Article Surfing Archive

Teleseminars are a great way to learn from experts without leaving the comfort of your home. No travel expenses, jet lag or cafeteria food to deal with makes them the perfect way for work-at-home moms to expand their business knowledge and skills.

More and more experts and authors are offering teleseminars on topics such as business, marketing, advertising and more. Many of these subjects are of interest, but can we as business owners really learn enough to make it worth the time and expense? In short, yes. However, there are a few important steps you should take when attending a teleseminar.

Make sure the speaker is qualified.

It's fairly simple to set up a teleseminar and virtually anyone could put one together. So, before investing in a seminar, do some quick research on the speaker(s) to be sure they are experienced in the areas they will be covering. Search for their name using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and see what results are returned. Also, if they have authored a book, take a look on Amazon and read any reviews/comments posted there.

Take notes.

If you*re like me, you have multiple projects on your mind, as well as your children, spouse, etc. With all of the information running through my brain, I tend to recall very little of what I hear during the day, even if it's good information. In order to retain the information given during a teleseminar, don*t just sit and soak it up. Make the effort to listen closely and take notes. You'll remember more of what was discussed and you'll be able to refer to your notes in the future if necessary.

Speak up.

A teleseminar is similar to a massive conference call with one main person speaking. Because of the size and the virtual setting, many people feel unsure about speaking up and asking questions. However, you'll do both yourself and the speaker a favor by voicing your thoughts when appropriate and asking honest questions. Chances are good that others in the group have the same questions and will appreciate you stepping out and asking. Do be careful not to ask too many questions. This isn*t a personal training session and if too many questions are asked, especially by the same person, the speaker doesn*t get to cover all the material they have planned.

Enlist a Friend.

What better way to get the most out of a seminar than to take it with a friend? If you have a friend of colleague that is interested, you can both participate in the teleseminar it will give you a great topic for discussion afterwards. I tend to learn more from discussions post-seminar than I do while listening to the lecture. I think talking it over with another attendee helps me to process the information and see how it applies to my daily life and business.

Follow up.

If a teleseminar is especially helpful to you, send a thank-you to the speaker. Try to send a written note or if this is not possible, an email will do. By making contact with the speaker and showing your appreciation you*re not only providing encouragement, you are networking. You just never know what type of response you might receive and you may even make a new friend or find a mentor.

The key to getting the most out of teleseminars is to find the ones that are by true experts in their field and that interest you the most. So, the next time you find a teleseminar that catches your interest, gather up your pen and paper and tune in. If you can find a colleague that is interested in joining you, you'll be all the better for it. You'll learn more and have more fun in the process.