemingly monumental tasks into manageable smaller steps. Chapters then elaborate on each step, from selecting a technology platform to post-event debriefing, with practical tips for success and pitfalls to avoid.

For example, the biggest mistake presenters make, according to Turmel, is assuming that content is the most important component of your webinar. “It’s not about your subject, it’s about driving people through your sales cycle,” he explains. “If you’re not doing that, you’re not achieving anything.”

Turmel designed 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar as a true how-to project outline for taking the guesswork out of webinars. Some more useful tips to consider:

Testing your technology platform — Think ahead to leveraging a recording of your webinar as an ongoing lead generation tool. Be sure to test how to synchronize and record your audio and visuals, then archive for future use.

Creating a compelling invitation — According to Turmel, a good invitation not only catches the eye. It also calls attention to a pressing business need, explains how attending the webinar will help with that need, and offers clear registration and logistical information. Be sure to design your invitation to be viewed in the preview pane of an email, and offer opt-out instructions.

Building attendance — Consider offering a premium to registrants, something with educational value to your audience such as a reprint of a magazine article you’ve written or PDF copies of your PowerPoint slides. Make sure any freebie helps cement your brand in recipients’ minds.

Developing content — Put the PowerPoint “notes” field to work by using it to script out what you’ll be saying for each slide. Use bold for notes to yourself, such as “pause for effect” or “show polling results.” Ultimately, you’ll want to reduce your script down to bullet points, but get started by putting all your thoughts on the page.

The true value of 6 Weeks to a Great Webinar lies in its highly practical approach. By breaking down each step of the development process into daily or weekly tasks, it greatly simplifies the process of integrating webinars into your marketing arsenal.

“There’s a sense of inevitability to webinars,” says Turmel, stressing their proven benefits when executed well. “For small businesses, they represent an opportunity to extend your market reach for a fraction of the cost of an in-person event.”

Certified Business Communicator Lisa Fahoury is chief creative officer at NJ-based Fahoury Ink (www.fahouryink.com). Reach her at (973) 324-2100 and follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/fahouryink.