It’s a well-known “given” that once in a while, a caller to your teleseminars is going to bother everyone else on the call. It’s up to you to head these off at the pass in order to make your event enjoyable, educational and memorable for the right reasons.
You don’t want someone thinking, yeah, I went to his call, and he couldn’t control that jerk with the barking dog. This will cut down on your audience, most assuredly. You also don’t want your call-in group to feel left out if you allow one caller to monopolize you with only their own questions.
The presenter is the number one leader of the call. You need to be familiar with how the conferencing service works so you can utilize all of its features, as needed. You also need to be able to explain any features your callers might need to use.
Most notably, that would be how to mute out. Tell them at the start of the call how to mute themselves out, as well as how to get back in for questions later, if you plan to have a Q & A session.
The other thing you may need to do is a “mass mute out,” also called presentation mode, or lecture mode. This quiets everyone so you don’t have individual hecklers or beginners taking over.
It also prevents someone’s background noises from ruining the call. Of course, you need to be mindful of your own background issues as well. Sequester yourself in a quiet room if you are at home, put a do not disturb hanger on your door if you’re at a hotel, and keep a glass of water handy to wet your whistle as needed so you don’t sound like a frog.
If you are having any health issues, you might also want to keep some cough drops around to soothe your throat and prevent coughing, sneezing or a raspy voice. You will feel more comfortable, too.
It’s essential to learn how to use your conferencing service’s features. I have attended many calls where the presenter became flustered when something didn’t work. In many of those cases, knowing the codes or the service’s methods to do certain things, like start the recording feature, would have solved the problem quickly. Do a test call before the “official” call to familiarize yourself with these things.
The best way to start your call, whether it’s a teleseminar or a webinar, is to be sure everyone knows the drill: how to mute out, how to unmute, how to submit a question, and of course, all the call in details before you begin. Email your callers a detailed instruction sheet along with, or as part of, your cheat sheet, if you have one. And it’s a good idea to have one.
Also, it’s considered good form to be the first one to call in and the last one to hang up. It is somewhat common, but not polite, to call in late to a waiting and wondering crowd. You might be surprised to know what people say before you arrive if they have to wait too long!
At the end, if you’ve announced the call would be one hour, stick to it and say good bye. Remember, if this is a telephone event, your callers are on the hook for long distance charges. Some of them are attending your event because they want to learn how to make money online but may be broke already from trying everything out there.
Another consideration is the difference in time zones. Some folks may be across the planet and calling at 3 a.m. If they have to go to a job at 8 a.m., they need to get some sleep. Help everyone out by observing your own promises.