Using Webinars to Qualify Leads

Webinars
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As you are thinking about how to get leads and eventually to turn them into clients, there are many different ways that you can go about gathering those leads. One of the very effective ways is by identifying the people who register for your webinars.

What your approach should be

Sometimes, it can be challenging enough to simply qualify  your leads. To qualify your leads through the registration of your webinars can be even more challenging and complex. As you are going through that process, there are several different elements that you need to consider. One of those elements is the subject matter of the webinars themselves. Another element is the actually attendees of your webinars. It is extremely important that you remember that they are individual people and you need to interact with each one according to that person’s particular wants, needs and personality.

Webinars are interesting when it comes to interacting with leads and eventually (hopefully) converting them to clients. Because webinars, by the very nature of what they are, are interactive tools (of a sort), you should be able to make a great deal of headway when it comes to establishing solid relationships. The people whom you meet (your webinar registrants) will be at various stages on their way to becoming your clients. Some will be at the beginning of the process. In other words, they are just at the information-gathering stage. Some will be further along and will be comparison shopping. Others will have just about made their decision and will be ready to buy what you are offering. You will be able to glean at least some of that information from the information that they have filled in when they registered. For your sake, it is very important for you to be able to make that distinction so that you can concentrate on those people who are at the point where they are either close to a decision or have already made the decision to become your client.

How the process works

Webinars are an effective way to draw people in and qualify your leads because the webinar is an extremely effective tool that engages people easily and keeps them engaged for a long period of time. The content that you have created for your webinar will cover educational materials, influencers, specific products and/or services, competitive intelligence, etc. Once you have covered everything that you need to cover in the webinar, it will be quite simple to figure out how to integrate that content with your marketing materials. When it comes to how the other person (the person who you wish to acquire as a client) and how you will cultivate a relationship with him or her, some of your webinar content will work to acquire certain pieces of information and other content will help you to acquire other pieces of information. Of course, it goes without saying that you must identify the needs and wants of  the other person so that you can figure out how to solve them problems most effectively.

Let the content speak for itself

As was previously mentioned, the different elements of your webinar content will have a different effect on your attendees. Not only is your webinar content extremely useful and effective on your target audience but you can really get a great deal of mileage out of it by sharing it with many different target audiences, if you have the opportunity to do so. For example, you may have a product and/or service that solves several different problems. You can run a few different webinars in a short time period and those different webinars may have a who different set of audience members. That is a good example of how you can get a lot of mileage out of your webinar content.

Why people attend your webinars

There may be many different reasons why people are interested in attending your webinars. Of course, if a person attends one (or more) of your webinars, it is safe to assume that they are interested in what you have to say. However, there may be more to the motivation in the other person than you think. You can gather all sorts of interesting and valuable information way beyond when they are physically attending your webinar. The information gathering may go on for a while and the webinar may  be the open-door opportunity that you were seeking and now you need to make the best of that opportunity. If you want to get to know those attendees a little better and really connect with them on an emotional level, don’t just stand in front of them and give a presentation. A breakout session is a really good way to get to know people and after that, you will definitely have a leg up.

Try to interact as much as possible

It will be difficult to spend a great deal of time with any one person during your webinar; however, any amount of time is valuable. It will create an impression of you that will stay in the mind of the other person for a long time. Of course, your interactions with the other person will not stop once your webinar has ended. In fact, that is just the beginning. Now you have to start to build your relationship together. However, it is a wonderful starting point and it is an opportunity to connect with the other person on a human/emotional level and that is something that they will remember you for and will want to interact again.

Conclusion

A webinar is a perfect setup for turning leads into eventual clients. It is an opportunity to start to build a long-lasting, solid relationship together and, if you do it correctly, you will have many more opportunities after that to continue to build on what you have already established. Webinars are one of the main tools for generating leads, which will eventually turn into clients. Additionally, your webinars will enable you to qualify those leads through your content.

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

7 Responses

  1. Mike Rudd says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Mastermind Group for Small Business Owners
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    I’ve done webinars all this year for a sports marketing site I work with…I think the most important thing is providing consistently different, targeted, and valuable info when you do one…bc there’s so many out there…good stuff Michael!
    By Mike Rudd

  2. Tsufit says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Step Into The Spotlight!
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    I prefer teleseminars ’cause there’s less technology to worry about and it frees you to use notes a bit more heavily. But yes, you’re right, webinars and teleseminars are a great way or turning fans into clients. Whenever I launch a new program, I start with a free teleseminar to attract a group of people interested in that topic.

    Do the rest of you do this? Do you prefer webinars or teleseminars?
    By Tsufit

  3. Eric R. Burgess says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Content Marketing Institute
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    We are just starting now with a webinar next week. I feel like it’s a great way to put our best foot forward and engage prospects.
    By Eric R. Burgess

  4. Jessica Dewell says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Executive Answers
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    Curious – what’s your most impactful tip, Michael?
    By Jessica Dewell

    • Michael Cohn says:

      Jessica, the last tip in the original article (Try to interact as much as possible).
      For you the presenter it give you the opportunity to build reputation, exposure, trustworthiness and credibility. Interacting with your audience gives you the opportunity to identify those people in the audience that can use your help (leads).

  5. Shivas says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Business Analyst Professional
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    Good webinars can be a little like independent movies – they leave you feeling wonderful, inspired, and ready to take on the world. Bad webinars, however, are more like boring (Michael Bay movies) – after two hours, you begin to wonder how somebody could have possibly been paid to make something so unapologetically terrible.

    Ask yourself these questions:-
    Should You Even Produce a Webinar?
    Is a Webinar a Good Fit For Your Content?

    After answering above questions, then,
    1. Settle on a Specific Idea
    2. Choose the Right Speakers
    3. Pick the Right Webinar Format
    4. Think About SEO and Promotion
    5. Create a Kick-Ass Slide Deck
    6. Write a Strong Script

    Choose a write platform and test it(Run it).
    Have technical assistance and Accept That Things WILL Go Wrong!
    By Shivas

  6. Raam Anand says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Do You Use Webinars in Your Marketing Strategy and How?

    I use webinars extensively. Earlier, I used to use GoToWebinar platform (expensive, monthly payments). However, after the advent of Google+ Hangouts technology, I’m using Mark’s “World’s Greatest Webinar Platform” software (one-time, low investment) to run my webinars. On an average, I get 200+ participants for most of my webinar. The highest ever was about 700+ and since the software uses Google’s resources, it isn’t a problem for me. I do not hesitate to recommend Mark’s software for running webinars because I have personally used it. Hope this helps the community.
    By Raam Anand