Many small companies know a great deal about their field and say very little of it in public. A big conference stand or a full webinar series feels like too much work, so nothing happens. A short online talk for existing customers and a few warm contacts is a much smaller step, and it can be prepared in about half a day.
The aim is modest. You want customers to see that you understand their problem, give them one thing they can use this week and make it easy to talk to you afterwards. It is not a sales pitch, and it works best when it does not sound like one.
Choosing the topic
Start from questions, not from your service list. Look at the last three months of customer emails, support requests and sales calls, and write down the questions that came up more than once. Good topics sound like this: "How do we decide whether to automate this report?" or "What should we check before changing our booking system?" Poor topics sound like "Introducing our new services".
Pick one question and test it with three tests:
- Is it narrow enough? If the answer needs more than three main points, split it into two talks.
- Can you show something real? A worked example from your own work (with customer details removed or with permission) is worth more than a general list.
- Does it lead somewhere? There should be an obvious next step, such as a free check, a template or a short call, but it should be optional.
If you have written a one-page case study, it is a good source for the worked example.
The 30-minute running order
Short sessions have a better chance of being attended and finished. A simple structure:
| Minutes | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | Welcome, who you are, what the talk covers and that slides will be sent afterwards |
| 2–17 | The main content: the problem, three points and what to do about each |
| 17–22 | One worked example, shown step by step |
| 22–30 | Questions, then the one next step you offer |
Use no more than ten slides, with one idea on each. Put the three main points on a single slide that you return to, so latecomers can catch up. Ask a colleague to watch the chat and pass you questions, so you can keep talking without losing the thread. Record the session if the tool allows it, but tell people at the start that you are recording.
Practise once, out loud, with a timer. Most first talks run long because the introduction grows. If you are over time at the halfway mark, cut the worked example, not the questions.
Invitation and reminder
Send the invitation about two weeks ahead to customers and contacts who have agreed to hear from you. Keep it to four lines: the question the talk answers, the date and time, how long it lasts and that a recording or slides will follow. Send a reminder the day before with the link. Do not add people to the list just for this talk; use the contacts you already have a reason to email, as you would for a short customer newsletter.
Choose a time that suits your customers rather than you. For office-based customers, mid-morning on a Tuesday or Wednesday is usually better than Monday or Friday. Keep the registration form to a name and an email address; every extra field loses people.
Following up within two days
The follow-up decides whether the talk was worth the effort. Send one email to everyone who registered, within two days, while the topic is fresh. Treat attendees and non-attendees slightly differently:
- Attended: thank them, give the slides and a three-line summary, and repeat the one next step.
- Registered but did not attend: say you missed them, link the recording or slides and keep the same next step.
If someone asked a question you could not answer in the session, reply to them personally. These are your warmest contacts. For the rest, a routine like the one in our article on following up after a trade fair or event works just as well here. Record who replied and what they asked in your customer list, so the next person who speaks to them knows.
Keeping it legal and tidy
Think about data before you invite anyone. If you email people who are not existing customers, you need to be able to show you have a lawful basis and, for marketing messages, consent or a clear exception, and each email needs a simple way to opt out. If you record the session, say so, and do not keep recordings that show attendees' faces or names longer than you need to. This is general guidance, not legal advice; the sources below explain the rules for UK businesses.
Common mistakes
- Too many topics. A talk that tries to cover everything answers nothing.
- A sales pitch in disguise. If the first slide is about your company history, people leave.
- No owner for the chat. Questions go unanswered and attendees feel ignored.
- No follow-up. Most of the value is in the two days after the session.
- Counting only sign-ups. Registrations are a poor measure; look at attendance and replies.
Where AI can help, and where it should not
An AI assistant can help turn your list of customer questions into candidate topics, draft a running order from your notes or tidy a summary of the session for the follow-up email. It should not invent examples, figures or customer stories, and you should never paste customer names or private details into a public tool. Read every line it drafts before it goes out under your name.
What to do this month
- List the five questions customers asked most often in the last three months.
- Pick one and write the three main points on a single page.
- Book a 30-minute slot three weeks ahead and name a colleague to watch the chat.
- Draft the invitation, the reminder and the two follow-up emails before the talk.
- After the session, note attendance, questions and replies, and decide whether to repeat the format.
Sources
- ICO, Direct marketing and privacy and electronic communications: rules on marketing emails, consent and opting out.
- GOV.UK, Data protection and your business: basic duties when you hold and use personal data.
- GOV.UK, Marketing and advertising: the law: legal requirements for marketing and advertising.
