How To Market A Seminar
Copyright 2005 The Powerful Promoter
Have you ever left a seminar thinking: I could have done a
better job than that! Before you start signing up
attendees, take a few minutes to think about what you are
getting into. Putting on a seminar involves planning,
time, and money. Understanding the ins and outs of the
industry will go a long way in helping you hold a
successful seminar. That・s where I come in. Over the
past 4 years, I have put on over 4,000 seminars, and a
handful of national conventions. I will help you plan the
event, and make sure that someone shows up!
The first thing that you need to consider is your purpose
for holding the seminar. Are you trying to make money on
ticket sales? Or money after the class? Are you just
trying to get people in the door? Your goal of the seminar
will play a huge role in the marketing method that you
choose. Don・t be afraid to think outside of the box here.
Many companies will try to make the most money possible on
all fronts. This greedy train of thought will leave your
seminar lacking some very important elements. Choose one
and stick with it. Many seminar gurus know that the real
money in the seminar business is in the after class sales.
This could be follow-up work from your instructor, a
subsequent training seminar, an add-on product, etc. You
want everyone to leave with something in their hand.
Now that you have your goal set, its time to put butts in
chairs! Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that a
successful seminar has to cost a lot of money. If your
overall goal is to get after the class sales, or fill up a
room consider some of these options:
Give it away! It's a radical idea, but one that I have
grown to know and love. By offering the class for free,
you eliminate many of the barriers to the sale. Price is
not an issue, and they will expect less from you. That
doesn't mean that you should skimp on content, but their
expectations will be considerably lower. If you have the
resources and time, consider making a pre-seminar call to
touch base with everyone that is signed up. This will
encourage the students to show up on time, and help built a
relationship for future sales.
Submit a press release. Create a simple press release (1
page or less) highlighting your company and your seminar.
Don・t forget to include your registration phone number.
Submit that release to your local paper, and wait for the
phone to ring. If the paper decides to pick it up- you get
free publicity!
Cross-marketing opportunities. Depending on the seminar,
you may be able to find cross marketing opportunities. For
instance, if you were doing a financial based seminar
teaching students how to file their taxes, you could pair
up with a local tax preparation office or accountant. They
could pick up half of the marketing tab, or advertise to
their existing client base. The possibilities are endless.
I have had some great results by pairing with the local
chamber of commerce or bank chains. They will offer their
seminar space for free, and help with free advertising.
Local paper. Get a price quote from your local paper.
Small town publications will usually cost less than $500
dollars, while metropolitan areas can run as much as $2000.
Mailers. Direct mail is always a popular choice, but tends
to cost a bit more to execute. Consider forgoing the
expensive four color brochure in place of a targeted
letter, hand signed. They cost a lot less to reproduce and
tend to draw more attention than a mass mailer. Postcards
are also an inexpensive way to reach a large group of
people. Consider sending your mailers to pre-existing
customers or you can buy a targeted mailing list from
companies like www.infousa.com.
No matter what method you choose, try to get your campaign
rolling 2-3 weeks prior to the seminar. The marketing
pieces should be in their hands within that time, anything
before or after will likely go unnoticed.
Now that you have attendees, you need to focus on the
seminar itself. There are many barriers to adult learning,
but they are easy to overcome. The main one that I have
come across has to do with the format of the class. You
want to create an environment that will encourage teamwork
and participation. The instructor plays a huge role in the
overall feel of the seminar. They need to guide the
students to the right answers, allowing them to try to find
the answers in their workbooks or among each other. When
creating a workbook, keep the sentences short and to the
point. Avoid grammatical errors and long drawn out
paragraphs. When possible, use bullet points to break up
large amounts of data. If the subject warrants it, add
plenty of graphics or screenshots. Over 65% of the general
population is visual learners, so make sure to give them
plenty to see.
Last but not least, focus on the seminar itself. Don・t
get caught up in catered lunches or complex setups. Offer
tea and coffee and plenty of breaks throughout the day.
They are there to learn and hopefully give you their money,
the rest is just details!
Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few
short hours.
Recent Entrepreneur Magazine・s e-Biz radio show host is
turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight
Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The
Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's
Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at
http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticlePros.com and/or its partners.
