Audio Conferencing as a Speaker/Educator Medium
Google "Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing" for more on the subject of audio conferencing. Your productivity involves more than simply price.
The reach, efficiencies and benefits are quickly achievable
Our virtual society opens new opportunities for speakers and educators with audio conferencing-based program technology.
Back in the day, if one wished to promote a speaker or educator topic, one had to get people together physically. This meant booking the speaker, booking a venue, arranging refreshments or meals, sending invitations, gathering sign-ups, sending reminders, organizing site presentation requirements like flip chart, projector, handouts, setting aside the time, traveling to the venue, setting up, greeting participants, then making your presentation. Whew. Such events, done right, are a lot of work and often quite expensive. A hotel room can cost you $250-1,000 per day. Refreshments are usually $15+ per participant. Handouts cost you 10 cents a page. Projector and screen rental can set you back $250 per day. Speakers for these kinds of venues typically cost you anywhere from $400 to $5,000, or more.
In today's fast-paced social and business climate, convincing prospective participants to set aside a whole day for a seminar is challenging. It is also expensive and time-consuming. Consider interspersing your face-to-face programs with audio conferencing-based programs instead. Here are some of the key attributes of an audio conferencing-based program.
Characteristics of an audio conferencing-based program:
- 1-2 hours max.; covers key learning topics with 20 minutes for Q&A
- Lecture Mode
- Record
- Web conferencing for real-time whiteboard, if needed
- Email handouts
The benefits of an audio conferencing-based program are many:
- Participants are more likely to attend because: (a) Doesn't consume a whole day, (b) Nobody sees participants in their PJs, (c) Participants are not desk or chair-bound and (d) Participants can even be traveling
- Lecturer isn't consuming a whole day; likely to charge less
- Cost savings allows for a more experienced lecturer
- Lecturer does not have to travel
- No lecturer hotel and lodging costs
- No venue costs
- No copying costs
- No audio-visual costs
- Better use of everyone's time
- No travel time for participant
- More topics can be offered more often
- More contact-time with constituents
- Recording can be replayed
For years pundits thought that video/web conferencing would replace audio conferencing since it was more visual. However, audio conferencing has been found to be more useful in many settings. Most conference calls do not need the ever-present visual push. Web conferencing has proved to be perennially fiddly with set up configuration hassles on local computers. In addition, with video/web conferencing participants are "locked in their chairs" in front of their computer cameras. As a result, web conferencing is more useful to desk-bound, large-company users who do a lot of them, whose machines have already jumped through the configuration setup hoops, and who have comfortable chairs. Conferences with live video essentially demand that you stay in front of your camera the entire time; otherwise, people wonder if you are paying attention!
The telephone is the most convenient and universal technology tool on the planet, by far. Why not take advantage of its reach and convenience to extend your speaker-education with audio conferencing-based programs?
Participants in your programs won't get antsy, the fidgety-types can move around all they want, your costs are a fraction of your typical program costs, you can extend your constituency nationally and internationally. Bottom line, audio conferencing-based programs dramatically reduce the boundaries to getting your message out. It costs only pennies to try it. Compare the traditional program described earlier for, say 15 participants for 2 hours, with an audio conferencing-based program, without including the speaker fee.
Traditional Program Costs:
- Venue - $500
- Refreshments - $225
- Handouts (25 pages) - $37.50
- Flip Chart - $50
- Projector - $250
- Mailings - $35
- TOTAL = $1,097.50
Audio Conferencing-based Program Costs
- Minutes (@10 cents a minute) - $180 - a 609% savings
Only a handful of truly Web 2.0 audio conferencing providers exist. Find one and try them. Start with short programs, then expand your repertoire as you become experienced.
To learn more, Google "Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing".
Copyright © 2010. Leader Phone® and Michael McKibben. All Rights Reserved.
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