Click here to Register for the Monthly Parents Toolshop Teleseminars

A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO TELESEMINARS

1. What is a Teleseminar?

Teleseminars use technology called a "bridge-line." Small bridge-lines allow up to 15-30 people at a time, while larger bridge-lines can handle up to several hundred people! You don't need any special equipment to participate - just a standard telephone.

Teleseminars are like making a long distance call to a friend, but instead of connecting with just one friend - you connect with a large group. No Internet connections are involved! You can participate from home, work, even on the road!

While still new for some people, teleseminars are rapidly becoming quite common and extremely popular as an inexpensive, easy-to-use training method. You can save travel costs and scheduling hassles by participating from the comfort of your own home or car. Skip the dress clothes and makeup --- attend in your pajamas and slippers if you want, we'll never know!

2. Is there a charge for the Teleseminar?

Some teleseminars may charge a fee for attending, but that is a "class fee" just like any other workshop fee and is not related to the seminar being delivered by telephone. You will know up front if there is a fee for the teleseminar itself and will order/pay for it like you would any other on-line product.

The only cost involved in attending free teleseminars is whatever long distance charges you might have to access the bridge-line number. This depends on your long-distance carrier. With free cell minutes and competitive long distance phone charges, your long-distance charges may cost very little or nothing.

3. What happens during the Teleseminar?

Parents Toolshop® Teleseminars are an interactive combination of information sharing by the instructor and participants. It usually follows the format of check-in and introductions from 5 minutes before the call to 2-3 minutes after the scheduled start time. Next, there is usually a brief presentation or group discussion of a topic. Then the moderator opens the lines for questions, comments or group problem-solving.

4. What number should I dial?

You must register for each teleseminar to receive the call-in instructions. Dial the teleseminar number you are given. You will be asked to enter the access code (followed by the # sign). Do that and you will automatically connect to the conference call. It's that simple!

5. What if I can't attend the teleseminar live? Any way I can get a recording of it?

Usually, each teleseminar will be recorded! If you can't attend the live teleseminar, catch it on the replay! Just register for the teleseminar to receive a link to the call recording when it's ready. Burn it to a CD and listen to it while you are running errands or waiting for the kids at their lessons! Listen to it again and again --- whenever you need a quick tip or boost of confidence.

TELESEMINAR ETIQUETTE TIPS

• Schedule uninterrupted time. Other than taking notes, do not multi-task while on the call. You will miss critical information and will not fully benefit from the experience.

• Call in on time, or just a couple of minutes ahead. This will give you an opportunity to introduce yourself to the group, pose questions you’d like answered during the call or make any comments to the moderator before the teleseminar starts.

• Call from a quiet location. Barking dogs, crying children, ringing phones, co-workers’ conversations, and even clicking keyboards can be heard by everyone on the call. Those background noises make it difficult to hear each other and usually result in that section of the teleseminar being edited out of the recording. If you experience an unexpected noise, do the following:

1. Mute your own phone (with your mute button or *6) unless you are asking a question.

2. If a problematic noise continues, the moderator will identify the noise and ask that participant to hit *6.

3. If the noise doesn’t stop, the moderator will ask everyone to hit *6 unless they are asking a question or making a comment.

4. If the sound continues, the moderator will have to mute out all lines, except the host and any guest experts. We want all lines open, especially for the Q & A period, so you can interact. But if noise distractions are interfering with everyone hearing the content and the ability to record the call, the moderator will opt to mute the call-in lines for a brief time.

5. If the moderator want to do Q&A while the lines are muted he/she will give you instructions for how unmute your line to ask your question.

• Disable call-waiting or everyone on the call will hear the beeping when your calls come in. If this happens, the moderator will follow the steps above.

• Have a land-line phone handy. Technology is advancing to the point that usually you can use a cell phone or cordless phone for the call. This enables you to use a headset, so you can free your hands to write notes, or use free long-distance minutes. However, sometimes these types of phone connections can result in unexpected humming, buzzing or other distracting background noises. If this happens, the moderator will begin taking the steps outlined above. If you are on a cell or cordless phone, you may need to hang up and call back in on a land-line phone to eliminate this problem.

• When commenting and/or asking a question, announce your name and where you are from, "Hi! I'm (Name) from (State), and (question/comment)" Always be brief and to the point. Please try to present your question/situation as generally as possible, so more parents can ask questions and all the parents on the call can benefit from the answers. For example, say you are having a problem getting your children to go to bed. Instead of telling a long, detailed story about the individual circumstances of your situation, ask a general question like, "What is the best way to get children to go to bed without delaying the process with lame excuses?"

• Avoid cross-talk between class members that interrupts with the flow of the class. It's common to start speaking at the same time as someone else and the moderator can't tell who spoke. The moderator will usually confirm names to put on a list to speak. If you don't hear your name, wait a few seconds for others to speak and then speak up.

• Pay attention, participate, take lots of notes and have fun! This is a great way to learn!

Click here to Register for the Monthly Parents Toolshop Teleseminars