5 Ways to Kill Your Telesummit

I’ve been hearing rumors that telesummits are dying, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The model is changing, but there’s never been a better way to boost your list building than hosting a telesummit.

Since there are so many moving parts involved in putting together a telesummit, it can be overwhelming, discouraging and very time consuming. It really is too much for one person to do themselves, especially if they have never done this and have no idea what they’re doing. Even for seasoned hosts, it’s a lot to handle and it takes them away from other business boosting activities.

Here’s how you can avoid some of the top mistakes in building your telesummit:

1. Having list requirements. There was an old model where you would only accept speakers who had a list above a certain number usually 5,000. Fast way to lose opportunities for amazing speakers with loyal lists. I actually find the smaller the list, the more loyal they are. Yes you want big lists too, but have a mix. It’s ok to ask for list size, so you can have an idea of the reach of marketing, but don’t make it a requirement.

2. Using the wrong technology. Depending upon your goals for your telesummit, there are so many different technological components you can use. Often times, you don’t know what you don’t know. So do your research and be sure you are using the right pieces for your telesummit.

3. Not enough time. If this is your very first telesummit, give yourself 2-3 months to prepare. It takes time to find speakers, build the web pages, and then get your promotions done. You really should be promoting 3-4 weeks out. One of the failures I see is not giving enough build time. Things are rushed, mistakes are made and the telesummit flops. Take your time. Once you have the structure set up, future telesummits can be done in a shorter time frame.

4. Charging too much for replays. We are so inundated by telesummits these days, that it’s getting harder and harder to garner higher prices for the replays…especially for new hosts. The more you do, the more established you are, the higher you can charge. But make sure they are getting the most bang for their buck. Don’t charge $97 for just a few audios. Make sure they get workbooks, handouts, slides, transcripts…something extra to make it worth their while. My recommendation, unless you are well-known like Mari Smith or Social Media Examiner, keep your price point around $47 (especially if they just get the audios). This way they think they’re getting a great deal because it’s not even $50!

5. Having too many speakers. I’ve seen some telesummits that just seemed to drag on for ever and ever. They just had far too many speakers. People get bored, they get overwhelmed and they lose interest. Personally, I think 10-15 is perfect. You can get some seriously great content out there, and as people express interest in being a guest, you can build your speaker list for future telesummits.

Hosting a telesummit is an extremely rewarding venture. You meet great people, build your list, and get yourself known in your industry.

Get out there, get edgy and have fun!