Online presentations in the form of teleseminars and webinars are commonly used in presenting and selling digital products. But are they useful for selling physical products?

Absolutely! In fact, let’s look at a couple of scenarios for using a teleseminar or webinar to sell a physical product.

• Scenario One: You sell a consumable product, such as a food supplement.

Your first job is to highlight the value of using a product  like yours. Your second job is to show why your specific brand is the best choice.

So in this case you may offer a free presentation, extolling the value of taking supplements in general and your supplement in particular. Then give them 3 tips for choosing the right supplement (yours, of course!). If it’s a recurring order, then explain the value of a continuity program, instead of taking the chance of running out.

The format is the same as you would use for selling a digital product – educate, then sell.

Talking To Success

If you’re ready to reap the rewards of your expertise just by using a telephone, then you need Teleseminar Basics. From the decisions you need to make to set up your first call to the logistics and marketing to the follow-up products you can create, this is the indispensable Getting Started program for you. Teleseminar Basics.

• Scenario Two: You sell a high-end physical product, such as an appliance.

The formula is the same as for the less expensive, consumable product – educate, then sell.

In this case you would focus on the problem(s) that your appliance solves and the dangers of not solving these issues. Then you present your appliance as the solution to these problems.

In both of these cases, we used the standard format for any sales presentation – educate, then sell. You can easily list a dozen different topics on which your potential customer needs to be educated. Then just offer a monthly seminar on each topic.

Webinars Made Simple

The most effective presentation mode is a webinar. It provides both the audio and the visual elements that are so important to the understanding and retention of information. Whether you’re offering a sales presentation or a training course, you’ll love doing webinars – especially with the results you get! This dual-format webinar gives you the training you need to do your first webinar.

So which format should you choose for your presentation – a teleseminar or webinar? That is actually determined by your audience and your product.

First, consider your audience. If they are a tech savvy crowd that is used to watching online presentations in their professional lives, then a webinar is an easy technology for them to handle. On the other hand, if they only use a computer to send email or visit Facebook, they may find a webinar too complex for comfort and turn to teleseminars as your presentation tool.

The second consideration is your product. If it is something that can be easily “demonstrated” over the telephone, then a teleseminar is certainly the fastest and easiest way to educate your audience. However, if it needs to be “shown” then you will want to offer a webinar, with rich visuals. In some cases you may even want to offer a “live demo” while on the webinar, using a webcam technology or a pre-recorded video.

Regardless of the format for your presentation, keep these three things in mind:

1. Educate your audience on how best to take advantage of the presentation. Give them full instructions on how to join the presentation as soon as they register. Tell them what will happen on the live presentation. Assure them you will offer a replay for those who can’t be on the live call, if that is an option.

2. Plan a series of presentations. With anything new it may take time for it to “catch on”, particularly if you are the first person in your industry to use online presentations. By offering a series of regular presentations, you let people get comfortable with the technology and educate them about your product over time.

3. Promote your presentation as a new education and information format for their convenience. Go all out on this, particularly if you are the first one in your niche to offer online presentations. Sell them on the value of getting information in this “new” format. Sell them on the convenience of learning from the comfort of their home or office. Explain how easy it is to download the audio information to their digital player and even listen in the car. This is your chance to be an industry leader, so use that to your advantage.

Teleseminars and webinars provide a rich presentation environment for any product. Start using them for your business today!

Dr. Jeanette Cates is a long-time veteran of online presentations, having taught her first online course in 2001. She is the author of Teleseminar Basics and Webinars Made Simple – both geared to first-time presenters of online presentations. Choose your course, then make your first presentation this week!