Even if you’ve only been a business owner for a short time, at this point in your entrepreneurial journey you probably know what a webinar is. You may have even considered hosting one of your own to generate revenue for your company. When it comes to webinars for business however, some entrepreneurs wonder if hosting one is right for them.
Spoiler alert! They are right for you! In fact, they are right for every business, here are 8 reasons why.
- Webinars for business are about relationships more than anything else
- Webinars work for every business
- You can educate your audience on something valuable
- Webinars are great for generating and qualifying business leads
- You don’t have to be sales-y to sell – in fact, your customers would prefer that!
- Your potential customers can shop from the comfort of their own home
- Research and development for your business becomes cheap and easy
- You get to be a rockstar
Webinars for Business Are About the Relationships
Relationships are the key to making more sales in your business. The simple reason for this is that people prefer to buy from someone they know, like, and trust. There are few exceptions to this rule.
Even when buying from companies like Amazon and Home Depot, people buy from them based on reputation. That’s why when corporate scandals happen, public relations agencies are doing all they can to keep the public perception of these companies positive. Once a relationship is soured, all bets are off for some consumers.
Depending on what you’re selling, the relationship is even more critical to making sales. For example, if a customer doesn’t like a therapist, odds are they’re not going to continue visiting them and sharing intimate details of their life. If a mechanic seems too cocky about the parts and repair a car needs, a customer might choose one that is more down to earth.
The point is, the relationship you have with a prospect can determine whether or not they work with you and become a customer. Webinars for business help you create and build that relationship.
When a prospect first comes to your webinar, they get the chance to physically see you. They get to connect with you in a way that might not otherwise be possible. And, they can do it from anywhere in the world.
Now, instead of working with a company, they are working with a real person. Someone with a home, and a family that is trying to pay their bills. Someone they can relate to. Every business can benefit from a little more human connection.
Webinars Work for Every Business When Done Right
Selling products? Webinars work for you because your customers don’t want to read long pages of text about your product. They want to see it, and how it works. They want to watch how it can solve a problem they have.
Selling services? Webinars will still work for you because you can address the frequently asked questions in terms your audience will understand. You can quickly explain exactly what you can offer them, give them a background of why you’re an expert, and why they should hire you.
According to Forbes, webinars in business is more important than ever before. They reported, “Video is projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019.” They went onto say that, “A third of all the time people spend online is dedicated to watching videos.” Finally, and perhaps the most important statistic for your business is that, “59% of company decision makers would rather watch a video than read an article or blog post.”
Using webinars for business just makes good financial sense!
You Can Educate Your Audience on Something Valuable
You know the saying “it’s better to give than to receive?” People love to receive, and to give away something free is a great way to break down someone’s guard. Because let’s face it, most people have a guard up when it comes to outdated sales tactics.
The great thing about a webinar though, is you get to give away your knowledge freely without any pressure to the viewer. What you teach can be anything related to your business too.
For example, a dentist might teach a webinar on how to naturally fight cavities with food and vitamins. A physical trainer could teach how to stay fit on vacation or during the holidays. A dog trainer could actually teach simple tips for training a new puppy.
You could team up with another company to provide a training related to your business as well. A hair stylist and a makeup artist might teach how to glam up for a night on the town. Even a funeral home and a life insurance company could host a training on how to prepare their last wishes for family members. The point is every company has something they can teach online that their ideal customer needs to know.
Webinars Are Great for Generating and Qualifying Business Leads
What business doesn’t need more leads? When a prospect learns about your webinar, they have to register to attend. The best part is that they usually won’t sign up to attend if they don’t already have some interest in your company and what you sell.
Once they sign up, you now have a way to connect with them even if they don’t show up! You can send them a replay, or some other correspondence to further qualify the lead and move them down your sales funnel.
You Can Sell Without Being Salesy
Selling can feel sleazy. It’s just the nature of the beast. But, promoting your company doesn’t have to mean being salesy. No one likes a hard sales pitch anyway.
With webinars however, your audience wanted to show up. They’re already on the hook to learn more about your products and services. They were excited enough to learn more about you and your company, and they’re engaged and learning something from your presentation. As a result any sales pitch that you ease into during your presentation won’t seem like it came out of nowhere.
Customers Can Participate From The Comfort Of Their Own Home
Do you know why home shopping channels, infomercials, and so many online stores are so successful? It’s because customers like interacting and shopping from the comfort of home. The very act of physically getting dressed and driving somewhere to buy something makes some people look for alternatives to the purchase.
Participating from home also puts the power back in the consumer’s hands. They are given the chance to shop around, and find exactly what they are looking for without judgment or pressure.
Think about the last time you felt pressured into making a purchase. If you felt the sales person was pushing too hard, odds are you didn’t buy. Your customers feel the same way. It’s much easier to make sales when customers don’t feel pressure.
Research and Development (R&D) Becomes Cheap and Easy
Want to learn which products and services your customers prefer? Or perhaps you want to find out if there are new offerings they want. Before the days of webinars for business, it could cost a company hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to find out this information with focus groups, surveys, and sales calls. Instead, webinars can provide you with all the information you want and need to know in record time, and for a lot less money.
Webinars make R&D easy for the entrepreneur on a budget. And, because you likely already have all the equipment you need to host a webinar, all you need now is webinar recording software, and you can host the same webinar for multiple audiences and get to know your target market faster and cheaper than you may have thought possible.
You Get to Be A Rockstar
Okay, maybe not Jon Bon Jovi touring the world, selling hit records kind of rock star. But, you can be a rockstar in your industry nonetheless. Imagine, people showing up to hear what you have to say, hanging on every word, and then giving you money because they trust that you are an expert in your field. That can happen with webinars for business. Regardless of your business, your audience needs your message. Showcase your expertise, and rock on!
Webinars Really Work For Every Business
Today we’ve shared with you eight reasons webinars work for every business. Still, you shouldn’t take our word for it. Instead, get proof by hosting a webinar of your own today. We’re pretty sure that by the time you complete your first one you’ll understand why so many entrepreneurs are using them to make more money in their businesses. You deserve a piece of the digital pie. Click here to learn more about StealthSeminar webinar recording software today.