Dori Soukup
I remember when I first joined the spa industry 12 years ago while consulting with Pevonia and getting ready to launch my first Spa business educational program. I thought the best way to promote it would be via email. So I set up a meeting with Pevonia’s IT department. I was excited about showing them the HTML ad the marketing department and I designed for an email blast to all Pevonia clients. The excitement quickly drained when I found out only 10% actually had an e-mail address. I thought I entered the dinosaur age! It turned out the spa industry was not very high tech 12 years ago.
But things have changed! Most spas now have software programs. They are tweeting, they are on face book, some are even blogging. What I am most proud of is their webinar participation!
Have you attended a webinar? What is a webinar anyway?
A webinar is the most economical way to participate in training and professional education. Webinars are becoming very popular within our industry. We are seeing a large increase in on-line registrations. I remember the first time I attended a webinar. I thought, “Wow, What a brilliant way to reach people!” Right away, I knew we needed to offer webinars to our clients. Today, we still come across people who have not attended a webinar yet. It’s fun to walk them through it and have them participate in this great educational platform.
When you take your team to a traditional live seminar, normally you have to pay for transportation and travel time; food; and, seminar tickets on a per person basis
When you attend a webinar, you don’t have to worry about all that! You pay a flat fee, go in an office or a meeting room, watch the computer screen and listen. Participants get to hear the webinar leader, watch the presentation and choose to participate by asking questions. It’s as if you were in a live traditional seminar, but without all the costs! Now don’t get me wrong, there are times when live seminars are necessary. Live seminars are still very much in demand and are irreplaceable; but webinars are a great way to keep the team tuned-up and fresh! They give the team a performance boost with minimal investment. Having your team attend a Webinar every month keeps the team motivated, engaged, and productive!
To help you further, I thought I would share with you some of the most frequently asked questions about webinars:
Do I need special software to participate in a webinar?
No special software is required. The person hosting the event will send you an email invitation. You simply click on the link and join the webinar during its scheduled time, unless it’s on an demand webinar, then all you have to do is click and learn. I have a couple of webinars on Universal Companies’ website: “Spa Reception and Profits” and “5 Steps to Developing an Effective Marketing Plan”. You can locate them by visiting the Content Library under Learn & Grow/Webinars/Spa Management.
What do I need to do to attend a live webinar?
Have internet access. If you have audio on your computer, you can listen via computer. If not, you can call into a conference number to listen and participate.
How long are most webinars?
Most webinars are about 1 hour long with 15 minutes of Q & A.
Will I be able to ask questions?
If you are participating in a live session, you will be able to ask questions.
What are the international requirements and additional charges for overseas participants?
Not normally unless you are using a phone line.
You can view a complimentary Financial Building Block webinar by simply registering and clicking on this link.
We’d love to hear your webinar experience and how you like webinars. Leave your comments for me here. And, if you want to learn more, please visit our website: http://insparationmanagement.com/.