In the book “Duct Tape Marketing” by John Jantsch (subtitle: “The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide”), there’s a paragraph in Chapter 2 titled “What You Really Sell.” Here’s an excerpt of that paragraph:
“Here’s the funny thing about business. You don’t sell what it is you claim to offer. You sell what the eventual buyers think they are going to get from your product. For instance, insurance sales folks don’t sell insurance; they sell peace of mind. Chiropractors don’t sell neck adjustments; they sell some form of relief.”
Virtual event platforms sell a lot of things. To some degree, the term “virtual events” is an injustice (or misnomer), based on the wide variety of applications supported by today’s platforms. In fact, I wrote previously in a “virtual events futures column” that the term “virtual events” would disappear by 2011.
I don’t know whether my 2011 prediction will come true, but I do expect that by later this year, the “virtual” qualifier will start to be dropped, in favor of broader names. With that being said, and in the spirit of Duct Tape Marketing, here’s my Top 10 List of what virtual “events” really do:
- Sales Pipeline Fueler
- Learning Platform
- Analyst Relations Venue
- Product Launch System
- HR Recruitment Engine
- Partner Community Enabler
- Corporate Training System
- Content Distribution Platform
- Revenue Generator
- A Marketer’s Ultimate Dream
Each of these terms better describes “what the eventual buyers think they are going to get from your product” than the term “virtual event.”
Share with us your thoughts – when you “purchase” a virtual event, what is it you’re really getting?
Posted by Dennis Shiao 
It's All Virtual 