What
is a Teleseminar?
Teleseminars
are just like any other seminar except they are run over
the telephone so you can join in from literally
anywhere in the world if you have a telephone.
What's
so exciting about Teleseminars?
Teleseminars
are one of the most exciting recent developments in technology
because of the time and money they save YOU. That's
right! You can learn the skills and information you need
right from your office desk or the comfort of home just
by dialling in to a teleseminar.
They
are live, interactive seminars except anyone from
anywhere can join in.
How
do you 'attend' a Teleseminar?
Once
you are registered for your teleseminar you will receive
a telephone number to call at the appointed time,
plus a special access code which
allows you into the meeting area. Just make yourself
a cup of coffee, get your pen and paper ready, shut the
door and dial in. That's all.
What
does it cost?
Just
as with any seminar, there is usually a cost to attend a
teleseminar and the cost may vary for different events.
In
addition to the cost of your teleseminar registration, your
phone company will charge you for the cost of your
phone call while you are on the teleseminar. However,
unlike other seminars you do not have to pay the cost of
travel to the event or parking while you are there, nor
do you have to waste time travelling.
To
keep your telephone connection costs as low as possible
we run our teleseminars through a company in the USA. Now
we know that might seem strange from Australia, but by using
inexpensive phone cards or other special rates such as those
described below, we have found it to be cheaper
than calling long distance across Australia!
Your
connection cost using a phone card or special discount rate
can be as low as 1¢ or 2¢ a minute. (see
below) That adds up to less than you would expect
to pay for parking, if you drove to a seminar.
What
if I'm somewhere else overseas or travelling? Can I still
join in?
Yes,
you call the same line as people in the USA or Australia.
You just register as usual and pay your own long distance
charges. You can get very inexpensive rates and phone cards
in many countries. You will need to double check what time
you should call from wherever you are, according to your
new time zone.
How
do I get the time and date right?
If
you don't get the time and date right, nothing much else
will matter! To make sure you have the right day
and time visit
We
are based in Melbourne, Australia so if
you are not calling from there you should double check both
the time and the day of the week
to make sure you don't miss the teleseminar. Don't forget
that various parts of the world have summer or daylight-saving
times and when it's Friday in Melbourne it may be only Thursday
in New York.
Call
in two or three minutes early, before the teleseminar
is due to start, as we will start on time. Dial the number
and enter your special access code when you are prompted
to do so. You will hear it it ring and then you will hear
others who are already 'there' talking.
If
you are first to arrive, the line may just ring
or you may hear music until someone else calls in, so hold
on the line and wait.
If
the teleseminar has already started when you call,
just listen in. There is no need to interrupt or say anything,
until you are invited to do so.
How
do I get full value?
Our
teleseminars are not just casual chats, but structured learning
experiences. To get full value you need to be fully
present and focussed on the information and discussion.
Schedule
uninterrupted time, just as if you had to go somewhere
else for a regular seminar or meeting. Do not be
tempted to multi-task while on the call.
You can't expect to take in what is being presented
if you are distracted or trying to do something else during
the call.
Listen
carefully, pay attention, take lots of notes and have fun.
Teleseminars are a great way to learn!
Teleseminar
etiquette - Who speaks when?
Your
teleseminar presenter will lead the class and explain the
structure at the start. You may be invited to ask questions
or contribute your thoughts, but please don't interrupt
unless you are invited. When you do speak it is
helpful if you introduce yourself saying something
like 'This is Sam from Chicago'. Try to
be brief and to the point when you do speak.
Sometimes
your teleseminar presenter may ask you a question by name.
If for any reason you do not wish to answer that's
OK. Just say 'Pass' and they will move on.
If
you need another participant to repeat or clarify a comment
please go through the teleseminar leader to avoid disrupting
the flow of the class with cross-talk.
What
about noise on a teleseminar call?
Any
background noise during a teleseminar will be clearly heard
by everyone on the call, so please call from a
quiet place and use your telephone's mute button when possible.
Dogs barking, babies crying, trucks and traffic passing,
keyboards clicking and other telephones ringing all create
intrusive and distracting noise on a teleseminar call.
If
you breathe heavily (and many people do when they are focused
on listening on the phone) or wear a telephone headset,
the noise can also be very distracting for others so we
ask you to mute your phone or hold the telephone mouthpiece
well away from your mouth and nose, unless you
are speaking.
So,
as a courtesy to all on the teleseminar, we ask you just
to be as quiet as possible. Let others at your office
know that you are not to be disturbed, turn off your other
phone, shut the door and minimise noise and distractions
as much as possible.
It's
also a good idea to disable call waiting and use your mute
button when you aren't speaking. If your phone doesn't have
a mute button entering *6 (press the * key followed by 6)
will often mute or unmute your call.
What
if something goes wrong?
If
you can't connect into the teleseminar there are three things
which may have happened. Either you may have dialled
the wrong number or you may have the wrong time or the teleseminar
lines may all be full. Calling in early is the
best way to make sure you get a line on the call.
Check
the telephone number and secure access code on
the confirmation message which was sent to you and redial.
If it still doesn't connect, check the time and
date at http://www.timezoneconverter.com
to make sure you haven't made an error.
If
you get a busy signal it may mean that you have misdialled
the phone number or access code. Check the numbers
and dial again. If you are unable to get on the
call, contact
us to let us know as soon as possible. (But bear in
mind that we will be unable to reply until later!)
What
other problems might occur?
Most
teleseminars go smoothly, with no problems.
Rarely,
some phones can cause noise or feedback
during a teleseminar. If they don't work effectively enough
to make it enjoyable for you and others on the call, or
if we hear your phone interfering with the call you might
be asked to hang up and dial in again,
preferably with another phone.
Speakerphones
can be distracting because of background noise
and can be unclear if you are too far from the microphone,
making it difficult for others to hear you. If you use a
speakerphone, please mute your voice (*6)
while you listen and remember you may need to swap to a
handset when you wish to speak.
Mobile
or cell phones, and computer/internet telephony can sometimes
cause problems, although they are rapidly improving.
If
your line drops out or you are having problems with your
phone, it may be better to hang up and quickly call in again
from another phone so you don't miss much of the call.
How do I find a discount Phone card?
Here are some starting
points for phone cards if you are in the main English speaking countries:
Australia
- For prices as low as 2¢ per min http://www.phonecardselector.com.au/store/customer/home.php
or http://www.phonecardpoint.com.au
Canada
- Sprint offers a $30 for 500 minutes plan or phone cards are available from
http://www.1st4phonecards.com/callcalc.htm
United
Kingdom - For just 2p per minute to the USA http://www.18866.co.uk/
or http://www.1st4phonecards.com/callcalc.htm
- a selection of very affordable calling cards.
USA
- Just dial 1010987 before the number - 3¢ per min + 39¢ connection
fee. Or a card that charges 1¢ per minute: http://www.pennytalk.com
For other
countries, try http://www.1st4phonecards.com/callcalc.htm
or keep searching the Internet.
If you discover
other good discount rates, please let me know and I will add them for others
to use.
(Please
note: these details are listed as examples for your information only. They
are all provided by other companies and we have no control over them, so please
check the current rates, and that they suit your purpose, before you buy one.)
How
do I know what phone number to call?
You will be sent a registration email which includes both
the number to dial and your access code to get into the
right teleseminar, after you register.
If
you are using a phone card, you should start by following
the specific instructions for that card and make susre you
have your registration email ready so you can dial the teleseminar
number when you are told to enter the number you wish to
call.
Unless
you are calling from within the USA, you will need to dial
an international access code (0011 if you are in Australia)
plus a country code of 1 for the USA before the 10 digit
phone number that was sent to you.
Once
you are connected, you will be asked to enter the access
PIN that was sent in your registration email. When you join
us, please say hello and tell us your name and where you
are calling from (unless the seminar has already started).
Are
the calls recorded?
Yes.
Please be aware that our teleseminars may be recorded for
later sale or distribution. By participating in our teleseminars
you give your consent for this recording.
If
you reveal sensitive information, you may be sharing it
with the whole world. But you wouldn't normally do that
in any room full of strangers, would you?
Do
you have any teleseminars scheduled soon?
You
will find details of forthcoming teleseminars when you click
here.
