So, you’re planning a telesummit and you’re inviting speakers. Most “get” what a telesummit is, but then you come across one, two or more who have no clue what you’re talking about.

This recently happened to a client who actually had some speakers decline her invitation because they simply couldn’t wrap their minds around the telesummit concept.

Yes folks, there’s a mountain of people out there who have never heard of a telesummit and you may have to educate first before you get the speaker to say “Yes!”

Below, you’ll find some of the frequently asked questions that my clients get from speakers who have no clue what a telesummit is. Feel free to forward this post to speakers who are confused about telesummits. I wrote this to help as many telesummit hosts as possible.

What Is a Telesummit?

A telesummit is a multi-speaker interview series held entirely over the phone. It is hosted over several days and at several times during the day. It’s like a conference or trade show, but instead of flying to a hotel or conference center, you simply pick up your phone to connect with the host and the attendees. A host or facilitator will ask you questions on your area of expertise, ones that were prepared by you or submitted by attendees.

Why would I want to speak at a telesummit?

Or more accurately – why would I give up my speaking fee to appear on your telesummit?

There are 4 reasons why:

• To build your list. Many speakers will use a telesummit to increase the size of their email or mailing list. You could add as few as 100 to as many as 2000 to your email list just for speaking at a telesummit.

• To gain attention. Speakers who are having trouble getting bookings or who want to be known as a thought leader use telesummits to help build their visibility.

• To make money. The model of a telesummit is to pay you a commission for every person you refer who pays the entrance fee. For just an hour’s worth of time over the phone, you could make thousands of dollars in affiliate commissions. It’s a wonderful way to spend time.

• To create a product. Your session at the telesummit will be recorded. You’ll get a copy for your records. Many speakers will use the recording to copy on a CD to give to new clients, or transcribe it so it can be turned into an ebook.

How is a telesummit different from a radio interview?

In a radio interview, you typically talk about yourself or your upcoming project. For a telesummit, attendees want to hear educational tips – information to help them do something better. For this reason, you’d want to prepare a session that’s content rich and typically devoid of hype or promo messages.

Why would I promote your telesummit to my network?

The primary reason is to expose your network to an innovative program, plus you look like a “rock star” because you’re mentioned along with other big name experts. You’ll be able to put “shared the stage with” in your bio, especially if you shared the virtual stage with celebrity experts, bestselling experts and millionaire coaches.

Why would you want to split the entrance fee with me?

Since most telesummits make money on entrance fees only, it’s only fair to share part of this with those who are contributing content to the interview series. Without your content, the telesummit just could not happen, so the host of the interview series splits the entrance fee with the speakers in lieu of a speaking fee.

How much content would I need to prepare?

Each session could be as little as 30-minutes to as much as 75-minutes. The host of the telesummit will let you know how much content you’ll need to prepare.

What do you mean by an “upsell” or special offer?

An upsell or special offer is an invitation you would extend to attendees so they know how to follow up with you. Most times, you’d present this invitation towards the end of your session. There are two types of upsells or special offers:

1. A free gift. You would invite attendees to give you their email address in exchange for a free gift, such as a special report, a few chapters from your book or a recording of a speech. The free gift is designed to help you build you list.
2. A paid program. You would invite attendees to purchase a program. This could be a book, a 3-month coaching program or a homestudy training kit. The host will let you know the desired format and price range. In some cases, the host will want to a commission on the sales she referred. If this is the case, you may want to use a shopping cart system to help you keep track of the sales.

I’m don’t understand what you mean by affiliate commissions…

If you like a product, wouldn’t it be nice that whenever you recommend it to someone, you got a few dollars for the referral? Well, that’s the idea behind affiliate commissions. Because speakers won’t get a speaker fee to speak at a telesummit, the host will compensate you by giving you a percentage of every person who signs up for the telesummit through your referral. You’ll get a special link that will record every time someone clicks on it. If the person purchases a ticket to the telesummit, you’ll get a portion of the entrance fee. Typically, the split is 50/50, with you keep 50% and the host keeping 50%.

What will the host do with the recording of my session?

First, she’ll give you a copy on CD or as a downloadable MP3 file that you can add to your personal library. The telesummit host will also make a copy available to attendees. In some cases, the host will want your permission to convert your recorded session into an ebook or transcripts. That means that the telesummit host will ask for basic rights to use your recorded session in multiple formats. The telesummit host will ask you to sign a speaker release form. Don’t be nervous by this. You need to know how the host plans to use your recorded session and a speaker release form spells it out. No matter the end result, you, the speaker, retain exclusive rights over your content.

Need More?

Get the ebook called On the Virtual Stage where you get more tips on how to make an income and an impact speaking at virtual events and telesummits.

While you have TONS of experience presenting in front of audiences at workshops, conferences or trade shows, you’re mystified about how to do so in front of an audience you won’t be able to see. Your first reaction will be to treat them like you would a non-virtual audience. However, if you do, you’ll lose your virtual audience immediately.

On the Virtual Stage will provide best practices you should use to be a dream “virtual” speaker – the speaker any Virtual Event Manager or Telesummit Host would want to work with. You’ll discover the unique personality of virtual events so you’re not surprised by the requirements you need to follow.

In this ebook, you’ll learn:

• The 3 reasons why you must add speaking at virtual events to your speaking business
• The 3 ways to find virtual event speaking opportunities
• How to make money speaking at virtual events if they can’t pay your speaking fee
• How to prepare your bio, speaker introduction and session description so you attract a ton of attendees to your session
• The powerful way to write learning outcomes and how mastering this skill will get you booked on the virtual stage every time
• Why your slides make lousy handouts and what you should give to virtual attendees instead
• The traps to avoid when signing the speaker release form
• How to promote your participation speaking at a virtual event
• The 10-point checklist you must always go through right before you step up on the virtual stage
• How to build your list after you speak at a virtual event
• The best way to handle an in-room and virtual audience if you’re speaking at an hybrid event
• The 14 questions you must consider before saying “Yes” to an invitation to speak at a telesummit, video summit or hybrid event
• The 4 ways to become a dream speaker so you attract an endless stream of virtual event invitations

To get a copy of On the Virtual Stage, click here.