Most of the advice on this blog is directed to helping those who host virtual events do it better. So, I’m taking a slight departure to offer sage advice to those who speak at virtual events.
I’m constantly dismayed by the look of virtual event and telesummit sales pages out there. I wish I could start a virtual event and telesummit sales page hall of shame to completely rip to shreds every mistake the host is making with their content.
But why should I? They didn’t ask for my help, right?
What’s even more disconcerting is who I see speaking at these type of virtual events. Internet marketers, online superstars, best selling authors and millionaire coaches damaging their brands speaking at a virtual event or telesummit where the sales page looks like the host knows their way around Frontpage (is that still around?) or Dreamweaver.
How Virtual Event Hosts Can Ruin Brands & Piss Off Speakers
I recently went to a social media virtual summit sales page and it was hideous. Here are some of the mistakes:
- The sales page was hosted on a WordPress page (nothing wrong with that) with all the links still intact in the top navigation and the sidebar (a basic copywriting mistake that can easily be avoided had the person invested in a course where she would’ve learned that)
- It didn’t have a powerful headline – none. The “powerful” headline was listing the names of the speakers presenting at the telesummit.
- The content listed the speakers’ names, photos, session titles and times they were speaking – that was it
- And, to access the call-in details (which is offered for free), you had to opt-in via a Google Docs sign up box (ok, how is this host going to follow up with attendees? Using the BCC option in an email?)
It was yucktastic.
So, imagine my surprise when I saw two millionaire coaches speaking at this virtual event. My jaw dropped. I just couldn’t believe that these individuals would not only say yes, but would continue to participate in a virtual event where the sales page is so ugly.
Why I Recently Pulled Out of a Virtual Event
I pulled out of speaking at a virtual event once because the sales page looked like crap. I said yes to speaking at her virtual event because I knew her and she had a platform in the marketplace.
But once the sales page went up, I was horrified. I just couldn’t believe that someone who gave the impression that she
was a big deal online could produce a sales page that was so bad. There was a disconnect.
The first problem was the color she used on her page. She chose this hideous blue. It wasn’t the dark blue that American Airlines uses. It was a light blue. And not even baby blue. It was a smoky blue that just looked awful.
On top of that, the sales page content looked wonky in Firefox. The first third of the page rendered well, but as I got midway down, the page started to look weird. To be exact, my profile overlapped another speakers in Firefox, yet looked fine in Internet Explorer.
I knew that this was an HTML problem, something to do with nested tables, so I grabbed a screenshot of the page and sent it over to the host. I expected that her tech team would know how to fix it, so I waited. After a couple of days, I went to the sales page. Her “tech team” fixed it alright by putting the following sentence at the top of the sales page:
“This page best viewed in Internet Explorer.”
I pulled out. I sent her an email asking that my picture be removed and that I wasn’t going to participate as a speaker. I told her that the sales page didn’t look right and my list wouldn’t respond.
Did I burn a bridge? Probably. She has gone on to host additional telesummits using the same ugly blue. The improvement is that her pages now render well in Firefox.
However, I just couldn’t promote my participation in a virtual event knowing that the host cared so little about how her telesummit looked online. If she cared so little about how her telesummit was being perceived in the marketplace, what else will she care so little about and how would that affect my brand?
Why Pulling Out After You’ve Said Yes Will Save Your Brand
It’s so important that as a speaker, you align yourself with virtual event hosts who care about the product they’re promoting in the marketplace. If you agree to speak at a virtual event, take some time to review the sales page so you’re sure that the style, copy and tone aligns with the sophistication and elegance of your brand.
If a sales page doesn’t yet exist for the virtual event you’re being invited to speak at, ask to see the sales pages for other products and services that the host created in the past. If the telesummit or virtual event is the hosts first online program ever, ask to see an example of a sales page that the host will model or pass on speaking.
And don’t feel bad if you have to pull out. I know one bestselling author who stopped speaking at virtual events and telesummits 2-years ago because they were being done so poorly. He felt that his list had come to expect a certain level of professionalism and sophistication from him, so he could no longer promote virtual events that didn’t match his level of excellence.
At the end of the day, if a sales page for a virtual events looks awful and doesn’t follow even basic copywriting rules, it means that the hosts isn’t in a right place financially or professionally. The virtual event host is cutting corners to save a buck and will damage your brand in the process.
Because if the host couldn’t get the sales page right, chances are the host won’t know what she or he is doing managing the rest of the telesummit or virtual event.
Great post Leesa.
That's a pretty bold step to pull out like that. In looking back now would you still make the same choice? I think you are right about the sales page looking good – but isn't most of the traffic already prequalified and being sent via the guest and host list?
~ Joel Mark Witt
Looking back would I still make the same choice and pull out of a virtual event because their sales page looked crappy? Absolutely! Because despite my actions, the host continues to do telesummits with the same crappy and tired looking sales pages 2-years later. So, yes, I stand by my decision.
Eleanore,
Check our site out http://www.thejoyofmarketing.com/joysummit. Drupal technology and worked with a professional graphic designer. I honestly don't think this is a place where you use a VA. This is your BRAND. You wouldn't trust a VA to design your logo. Why would you let them design your site? If you want yours to look good, you need to invest in great design.
Ok, I totally agree with you about wanting and needing an online event landing page to look awesome…BUT I'm having a hard time finding a VA who can produce these nice looking pages. I've inquired of people who have attractive and user friendly landing pages “Who did your page?”. It seems that graphically talented VAs are hard to come by and coveted. Maybe I'm wrong…
Please Leesa, I would love to see a list of some skilled event page creators. Do you think you and your colleagues, could share the names of who you use?
If you're still looking for graphically talented folks to put together sales pages, try http://killercovers.com or http://www.covergraphic.com
Thanks Leesa! Those look like great sites.
I'm going to have to use that word – yucktastic!! 🙂
This is a great article, and helpful for me because I am just getting started with virtual events and I am using InstantTeleseminar for my invitation pages. I am going to look more closely at how I set things up and make sure that other speakers approve of the pages before I publish them.
Thanks so much!!
Leesa, I'm just getting started & reluctant to use my sales pages until I've got WordPress set up without standard navigation. Thanks for the warning about checking out other people's image before committing to work with them … so hopefully I won't have to learn the hard way thanks to you.
Hell hath no fury like Leesa Barnes when she sees things poorly done!!
What I'm grateful for is how you speak the truth and in doing so, raise the bar. Yucktastic is no longer an option.
I'm insanely curious to know who your bad examples are… but that's just my sinister side surfacing.
And can I add in the ploy where people list you as a speaker on their telesummit before you've even been invited? That is the worst! I got duped by that one and really regretted it when I found out nobody else said “yes” except me. Doh!
Happened to me once. I was listed on a page to speak at a telesummit BEFORE I had even said yes. The only reason I knew about it is because I got a Google alert pointing me to the sales page with my name on it. I didn't even respond. I hate that tactic and I know exactly who's teaching it. Once I get that person's ear, I'll let 'em know what I think.
I'm actually going to replicate the pages and change some of the identifying details so I can use them as a teaching tool. My sinister side is saying that I should just out them. Instead, I'll profile their pages on what not to do and I'll change their names to protect the guilty 😉
Leesa,
We couldn't agree more. We've been speakers in events when we've actually asked them to revamp the design because we couldn't take part in an event that looked that bad when we TEACH branding and marketing. I'd be curious to hear what you think of the design of our most recent event, http://www.thejoyofmarketing.com/joysummit. I think we're doing it right!
Oh my, your info page is STUNNING! Love what you've done. And I just love
the name of your summit – The Joysummit. Very clever.
I think that's hilarious that you're teaching on branding and marketing and
the virtual event host couldn't even take the time to ask your opinion of
their sale page for the virtual event your speaking at. Too funny!
Crazy, huh? Just like you said, there are so many smarmy internet marketers out there that you really do have to be careful with whom you associate yourself. I couldn't agree more that being involved in an event with bad design can really ruin your brand. It's branding 101, yet many internet marketers and online event promoters evidently failed that class! Keep doing what you're doing, Leesa! Love your insight!
Thanks Leesa for the Great Article.. there are more websites out there that don't fit the 'good design' category than do.. and it is great to see that you have connected that the outer package is important to your list so they will want to continue to work with you.. !!
As somebody new to writing and creating my own salespages, there are some fantastic models of how to do it well. Grateful to those who make it look so easy!
Loving how you are telling it like it is!!
I just wish I could show you guys these bad virtual event sites, but I don't want to embarrass or demean without getting the person's permission to do so. And they have to be in place where they want that advice and sadly.
What I may do is create a mock-up of pages that I've seen out there and present that. I just want people to start seeing what I see so they understand how to improve.
Personally, I've not been invited to speak at a telesummit. I can tell you from an attendee point of view, if it's a mess I press exit. Only once did I remain due to who the speaker was I wanted to show my support. Had it been anyone else, I wouldn't have stuck around for it. I'm glad to see others with my work ethic.
Cindy, that's another series of blog posts. I've attended quite a number of virtual events and I do have some best practices to share. I know you'd probably have your own list as well.
I once had a VA who told me she could create squeeze pages and I saw some nice examples that she supposedly did, but the one she built for me look awful in Firefox, and I was left to fix it myself. (I am not a developer by any stretch.) Needless to say, she's no longer on my team. I'm not a stickler for absolute perfection but for things like this, you simply must be professional. These basics are critical. Thanks for the reminders! And great to meet you at IHMB.
Oh, that happened to me recently re: an image I needed designed for a client for their virtual event. The graphic designer's portfolio looked legit, so we hired him. What he produced looked like he did it in Word. It was just awful.
Like you, absolute perfection isn't something I strive for, but excellence is ideal. And great meeting you at IHMB.
Woo Hoo, Leesa is telling the truth and shaking things up!
Thanks for this article.
I think we all have to keep raising the bar and giving our lists the very best we can.
You are such a ray of light!
Blessings,
Therese
Hey lady, my blog posts typically come out of some sort of frustration that I'm experiencing. Not always the best place to write from, but it does help me produce some of my best writing.