Teleclass etiquette — a rant
Teleclasses can be a real pain. There’s no way of knowing if anyone will show up, and giving a class for just one or two people can be, frankly, a bit embarassing. I used to give two or three classes a month, until I just had enough of having seven or eight people sign up and only one or two show up–and often, no one would show up! So about two years ago, I stopped giving them for a while.
Finally this year I had enough interest in my Non-Linear Time Management Teleclass that I decided to offer it again. And guess what? Over 58 people, so far, have signed up for it. That’s enough to justify offering two classes, back to back, on March 13th, and possibly another one in April. I’ve also, all of a sudden, had requests for my other teleclasses: Six Steps to Changing a Habit, Courageous Creativity, and You CAN Get What You Really Want. Hurray, but how come, all of a sudden, everyone wants a teleclass?
I’m happy to give them; I love teaching, but where were you two years ago? I think what I need to do is play the scarcity card. Offer only one class a month, on a different topic each month, with at least six months between topics. But I hate to do that–if someone wants a class, they should have it. On the other hand, I do offer free sample coaching sessions. So if someone really wants the material from a class, they can request a free sample session and tell me they want the course material. I don’t mind giving a teleclass to just one person if that’s how it’s been set up.
I think the bottom line here is that I really don’t like being stood up, whether by seven people for a teleclass or by one person for a sample session. So friends and readers out there, do me (and every other teleclass instructor) a big favor. If you can’t make it, just drop us an e-mail and let us know. We won’t mind–in fact, we’ll be happy to know.
The Internet is such an impersonal place. I’m sure some people think that I’m equally impersonal–some kind of cyber-guru-wunderkind, when really I’m just an ordinary, hard-working woman with a coaching practice. I don’t have an organization of hundreds of people (or even ten). I have two cats, a marketing consultant I meet with 2 hours a month, and (most importantly) I have Charlotte, my VA, who works with me about 20 hours a month. That’s month, folks, not week. Everything else I do myself.
So when you send an e-mail to me, I get it–and respond. When you call, I answer the phone. When you sign up for a teleclass, I get the notice. And when you don’t show up, well, I get that notice too.
Like the majority of people in cyberland, I’m a real person. And a little courtesy goes a long way.
Hey, thanks for listening.
