What I Learned from Kathy Griffin That Helped Identify 3 Tips for Effective Teleclasses

I am a huge fan of reality TV. My guilty pleasure is watching all the different Real Housewives, Flipping Out, all that good stuff on Bravo!. That’s how I unwind sometimes on the weekend. Recently I was watching a marathon of Kathy Griffin’s “My Life on the D List.”

Kathy Griffin is a comedienne and her reality show let’s you see what happens behind the scenes of her live shows and her life at home. One particular episode showed Kathy going on various gigs at different locations. I noticed one thing she did at every location, whether it was the Veteran’s Hospital or a diverse couples only cruise, she mixed and mingled with her audience. Prior to her show, she would go where the were.

How many times have you been advised to go where the people you serve are? Find out what they like, what they’re interested in, what they’re looking for, what they want, what they need.

This is exactly what Kathy was doing.

You’d think as a comedienne, she’d be sitting around thinking of jokes or looking at what’s going on in her immediate environment and how that could be translated into something funny, but everywhere she went she got to know her audience. She was able to find out about them and get a feel of what jokes would work and what jokes wouldn’t work based on their conversations.

She needed to know what was funny to each group so she could deliver something just for them. The jokes may have been similar, but the way she said it was perfect for that particular group.

What material works best for your audience?

Do they prefer eBooks over books, Twitter over Facebook?

Recently, I presented a teleseminar about the beginning stages of teleclasses. We discussed various things such as how to feel comfortable presenting to a virtual audience and overcoming stage fright. Prior to the event I sent a survey to the group.

In the survey, I asked five multiple choice questions:

1. How many teleclasses have you attended this year?
2. How many teleclasses have you presented?
3. Do you prefer teleseminars or webinars?
4. For the teleseminars you’ve participated in, did you listen from your: cell phone, home phone, computer?
5. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to presenting your own teleclasses?
• Preparing the content
• Not sure what software to use
• Getting people to sign up for the call
• No time to plan it
• Other

I learned most of my audience had never hosted a teleclass, which meant they were in the right place since we would be discussing the basics of teleclasses.

There was almost an even split between those who access online events using their telephone vs. those who use their computers.

The big surprise was that 100% of those participating preferred webinars over teleseminars. WOW! This was a huge eye opener for me and definitely got my wheels turning regarding the next event.

I leaned more towards teleseminars for several reasons:

• It only requires a telephone line.

• There is no software to download.

• It makes it very convenient for those who may not be at their computers at the time of the event.

After looking through the survey results, I realized some adjustments in my approach are needed. If what I’m delivering is not what my audience prefers, it could easily turn some people off. I wondered how I could bridge the gap between the benefits of teleseminars and the visual apsect of webinars.

The answer came from the survey.

One person offered a suggestion to use handouts when doing teleseminars for those who learn visually. Bingo! Problem solved. I really like the idea of handouts. The can be printed out or viewed directly from the computer.

This is such a simple idea, but obviously one I completely overlooked. Could this be you too? Are you overlooking something that would further benefit your audience?

Use surveys to get this information. And after the event send a survey as well. If you were presenting in person, more than likely you would pass out an evaluation form. Do the same for your online events. It not only helps you do better the next time, but also identifies the next steps regarding products or services you could provide to your audience.

Thus far, Survey Monkey is the best tool for creating simple and easy surveys.

Each time you present information, you have an opportunity to learn something new. Asking the right questions helps to learn more about those you serve.

If you’re unsure of what your audience is looking for, do what Kathy does — go where the people are, talk to them, ask them.

Now it’s your turn. In the comments below please share how you plan to use surveys to learn more about your audience?