Recently, I have participated in several telephone conference calls referred to as Teleseminars. When I signed up for these "live" events I used multiple email accounts to attend three different times for each "live" conference call. As these things go, each call might reveal something the previous either lightly touched on or left out. After all, they are billed as "live" and there is the human element to consider. What I discovered is my dictionary is so far out of date the meanings of certain words no longer apply.
What is a teleseminar?
In short is it a re-imagining of what we used to call a conference call. I once sat in a Black's Guide conference call held by the then, vice president and general manager. The flow of that call is similar the template for the present day teleseminar. The organizer or central speaker gives his overview and tabs different specialist to make his points. Each specialist gets to answer questions and a chance to do his or her own point of view pitch. The format is a telephone version of those tacky "make a million in real estate" infomercials in the paid programming slots on cable. All these "so-called everyday people talk about their wonderful experiences with the method programs. There are also household products, workout equipment, etc advertised in these infomercials everyday. I am kind of fond of the newer ones that are just now released on the market, but people are lining up to endorse the product they have been using for a year or so. Now, you know what these teleseminars are a good old "sales shilling Americana style."
The preamble ramble
How does a person get into one of these teleseminars? It could be through a link ad on a website or like me through a newsletter, I subscribe to. Hidden in what is supposed to be a meaningful text is an endorsement about my good friend with a link. The link is to the Robert Allen endorsed thirty mile long sales letter chocked (or should I say crocked) fully with too much information to read. (If I dare to read one, I pack a lunch and take two or four No-Doz.) It includes endorsements from multiple prior participants. (This confuses me because many times the text reads, "first time being offered to the public." I would like to note I have received multiple such offers endorsed by Robert Allen of "first time limited quantity programs" about 30 thirty times in the last year.) The follow up is a list of a gazillion benefits for you, your family, your pets, you relatives, their relatives, and people you don't know, people you want to know, and people you don't care to know, who will all love you for it.
In college, I took a course in radio and TV advertising that taught a basic principle. The principle is "Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them you told them. These Robert Allen style endorsed ads are based on tell them and tell them and keep telling them and try not to stop telling them. In reality, I find three to four sentences get to the point. The problem is finding them. What they will not tell you is price and detailed information as to what this is exactly all about. (I know, I know, besides separating you from you money.) If you don't suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome trying to read the ad, you might look into what ever is being advertised. One warning caution is never read these ads before bed. You could wake up in the morning face down drooling on your keyboard and the computer going dit…dit…dit…dit…dit.
What is the definition of "live"?
Let us go to the dictionary. My current new favorite is "Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. The meaning of live is "having life, of present interest, still burning, carrying electrical current, "in person" and finally broadcast, recorded, etc during the actual performance. It is my understanding that the further down the list you go the less each meaning is used in that context. In the case of the teleseminar we go along down to the bottom recorded, etc during the actual performance. Each case of the teleseminars I participated in there were three offered times. I found each were a presentation of the prerecorded program prior to any of the teleseminars. Unless it is a John Edwards teleseminar, you would expect that all speaking participants were prerecorded live.
The fellowship of tele and TV seminar infomercials
You expect to hear from a choice of someone you never heard of, someone once famous and now on the fringe, someone you think you should of heard of, but did not and someone you heard of and you know really has nothing to with the premise of the presentation. I was astounded to hear from a pilot who wrote a bestseller, became famous from the book, and now gets anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per speaking engagement. The claim is there is a high demand for the appearances. Yet, the person retains the hectic schedule of a commercial airline pilot because he or she loves the job. The person claims that he or she has to squeeze in the engagements all around the country within the job's packed and demanding schedule. My first thought was, "You're kidding right." Logic would dictate to me quit the job, get my own plane ala Anthony Robbins and fly to the cross-country engagements. That should satisfy both love of flying and love of money. Another person heard from claimed to be a producer from a nationally syndicated show that left to become a producer for a single market show I never heard of.
If you have ever watched a TV infomercial, you have seen the same pattern many times over.
Another shared point is during the presentation no one ever tells you the price. The hype is the offering is under priced and well worth the cost. Still, no one tells you the cost during the actual program. For the infomercial, the source is the so-called commercial break. For the teleseminar, you are given a website to go to. There is the difference maker. The advertised well worth it price for the teleseminar is less than a semester's tuition at some mid-level colleges. One teleseminar boasted you good pay six plus grand and your own expenses on top of that for a shot at a ten grand book advance. As I broke it down, your profit, if you got the deal, wasn't so grand at all.
Final analysis
I am a risk taker, but in concern of six grand plus, I could be a very analytical one. In another teleseminar for three grand plus, they will show you how to do the program. If you want help, it would be more. At least Robert Allen is willing to divulge his secrets for a mere $39 and include thousands of dollars in free bonuses. I may do my own teleseminar and for no cost, I will show you how to make money by holding on to it.
