Over the past few years, I've focused on the mistakes that people make when hosting virtual events. Some are able to course correct their mistakes seeing what others have done (or failed to do). But often, people ask me to share what is working so they can model the best of the best.

So, I'm taking a different approach...

I'm going to show you a collection of virtual events that I feel are doing it the right way. I'm calling it the Virtual Event Best In Show. Next week, you'll see my pick of virtual events that did the right things in terms of content and design.

Here are the 8 categories that I'll showcase:

1. Best Page Design

- I love gorgeous designs, so I'll be looking for virtual events that use beautiful graphics and images on their sales page. This includes content, images, ease of reading and overall design.

1. Technology of the Year - I'm going to choose technology that helps virtual event organizers and hosts make it easier to plan or produce virtual events.
2. Most Innovative Format - I'm looking for virtual events that do something other than the typical lecture style format over the phone.
3. Most Provocative Theme - I've come across some virtual event themes that really push the envelope. I'll share a winner with you.
4. Host of the Year - There are many fine facilitators and emcees that I've heard over the past year and I'm going to select one who I think stands out above the rest.
5. Aspire Award - I'm going to select a virtual event that was hosted for the first time in 2011.
6. Trailblazer Award - The person I'm going to select is someone who has hosted the same virtual event for 5-years or more. There are very few out there who have done so and I'm eager to recognize their efforts.
7. Hall of Fame - I'm going to recognize individuals and vendors who sparked the virtual event movement with their innovation, professionalism and unselfishness.  Probably going to look back to 2001 when I first got started in the virtual event space.

I know this series will spark ALOT of discussions. Before you comment, please remember my criteria for choosing the Virtual Event Best In Show:

• I'm focusing on virtual events hosted by solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, independent consultants and small business owners. In other words, this list will be skinny on corporate and enterprise examples.
• The virtual event must have been hosted between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Anything earlier than that hasn't been considered.
• I'm also focusing primarily on virtual events that feature multi-speakers. Think telesummits, video summits and webinar/teleclass series.
• This list is entirely subjective. It's based on what my eyes see and my ears hear. You may not agree with my picks and that's okay.
• I'll also list runner-ups in each category, except the Hall of Fame category.

I'd love to hear who you think should be included in this list. Please share your links below. You can suggest your own virtual event, one you attended or one you setup for a client. Remember - multi-speaker virtual events hosted in 2011 only please! Please share your links by Monday February 6, 2012.

After reading Simon Sinek's book Start With Why and Daniel H Pink's Drive, I was reminded about my own reason for producing telesummits and multi-speaker virtual events for my clients.

In the video clip below, I share why it's important to understand how your values influence your telesummit and virtual event success. I have 7 values in total - abundance, connections, vitality, faith, excellence, freedom, joy - and in the vide, I explain how my first value, abundance, helps me produce successful telesummits.

What are your values? Please list 3, 5 or 7 below. The ideal number is 5, but if you're having a hard time narrowing it down, don't exceed 7. Click here to see a list of values to help you define your top 3, 5 or 7 (opens in a new window).

When I was planning my very first Social Media Telesummit in 2007, I was a little nervous about hosting it. You see, I was known as a podcasting expert and while it is part of the social media toolkit, I wasn't sure I should be the one hosting a virtual event on the topic of social media.

I went ahead with it and after hosting the Social Media Telesummit in 2008, 2009 and 2010, it helped to boost my income and raised my credibility in the marketplace which made it so much easier to attract clients and joint venture partners.

If you're waiting for someone to give you permission to host a virtual event on your topic, you need to shake all your doubts aside and just go for it.

Here are a few reasons why you're the best person to host a virtual event on your topic:

You know ALOT about the topic.

You studied it for years, you have a degree or certification in it or you have experience working with a process, tool or procedure. For example, I started my first blog in 1999. I could easily host a virtual event about blogging due to the number of years I've used this tool. So, what do you know really well? Whatever it is, you can definitely host a virtual event on that topic.

You are your own success story.

Maybe you were once bankrupt and are now a self-made millionaire. Or, maybe you were angry and then, you developed a unique system that led you to a life of peace. If your mess is now your message based on a step-by-step system that you created, you are in a great position to host a virtual event.

My friend, Milana Leshinsky is an excellent example of this. When she first migrated to the United States from her native Russia, she started doing mini-websites for people. Eventually, she focused on helping coaches create multiple streams of income online. She went from making $100 here and there to a multi-million dollar business. She was more than qualified to host the Coaching Telesummit in 2005, 2006 & 2007.

You have a community of people who listen to everything you say.

You may have spent months building a membership website or an online association and now, you have hundreds and hundreds of members who hang on to your every word. One of my clients, British Hill, was in this position. She spent a couple of years building an online community that numbered in the thousands and now, she was wondering how to monetize this attention.

With my team's help, British hosted a wildly successful telesummit which led to speaking engagements and a renewed relationship with her tribe. If you have a membership website, Ning group or online association with a membership in the hundreds, a virtual event is definitely something you are more than qualified to host.

You've written and spoken on the topic.

If you've published a book, a series of articles, a column or if you've produced a television show, radio program or podcast series on your topic, then you're fully qualified to launch a virtual event in your industry or niche.

When I wrote my book, Podcasting for Profit, I interviewed just over 50 podcasters and did tons of research to make sure all my data was correct. People really appreciate this dedication to a topic and if you write or speak on a topic often, this qualifies you as an expert.

Which brings me to my last point...

Others call you an expert

If the media quotes you often or if a journalist, colleague, best selling author or one of your clients calls you an expert, then you should wear this badge with honor. As an expert, people will listen to you and take your opinions more seriously. When you have this platform, it's a perfect time to host a virtual event.

My final thoughts

You do have what it takes to host a virtual event. You do not need anyone's permission to do so. Just remember that if you know as much as you do about your topic or if others believe you're an expert, it's a fine time to produce a virtual event.

Want to get started with your telesummit, video summit or webinar series? Why not invest in the Telesummit Success training. This content rich audio program, plus downloadable transcripts and handouts, will get you started with planning your telesummit.

I presented this material at a closed door event hosted by Kendall Summerhawk. Over 250 coaches gave me a standing ovation after the session was over. Telesummit Success will teach you the four things you need to do to get started with planning your telesummit. Click here to get more info on this program.

Often, I get asked what's the best way to attract attendees to a virtual event. And too often, those who host virtual events waste precious time focusing on the content and technology, instead of hiring the right people to help them do so.

In the video below, I share the #1 thing that fills virtual events. It's a phrase I've shared many times before, but this time, I add it to song. Hat tip to Mark Silver for inspiring me to reach into my musical background.

And look out for an announcement from me on Tuesday December 20, 2011 where I'll share how you can learn about the best marketing tools to use to get more bums in the virtual seats.

In an earlier blog series, I explained that it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars to rent a virtual event platform. This makes hosting a virtual event out of reach for most businesses.

Now, you can cheap-out and use a password-protected webpage to deliver your information to attendees. However, this is not a secure way to manage your virtual event recordings. Plus, you risk adding more tasks to your already full plate because this process is not automated.

Aside from the money you save using a blog and few plug-ins to create your own virtual event minisite, there are are three powerful reasons why you need to use something more robust than a password protected webpage to deliver information to attendee about your virtual event.

#1 - You Improve Customer Service

The first time I hosted a multi-speaker virtual event, I used a blog. The problem was that my team and I had to manually copy attendee registration information from our online shopping cart system to the blog and then send an e-mail to the attendee letting them know about their registration details.

This process took anywhere between 1 to 2 business days to complete depending on the workload of my virtual assistant. Of course, during this time, attendees would get a little frantic wondering why they haven't received further information and curious to know what to do next. I've had some people freak out to the point where they've asked for their money back.

So, having a system that automates the entire registration process helps you to provide optimal customer service and lessen those refund requests. And if your attendees are happy, they'll reward you with sales in the future.

Photo by René Piamont

I read an article in Canadian Business magazine written by Andrew Potter about the halo effect. It's the perception that objects or people are better because of certain traits. For example:

• People are willing to pay more for organic foods because the perception is that it's more nutritious.

• Or, that tall people are more likely to be hired because the perception is that their height makes them more competent.

The halo effect got me thinking about telesummits and virtual events...

Only Live Is Good Enough

I've noticed a curious habit when setting up telesummits and virtual events for my clients. Most attendees will wait until the last minute to register (70% to 80% of new sign-ups come through in the few hours before the first live session begins), then panic if they don't get the call-in details before the first live session starts.

Despite the fact that the attendee can catch up with the recording, they will ask for a refund because they missed the first session as it was playing live.

Many treat telesummits and virtual events as a rock concert...

We grew up in an age when live was a better experience than the recording. If your favourite band came to town, you had to be there live to have something to remember for the rest of your life.

If a recording of a past concert was available for sale on DVD, you'd buy it  on your way out of the stadium knowing that the recorded experience could never compare to what you consumed live.

Another example is the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation...

When the 2-hour finale was shown on television, I didn't record it on my VCR (remember those) so I could watch later on. In fact, I climbed on the subway and made the trip to the Rogers Centre (then called the Skydome) to watch the series finale in a stadium with over 30,000 other Star Trek fans. When the episode is shown today in syndication on television, I reflect back to what I was doing when I saw the episode live.

We have been socialized to believe that the live experience is way better than the recording. The halo effect with telesummits and virtual events is that only the live session is worth investing in.

Use On Demand Language

As telesummit and virtual event hosts, we need to use different language when referring to live vs recorded content. If the halo effect gives the perception that live is better than recorded, then we have to change the perception with what we say.

On demand content is the language we should use.

• On demand helps us sell choice to the attendee.

• On demand helps to lessen the hierarchy of consumption.

• On demand helps to democratize how attendees interact with the content.

• On demand helps to remove the stigma that one consumption style is better than the other.

How would you reflect this new reality on your sales page? How would you position on demand content so attendees understand what they're investing in? Leave your comments below.

I remember reading a quote once where someone stated that a virtual event is like a non-virtual one, minus the food and the hotel. Yet, many believe that because the event is virtual, it'll be a synch to set up.

So, they forgo hiring support and try to set up the virtual event, telesummit or video summit all on their own. While there is some satisfaction in knowing that you did it all by yourself, the fall out with spending 15-hours or more per week collecting information from speakers, installing a blog, writing copy and helping attendees is costing you precious time and energy.

Here are 3 signs that tell you it's time to hire someone else to set up your next virtual event...

1. You neglected your clients and family

All those late nights updating webpages, getting speaker handouts and configuring the conference bridge service means that you missed out on spending quality time with the people who really care about you. I understand why this happens. You've heard about how powerful telesummits can be in growing your list and your income, so you're hoping that you can do the work, save some money and benefit from all the hard work later on. But while you save money now, you end up neglecting client projects (the people who pay you) and neglecting your family (the people who love you). With someone helping you set up your virtual event, you're free to focus on income producing projects (such as networking, speaking and enrolling new clients) while maintaining normal office hours (the difference between working until 5pm or 2 in the morning).

2. You hate attendees and speakers after it's over

Isn't a database stuffed with new prospects/customers supposed to make you happy? It should, but if you've played the roles of host, customer service agent, speaker liaison and webmaster every day for 6-weeks or more, your resentment of attendees and speakers will be high. The reality is that you should've had someone else take care of the support and technical issues so you're free up to focus on just being an amazing host (and taking a well deserved break every day).

3. You didn't make a profit

Weeks and weeks of planning and all you have to show for it is a few hundred dollars. How disappointing! So, for your next virtual event, put together a budget and decide early how much you can spend to hire someone to help you. Typically, you shouldn't spend more than 30% of your entire budget on virtual event help. But the reality is if you continue to muck around with the details, it takes you away from the marketing and it's the marketing that puts bums in the virtual seats. My clients who hired one of my Certified Virtual Event Managers typically make in revenue 3-5 times what they paid to hire help. It's wise to have someone on your side supporting your every step.

Ready to explore your options?

If so, click here to fill out a Request for Help to connect with a Certified Virtual Event Manager. Speak to them about your virtual event needs.

What are some other clues that you may need to hire help the next time you host a virtual event? Leave your comments below and let's expand this list of 3.

Many consider me a leader. I have no problems speaking from stage or taking a stand on something. But there was a time when I was so shy that I never spoke out when someone harmed me.

In the video below, I share some really raw emotions about my experience being bullied. My mother also served as my earliest example of how a leader must act when someone in their tribe needs help.

Once you price your telesummit, you are bound to get an email from someone who raises an objection. When a prospect says "No" to your prices, don't take it personally.

Objections pop up out of fear.

They also happen when the prospect is confused about what you're offering. And when the prospect takes the time to write you with their objection, it means that the they really want to sign-up for your telesummit, but need you to confirm that they're making the right decision.

I've uncovered 5 telesummit pricing objections and here's the top one below:

Objection #1 - "I'm Going to Be Overwhelmed with So Much Content"

Why this pops up: Some prospects will see the number of sessions and get overwhelmed. In this case, you simply need to give them a plan on how to consume the content so they register for your telesummit.

Your suggested response:

"Thank you for your feedback. Here's how I suggest you consume the content – choose the 3, 4 or 5 sessions that you want to hear live so you can ask the speaker questions directly. Then, for the rest of the sessions, catch up by listening to the recordings on your own time. That will help you stay in control of both your time and your schedule. I invite you to go to and sign up before the deadline of ."

There are 4 additional objections that always pop up and you'll get this swipe file if you invest in Telesummit Pricing Secrets. Click here to indulge in this program.

Are there other telesummit or virtual event pricing objections that you've had to deal with and if so, what was your response? Please share it below.

One the biggest questions I get is this...

"Leesa, how do I price my telesummit?"

Not an easy question to answer as there are many factors to consider. However, due to what has worked for my 5 and 6-figure telesummit clients, there is a formula that you can use so you never have to host a free telesummit - EVER!

There are TONS of reasons why you must assign a price to your telesummit, not after the attendee has freely consumed all 8, 12 or 24 sessions, but before they even get access to the call-in details.

But too many make these common telesummit pricing mistakes that do more to scare attendees away than attract them to their offer.

1 - Offering one pricing option

The marketplace is stuffed with free telesummits. Too many I might add. And the most popular option is to give away all the expert interviews at no cost, then upgrade to the recordings for $67 or $97.

In my conversations with telesummit organizers, only 1% to 2% of those who signed up for their free telesummits actually upgrade. While pulling in a few hundred dollars may seem like a good ROI, you can make more by presenting options.

When you give options, you're able to meet every budget and learning style. Providing options - in terms of pricing & features - gives people choices that they can't say "No" to.

2 - Offering only recordings & transcripts as features

While content is great, attendees want more and will pay higher for additional features. Adding other features, such as connections & collaboration, will get attendees excited about how their telesummit experience will be enriched interacting with you, your speakers and other attendees.

3 - Using "poison" numbers in your pricing

I know one telesummit host who used a "poison" number in her pricing and could only muster $1,200 in registrations for her premium telesummit. So, just coming up with prices is not enough. You need to know which numbers to use so you attract a slew of registrations.

Want to avoid these mistakes and more?

On September 20, 2011 at 1:00pm Eastern, get ready to indulge in my brand new program called...

Here's what you'll learn in this training...

• The 4 revenue models that work and how to choose the right one for your telesummit
• How to use a car buying technique to price your telesummit so it meets every budget, language, learning style and lifestyle (you’ll kick yourself for not using this sooner)
• How one of my colleagues iTunes her telesummit content and how you can use this pricing model to attract attendees
• Why the topic of your telesummit matters and why attendees will pay more to attend certain topics over others
• The magic number you must use in your pricing that’ll help you attract a flood of sign-ups

To indulge in this brand new program, click here for more. What other telesummit pricing mistakes would you suggest be avoided? Please leave your comments below.