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Four Tips for a Great Software Demo

Software Demos are becoming more and more common on Websites where a product or technical service is being marketed and sold. I call myself the VA Demo Girl because I started out in the Virtual Assistant business creating software demos using Camtasia. While I have added Webinars and audio/video to my offerings I still get lots of requests to create marketing demos of new products and membership sites. If you are considering adding the demo creation service to your Virtual Assistant business here are four steps you can take to improve the success rate for the demos you create for your clients.

1.  Be clear on the Objective for the demonstration.
Ask your client their reasons for doing the demo?  Is it Technical Proof or Vision Generation. You must know what you want to accomplish before you begin and plan your demo with that objective in mind.

2.  Make sure your client is clear on the target audience’s needs.
What are the Critical Business Issues, Key Problems, or Objectives your customer wants to address with his viewers? The demo must address their audience’s business issues.  If your customer does not  know their audiences business issues, then you may need to start asking questions before scripting the demo.

3.  Show the “What” first, then follow with the “How”.
Remind your customer to give you the main things the software will do to help the audience address their key issues and make that the first thing in the demo.  Once they see that your software can potentially help them, then you can reveal how the capabilities in the software accomplish this.  If you spend a long time  telling a story to get to a final “pay-off” screen, you may find your audience has “checked-out” – and people have closed the demo before you reach the big benefit message.  Instead, show them right up-front what business problems the tools will help the audience address. 

4.  Show only the Specific Capabilities needed to address the customer’s problems.

This is not product training; it is a critical step in the sales process. Don’t show all of the file types you can open, nor all of the various search options, or formatting choices.  Stick with the directly relevant facts. You
can lose business by showing too much or making the demo too long.  Sales have been lost because “the software looked too complicated” in the eyes of the customer.

Follow these guidelines to increase the likelihood of achieving your goals with your demos.  When you do these four simple things, you should expect your audience to say, “Wow! That was a Great Demo!”

Best,

A Fun Video Interview with Copywriter Allison Nazarian

I got to expand my video skills a bit this week when I did my first video Interview. Today you will meet Allison Nazarian who is an Internet Copywriter. And she specifically has some advice for Virtual Assistants who want to ad copywriting to their services.

We talk about what copywriting is, her process and how she charges, and why Internet Entrepreneurs should hire a copywriter. I know this is one area that I would choose to outsource because I know how extremely important the copy is in getting viewers and sales. By the way, I’ll be putting Allison’s interview on YouTube and she can track how many visits she gets to her Website as a result of this video. One thing I need to work around is that Youtube only accepts short videos so I can only put up an excerpt of it with a link to my site to see the full video. But that is good because people really interested can come visit my site too. That makes this not only a fun way to meet someone new but a great way to get more traffic.  I think I’ll be doing more of these!

Allison has a special promo code that she mentions in the interview which is “vademogirl”. It will be 20% off anything at her sites.

GetItInWriting.biz
CopywritingforVAs.com

DIYCopywriting.com

 

Best,

 

Creating Webinars? This Could Happen to You…

When I used to work in the corporate world (IBM and AT&T) I use to have to follow lengthy project plans to execute the deliverables.  One of the things we would always do when creating the plan is to create a contingency plan for some of the things that may go wrong during the execution of the project.

 

Project Managers create these all the time when there are risks for things not going as planned. We would just sit down and create a list of all the possible problems we could have and what we were going to do if they happened. I carried over this thinking to my Webinar Recording services as well. I keep a list of everything that has ever gone wrong with a live Webinar (and a few I think might happen one day) and I have my backup plan for how I am going deal with them. Clients usually appreciate the thought that goes into making sure we do not have disasters during the call.  Below is a list of some of the things that have occurred with me or fellow VAs during live calls and Webinars.  Would you know how to handle them?

1. Client’s cable goes out and they lose their Internet.

2. Major problems with conference calling service audio quality right before teleconference.

3. People can’t get on call once call has started.

4. After recording has been done, one of students decides they do not want their voice on the recording

5. The Webinar software records the presentation but not the chat session.  You want the chat too.

6. Client mutes all the viewers and halfway through call viewers lose visuals and can’t tell host about it.

7.  No one shows up for Webinar.

 

If you have any Webinar disasters of your own and how you handled them please let me know.

 

Best,

 

How to Bring Value to Your Client’s Webinars

Once you have mastered the technical side of recording, mixing and editing a Webinar for your client it is time to add some additional tasks if you want to increase your value to your clients business.

Don’t get me wrong, just learning the process of recording the audio/video and the ins and outs of the software is a skill in itself but there will come a time when you become comfortable with the entire process and are ready to help out your client in some additional ways.

A service that I always offer my clients, is to act as their Webinar Moderator.  This usually involves performing the following services:

Prior to the start of the call:  I will interrupt the hold music every couple minutes thanking people for joining and let them know that the call will be starting shortly

When the call starts-Welcome guests to the call and do the “housekeeping” which includes

• Announcing the name of call and how long it lasts add with one sentence describing subject matter 
• Explaining how to get types of audio (phone and VOIP)
• Describing how to log into the Webinar tool and remind them of any passwords
• Explaining how to get technical help (usually by calling me or through chat)
• Reminding the viewers how to submit questions
• Reminding we are recording and how to get replay
• Introducing speaker with several sentences of background info

All of this makes the Webinar more professional and gives the impression that the speaker is someone of importance and expertise.

During the call

• Monitor Q&A- sending the best questions to the host and answering those that are more about the structure of the Webinar itself
• Jump in to the call if there are technical issues. I’ve occasionally needed to take over or kill time when the speaker gets disconnected from either phone or video

Not every client will need or want all these additional services but offering them certainly sets you apart from other VAs who may prefer to hit the Record button then go watch Desperate Housewives for the next hour.

Best,

Are You a Little Scared of Teleseminars?

Does the idea of putting together and delivering a teleseminar make you a little queasy? My friend Angela Wills, who has been a Virtual Assistant for the last two years, was pretty skilled in setting them up for her clients but very nervous when doing the first teleseminar in which she was also the star.

But her reluctance went away pretty quickly when she determined that from the registrations from this one teleseminar she increased her mailing list an amount equal to what took her two years to build from her blog alone. I couldn’t believe it.  It made me really jealous.

Now she’s offering all the skills she’s learned about setting up and delivering teleseminars to you. Whether you are a Virtual Assistant setting them up for your client or an entrepreneur setting them up for yourself you will learn how to build relationships and grow your mailing list with simple 1 hour teleseminars.

Tomorrow on October 30th starts her first coaching session on how to set up and host Teleseminars. It’s called Teleseminar Mojo - How to Set up and Run Successful Teleseminars.

Here is what you get:

• 2 hour Webinar with step-by-step info on how to set up and run teleseminar. 
• Her email templates you can use.
• Her own sign up and thank you page content in html.
• Recording of the webinar.

I’m so happy to promote this for her because after taking her Affiliate Management Webinar series I know Angela always over delivers on the content of her courses and she has a way of explaining really technical subjects in such a patient and careful manner. What is nice about this Webinar is that it is just two hours which means there won’t be a lot of fluff in it.  Just right to the point step by step procedures.

To check it out go to http://www.marketersmojo.com

 

Best,

 

Could Your Videos Be Just Plain Crappy?

With the proliferation of web videos, it would appear that many have no shame producing and distributing crappy videos.  While if this is a video of your dog Charlie catching a frisbee while jumping off the dock at the lake, that is one thing.  But if this video is a business video that is promoting, demonstrating, or giving a tutorial on your services that is entirely a different matter. 

From the viewers prospective if you don’t care about using a crappy demonstration video why would your attitude when you provide your services be any different.  If you, as a Virtual Assistant, are providing a quality service then tell the world about it with videos but do it right.  By just implementing a few production details, you can create high quality web videos.

My friend Lon Naylor, a former Microsoft Techie, has begun a crusade to rid the web of crappy videos.   He found the most typical issues that are responsible for this plague are:

 Horrible audio quality
 A lack of planning
 An ineffective delivery of the sales message
 BORING presentations!
 No Call to Action
 Missed opportunities for “branding”

After being a member of his site for several months now I can tell you 1st hand how beneficial his information has been to me. Lon  shows you (with videos of course) exactly what you need to do in order to create videos that will make your business product or service shine.

The first video that I watched was called “Ace the Audio”, and in it he shows you the techniques that can turn a bumbling and stumbling video narration into something that sounds like it was recorded at a production studio.  Did I mention for a limited time, Lon is giving you access to this video completely free! - Click here for details http://www.screencastprofits.com

Once in the members area of his site Lon takes you through a total of nine different modules with titles such as Video Strategies, Creating Killer Screencast Videos,  Planning and Preparing Your Video, Recording Your Videos, Editing Your Videos, as well as a Module on Video Production. 

So before you put another crappy video up you owe it to your business to discover how with a few simple techniques you can make your videos look like high quality video productions.   

Hey, by the way, he also has a free e-book called “5 Essential Tips for Making Videos That Sell” with some great tips for video creation. Check it out here http://www.screencastprofits.com/ebook

  Best,  

Can a Cool Video Boost your Sales?

 

There are a lot of statistics out there about whether having a video on your Opt-in or Sales page helps with conversions. Every one of them shows a definite rise in sales and leads. My friend, Craig Cannings, the founder of VA Classroom has started using my services to add introductions and endings to his videos to make them really fun and enticing.  The video below is for his new class on how a VA can benefit from the rise in Social Marketing.  And he is offering a free class on October 28th called “7 Profitable Social Media Services To Offer In 2009“  He’ll be talking about the myriad of ways that VAs can help their clients with their on-line reputation and get paid quite well for those tasks.

I have just gotten into doing social marketing for myself (mostly on Twitter) and have made a ridiculous amount of new connections with people whose work I admire and who may refer me to new clients. If you are a VA or you just want to learn more about the Social Marketing Revolution click on the video to check it out.

If you, like Craig, are someone who wants to add videos to their site you might start by getting a copy of Sony Vegas. That is the software I use to do most of my video editing. I found a nice tutorial for Sony Vegas here.

In the meantime you can check out Craig’s video to get ideas for  your own future productions- and see you on the 28th…

Best,

 

 

Virtual Assistant Rates- An Interesting Debate

A client of mine recently wrote me an e-mail about his position regarding how VAs charge for their services. I, in turn, gave my ideas below. Whether you are a client or a VA I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this discussion about Virtual Assistant Rates as well.

 

My Client’s e-mail:

Michelle,

For me, the crux of the issue is that not all tasks/skills are worth $45 an hour. Some tasks require high-level skills while others require
low-level skills.

For instance:
Copywriting = $500/hr
SEO = $200/hr
Conducting interviews = $50/hr
Emailing/uploading files = $10/hr

So, if I paid you $50/hr for SEO, you’re actually losing $150/hr. Is that fair to you? The hourly-based billing system that’s so prevalent in the VA industry is flawed. Completely flawed. VA’s are leaving a ton of money on the table by charging a flat hourly fee. And this is a wonderful opportunity for you to revolutionize and dominate the market. Trust me on this. I’m a marketing specialist and pricing is a critical component in marketing. VA’s are NOT pricing their services correctly.

Sincerely,

Client

 

My Response:

Client,

I see your point and I believe that Virtual Assistant rates and flat price or hourly is an area that could/should be up for debate in the industry but here are a few things that need to be considered.

When you quote a flat fee instead of an hourly rate you need to take much more time up front to scope out the full project and create a set of requirements and let the client know what is in or out of the scope of the work. That means when a client asks for things that are out of scope (such as additional research or changes) it is necessary to revise and renegotiate the price. I prefer to simply do the additional work and let the client know
how much time it took me instead of constantly reworking the bid price.

Yes, of course, there are some parts of anyone’s job that require low level skills and some that require high level skills and I have accounted for this in my hourly rate. Because I am a specialist with audio and video I should be charging closer to $65 or $75/hour for these skills. But since I also
will edit Podcasts or do Usability testing on your Website which are lower level skills (and not ask you to go out and find another VA for that) I feel comfortable quoting an average price of $45-$50.

I do feel that in many cases the flat price per project would work out in my favor but I prefer (and my clients seems to also) the flexibility of changing the project around and adding and deleting tasks as they see fit without having to renegotiate a new price every time.

Michelle

 

What do you think?  Is our pricing model leaving money on the table?

Best,

 

How to Add Audio and Podcasting to your Virtual Assistant Website

Many Virtual Assistants are nervous about the technology behind adding audio to their or their client’s Website,but it is well worth it to learn.  Adding audio to your site will make your site more personable to your visitors. It is an interactive experience that will allow your visitors to see you as a real person. This can build trust; once trust is established your visitors are more likely to become customers.

Subscribing to Audio Acrobat is a very easy way to add audio to your site. For about $20 per month, you can create audios and videos, and allow your visitors to listen to them live over the Internet or download them to listen to at their convenience. Audio Acrobat will provide you with a special number that you can dial with your phone. You can create a recording of just yourself, or you can record a phone call if you are interviewing someone.  Another option is to hook a microphone/headset up to your computer and speak directly into it. I use Wavepad or Audacity to record many of my audios.

When you are finished with your recording, the service will generate a piece of HTML code that you can publish to your site. This will allow your visitors to listen to the audio or download the Mp3.

If you want to increase the traffic that comes to your site, you may want to try your hand at podcasting.  Podcasting is a fairly new phenomenon, and is somewhat similar to blogging. Rather than reading a blog, your listeners will listen to your voice via your podcast. Your listeners do not need to have an iPod; podcasts can be downloaded to any Mp3 player, and your listeners can listen online, too. Audio Acrobat includes ITunes integration, allowing your listeners to automatically download your podcasts into their ITunes. If you plan to podcast make sure you can commit to a regular schedule of at least bi-weekly.

With audio it is important to set up an RSS feed, so your listeners will always have access to your latest podcast. I do this through a Website called Feedburner.  Feedburner can be tricky to set up.  I remember how confused I was the first time I tried to use it.  Try to get a fellow VA to help you with it.

I have been helping my clients with their podcasting for a couple of years now and, at this point, many of them are asking me to conduct and record their interviews as well. This is a lot of fun for me. It makes me feel like a reporter with a big newspaper.

So feel free to call me at the Virtual Assistant Demo Girl with all your Podcasting needs.

 

 

Best,

 

A Checklist for Webinar Success

Some things you just don’t want to leave to chance and delivering a Webinar in front of a large group of people is one of them. As a Virtual Assistant I have been helping my clients over the past couple years in setting up and moderating their Webinars.  I have finally gotten around to creating a checklist to help them focus on some of the more important aspects of their preparation for delivering a professional Webinar. Hopefully you will find some of these useful as you work with your clients in preparing for their on line events.

Webinar Preparation Checklist

Follow the tips below to be better prepared when delivering your first Webinar or helping your client prepare for theirs.

• Be sure  your  moderator has arrived to introduce the speaker or handle technical considerations during the call
• Log-in to the call and the Webinar software 15 minutes before the start so you can be sure you can get in and there are no technical glitches
• Do a rehearsal or walk-through at least 24 hours ahead of the Webinar.
• If you will have an additional speaker decide how transitions between them will be handled.
• If there will be a Q&A determine how long it will last and if you will be opening up the phone lines or just having people type their questions in the chat.
• Make sure your computer and phone or headset is setup properly. You can always practice with a second computer in your home.
• Turn off call waiting and your land-line phone ringers. Put a note on your front door to tell people not to ring the bell.
• You will be doing a lot of talking so be sure to have a glass of water available.
• Speak clearly and project your voice into the headset. It is better not to use a speaker phone as it is not as clear and personal sounding. In addition if you are recording, a speaker-phone does not provide the best audio.
• Be mindful of the time and before you go past the allotted time, be sure to tell the audience they can log off if needed.
• Remember at the end of you call to leave with a confident series of next steps and a call to action.
• Have fun, and smile into the phone as much as possible. It communicates enthusiasm to the audience.

Certainly there is more to producing a great Webinar than just the tips above. Please sign up for my Easy Webinar Profits free e-book to learn more about helping your clients improve their Webinars.

Best,