Teleseminars, Audio Downloads, Podcasts: Listen Up So You'll Learn and Earn More

Internet Marketers love audio. You can't blame them. They used to have to spend weeks, or even months, writing an ebook to have something to sell. Now, they just pick a hot topic, interview an expert for a couple of hours with the recorder turned on, and Bam! They've got a hot new information product.

The audience for these products seem to love audio too. It's certainly quicker than reading a book. Because it can be produced more quickly, information can be more timely. One late summer day in 2005, Google changed how it ranked AdWords. That same night a teleseminar on the subject drew thousands of listeners.

Audio is Great Except for One Problem

Audio looks to be a perfect medium for online learning and communication except for one thing. A lot of folks don't know how to listen very well. Not the kind of listening you need to do if you're going to learn something.

Check with participants right after a teleseminar ends and they say they learned a lot. Ask them about it a few days later and most report they've forgotten exactly what it was they learned. That's true whether it's a seminar, a podcast, or even an audio download. Even when they have the file, most people don't listen more than once.

Listening to learn and to retain is actually a skill that has to be developed. It's not hard. You just have to know a few tricks. Once you do you'll be able to hang on to the key parts of what you hear. You'll remember new knowledge so you can apply it to your own marketing and business efforts. You'll start listening to learn and earn more.

5 Tips For Honing Your Listening Skills So You Can Learn More

Prepare. Give some thought in advance to what the speaker will talk about. Try to determine what you know and don't know about the subject. That way, when the presentation starts, you'll be ready to pick up on those areas you don't know as much about. Download and review any material provided in advance. If you have time, search for related material online and scan to get more background on the subject.

Focus. Once the speaker starts, concentrate. That's actually not as easy as it sounds. Our minds think 4 times faster than a presenter speaks. That's why it's so easy to find your mind wandering while listening. Three quarters of the time your mind is twiddling it's virtual thumbs! You've just got to keep bringing your attention back to the subject. Also, make sure you eliminate distractions. Instead of gripping a phone handset, use a speakerphone or headset. If you're attending a seminar, make sure to sit where you can see and hear clearly.

Find Your Purpose. Determine both before and during the presentation what makes it important TO YOU. It needs to have a purpose - a concrete, vivid reason. You won't have much motivation to listen without one. If it turns out you can't find a purpose, stop listening. Go on to something that uses your time more effectively.

Look for Patterns. Visualize the patterns of organization in what's being said. It will help you remember key points. Patterns are easier to recall than isolated facts. For example, how does the speaker begin and end each topic? With a brief summary of the main idea? What about details or examples? Are they used to make certain points? Can you easily see the relationship between the points presented? It's likely you'll find more organization in prepared speeches and seminar presentations than teleconferences, particularly interviews. But presenters almost always start with some idea of structure even if they drift off course. Do your best to find it.

Take Notes. It's true what they told you back in school. Taking notes enhances listening and recall. When you take notes, though, don't go overboard with detail or they just become another distraction. Tie them to the patterns and structure you find. Not everything is equally important. Be selective. Think of your notes in terms of review. The one thing that really helps recall is what almost no one does: review notes after the presentation and in the future.

Listen Well and You'll Learn and Earn More

Listening to learn is a skill you have to develop. You've just seen five tips that will help. Once you do you'll be able to more easily remember what you hear in teleseminars, podcasts and audios. You'll remember new knowledge so you can apply it to your own marketing and business efforts. You'll start actively listening and you'll learn and earn more.

Ronald A Murphy is a Copywriter and Graphic Designer specializing in Direct Response and Internet Marketing. Murphy writes and designs sales letters, direct mail packages, inserts, web sales pages, direct email, newsletters for marketing, Internet articles, white papers, and other sales focused materials. He provides expertise to clients serving financial, business, technology, health, opportunity and fundraising markets.

For more information on copywriting and marketing, visit his site at RAMurphy.com. There you can subscribe to his newsletter, R A Murphy's Copywriting and Design Tips. You can also read Murphy's Blog on Copywriting and Design for Internet and Direct marketing at RonaldAMurphy.com.

Copyright 2005 Ronald A Murphy. Permission to reproduce this article in any form is freely given so long as the text and this credit box stays as is without modifications.

Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Audio-Streaming Articles from EzineArticles.com




• Use Online Audio to Make a More Personal Connection
  Audio can be the perfect vehicle for business owners to distribute their message and promote their business. It makes a stronger connection than just written text, and it's easier to produce than high-quality video.
  Read more
  
  
• How to Start Internet Radio - The Essentials and Platform
  Online audio streaming is the way to go in this day and age - it frees you from the limitations of traditional radio broadcasting. Here's why it's a good idea to start internet radio broadcasting:
  Read more
  
  
• Start Online Radio Broadcasting - 3 Tips
  The World Wide Web is a great place for a radio station - the reach is global and the costs are less. Given below are some tips to help you start online radio broadcasting:
  Read more
  
  
• The Basics of Audio and Video "Resolution"
  Understanding resolutions can be a challenge. I clearly remember the days of questioning what all these mysterious statistics signify. The primary key to consider that the increased the resolution, the better the product.
  Read more
  
  
• Local Newspapers Online
  You can read about any event occurring in any part of the world from the local newspaper of that area. You just need to click a few links and you can reach a number of news sources of different areas. You can easily reach to your own informed opinion by accessing a variety of newspapers each having its own point of view.
  Read more
  
  
• Exclusive Casino Bonus
  If you are a big fan of poker, there are plenty of sites to cater to your need as well. There are different types of the game that are available online. This includes the Seven-card stud and Omaha and many others. Here, the players compete with each other and the house makes the money through the rake.
  Read more
  
  
• The Benefits Of Streaming Audio On Your Website
  You maybe surprised to hear that streaming audio on your website is now more affordable than it ever was before, and can provide a number of great benefits. Take a look at the following information in order to understand the subject better. Discover what audio streaming can do for your website in terms of sales and trust.
  Read more
  
  
• Streaming Audio - What Is It and What Are the Advantages?
  Streaming audio is a rapidly evolving technology, that has substantially changed the way we listen to radio and television broadcasts. It has allowed the broadcasting medium to merge with the internet.
  Read more
  
  
• Camtasia Studio - 3 Easy Steps
  Camtasia Studio Software or Camtasia screen recorder by TechSmith is a new easy to use video editing software that will help you create professional looking presentations or screencast. Create blogs, videos and presentations that will look like it was created by professionals to impress your boss, clients or even other students. For those wanting to know, the Camtasia screen recorder is very easy to use. With just three easy steps, your screencast will be ready for everyone to see.
  Read more
  
  
• What Is a Podcast? Podcasting Terminology Explained
  As you begin your career online or extend your outreach to a growing audience, you may be considering podcasting. This article discusses what podcasting is and explains some of the technology in terms that anyone can understand.
  Read more
  
  
• What Netflix Knows and the Reason You Should Be Hosting Teleclasses
  I remember when a friend told me about Netflix and that I should check it out. At the time I thought it was a neat idea however that's as far as it got. I wasn't a big movie renter so it didn't make sense for me, however they would soon provide a service that would change everything.
  Read more
  
  
• Add An Audio Button To Your Sales Letter In Three Easy Parts
  Making a video and adding it to your sales letter is hard. Split testing takes awhile but one very simple improvement you can make to your webpage is adding an audio button. It takes you a few minutes.
  Read more
  
  
• Free Digital Music Distribution
  In case you are an up-and-coming singer or a musician who is selling your music online, it is important to have a plan that will allow you to make a lot of money from this. As you can imagine, the music industry can be a tough one and it will be easier to sell music if have an established a name. But, if you are an aspiring singer you could still earn money with your talent from selling music online.
  Read more
  
  
• 6 Reasons To Consider Adding Webinars to Promote Your Product
  Have you ever attended an in home show? Maybe it was for make-up/skincare, kitchenware, or products for the boudoir. If not, here's a look at the setup. There's a hostess with several of her friends excited to see what products the presenter has in store. There may be light refreshments or heavy refreshments depending on the hostess and everyone sits around listening to the presentation. In home shows are major boosters for direct sales.
  Read more
  
  
• Audio Streaming for WordPress
  Audio streaming is an underutilized tool that can enhance the communication between you and your customer. WordPress has a few plug ins that make it very easy to add audio to your website. When we take a closer look you will see how easy it is to add audio to any page of your website.
  Read more