Full (Virtual) House
Software seller Optika Inc. found a way to slash costs in one of its direct marketing channels by 50%. Instead of hosting earthbound seminars in hotels to introduce products to prospects, Optika holds seminars online through a Web site and conference call.
These Webinars enabled the company to boost the number of meetings from one a quarter to one a month. Plus, Optika can accommodate more people at each get-together, and attendance is no longer limited to those within driving distance of the hotel.
Colorado Springs, CO-based Optika develops and sells software to help companies scan, store and organize large amounts of paperwork. Like a lot of software companies, Optika arranges group meetings with prospects to demonstrate products. This is more cost-effective than visiting potential customers one by one, and is a good way to gauge interest and gather data to for follow-up calls.
Premiere Conferencing, headquartered in Lenexa, KS, handles Optika’s Webinars. It has seen a 120% upsurge in business for the service Optika uses between November 2000 and November 2001. Since Sept. 11,
