Reassuring Nervous Seminar Prospects

Address Unspoken Questions to Secure More Seminar Registrations

It often seems that for every person who signs up for a seminar, there’s at least one or two more who are undecided about attending.

Some are uncertain because they have financial concerns and aren’t sure they’ll receive enough value for their investment. Convincing these prospects to register takes highly persuasive copy and lots of follow-up.

But other prospects are easier to reassure. Emotionally, they are sold on participating. But the logical part of their brain needs to be set at ease about committing to participation in your seminar.

To move these individuals off the fence and onto your registration list, provide answers to common questions about your event. Questions that relate to the registration fee are top priority, such as “What is your satisfaction guarantee?” “What if I have to cancel?” and “What’s included in my registration fee?”

But don’t overlook questions that seem to be trivial, such as “What should I wear?” “What about meals?” and “How do I get to the hotel?” The more you’re able to help prospects visualize their entire seminar experience, the more at ease they’ll be … and the fewer obstacles will stand between you and another registration.

To make these details easy to find, post a list of frequently asked questions on your website or include a page of seminar details and common questions in your brochure. Sending a direct mail package? Consider including an insert with your seminar FAQs.

To register for a seminar, prospects need to be  convinced that the event will deliver an experience that is worth their money, as well as their time. Each additional detail you provide about your event could make the difference in convincing a prospect that your seminar is a must-attend event.

July 1, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Copywriting, Overcoming Objections  No Comments

Leverage Past Attendees: Get Past Attendees to Promote Your Seminars

Past attendees are a valuable, yet often-overlooked, source of leads for your seminars. Not only can past attendees endorse your seminar, they also are likely to know other people like themselves — people who should be attending your event.

Yet, some promoters don’t market to past attendees. After all, they’ve already attended … so why would they want to pay to attend again?

Other promoters will include past attendees in their marketing. They send their seminar promotions, such as a brochure or email, and hope that past participants think to forward the information to anyone who might be interested.

But you can do more. To leverage your customer relationships to produce greater results, incorporate one or more of these ideas into your marketing mix:

  1. Incorporate a specific request into your seminar brochure, letter or other materials. Ask recipients to share the promotion with friends, relatives or colleagues who might be interested in attending.
  2. Send past attendees a separate promotion (e.g., a cover sheet with your seminar brochure or an email blast) to solicit their help. Acknowledge that they attended your event in the past, and tell them that you’d appreciate their help in spreading the word about your upcoming seminar.
  3. To make it easy for past attendees to identify people who might be interested in your event, describe your target audience to them. The more specific you are, the better you’ll be able to help jog their memory. In addition to using demographics and other descriptors (e.g., job title, education, location, age, gender, etc.), think about what your prospects want to accomplish. For example, rather than “seminar promoters,” I could describe my ideal prospects as “public speakers who are ready to host their own events,” “seminar coordinators at associations,” or “consultants who want to use seminars to generate qualified leads.”
  4. It also may be helpful to include a list of complaints, frustrations or challenges that your audience is dealing with. These serve as “red flags” to help past attendees identify people who are struggling with a problem that your event will help to solve. Some of the complaints I hear include registration numbers that are falling because of the economy and not knowing where to start when marketing a seminar.

If you deliver an excellent seminar that is full of value, past attendees often will be willing to spread the word merely because of their satisfaction. They’ve benefited from your training, which makes them comfortable recommending your seminar to the people closest to them. However, you might want to sweeten the pot by offering a commission for every registration they help to generate.

Regardless of whether you offer a financial reward, be sure to make it easy to spread the word abut your seminar. Provide the marketing materials you want past attendees to use, and give them clear instructions about when and how you want them to publicize your event.

June 10, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Affiliate marketing, Marketing Plans, Marketing Strategy, Prospects for marketing  No Comments

8 Sources for Securing Paid Speaking Engagements

By Guest Author Mary McKay, TurnkeySpeaker.com

Wouldn’t it be great if your speaking calendar was full of paid speaking engagements that others generated for you? 

If you are one of very few speakers who get all of your engagements from bureaus, web inquiries or call-ins, do what ever it takes to keep those coming. But even the fortunate, high-profile few need to stay current, sharp and proactive to generate continued interest from bureaus.  If you’re a general who won the war, your paid engagements will decrease after the next war. If your bestseller is new, enjoy it while it lasts! Out of sight; out of mind. 

The majority of prospective, new and even seasoned speakers have to create and continue marketing campaigns through either direct mail campaigns, the media, Internet marketing or prospecting.

Here are eight (8) sources for bookings:

  1. Speaker bureaus. The most prominent ones belong to a worldwide trade association of speaker agencies and bureaus called, The International Association of Speakers Bureaus. There are approximately 110 member bureaus listed at the time of this writing. Check them out at http://www.iasbweb.org
  2. Special interests bureaus, sometimes called agencies. They may be either small or large, but they usually represent speakers in the same industry such as the health care field who have full time medical careers and are asked to speak only occasionally. You may find those that support certain religious beliefs or the interests of other special groups.
  3. Speaker management company. A speaker management company generally handles all inquiries and bookings exclusively for speakers, meaning they answer incoming calls, web inquiries, e-mails and letters regarding a speaker. No matter where the lead originates, they get a percentage of that speaker’s speaking fee or in some cases a monthly retainer for their administrative support. This is great for professionals who are still involved in their field of expertise (such as medical personnel, politicians and journalists still on the job) and do not want to be bothered by answering inquiries. But generally speaking the management company does not prospect or solicit for engagements.  
  4. Agencies. I call these speaker boutiques. They are usually closed to others and represent the interests of only a few speakers. One example is actually the office of nine motivational speakers who refer each other and have all of their administrative needs handled at one location.   
  5. Independent agents. They’re great if you can find one, but there aren’t many. I used to call my company “an agency of selected speakers.” I represented three speakers exclusively and intermittently placed others. Some independent agents grow into bureaus. Some independent agents represent only one speaker. 
  6. Employees as representatives. If you have the space to have a desk, computer and phone, this is a great way to ensure that someone represents you in the manner you desire. These employees may be either in the office of a speaker or may operate virtually. 
  7. Your significant other. Many speakers are fortunate enough to have someone in their lives who believe in them to the degree that they begin to help in some capacity in organizing and managing the business. Who better understands your expertise? Your significant other may have even fallen in love with you because of your public stature, reputation and passion for what you do.
  8. Yourself. It’s a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t. It will also keep you humble. Unfortunately, this is where many speakers’ dreams die. Because the process hasn’t been systematized, disappointing results, rejection and financial demands dilute prospecting and positioning efforts. You’ll have more than one dividend to putting in the hours daily position yourself and prospect for leads. When you can no longer do it, hire someone to qualify leads for you. Gradually delegate additional booking responsibilities.
     
    Most speakers begin by booking themselves. My recommendation is to identify an in-house candidate, script her/him, hold her/him accountable and pay a commission for performance. 

Even if you have a great public relations campaign or a viral marketing campaign, do not wait for your phone to ring.  Take action now!

* * * Learn More — Educational Teleseminar * * *

“What Every Public Speaker Ought to Know About Securing PAID Speaking Engagements!”

Learn detailed strategies to position yourself as a professional speaker, prospect for speaking engagements, and profit from teaching others what you know.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
8 pm EDT / 7 pm CDT / 5 pm PDT

http://tinyurl.com/pmay2c

And yes, a replay will be available! Sign up here for access:

http://tinyurl.com/pmay2c

May 19, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Public Speaking  No Comments

Identify the Red Flags

Whether you’re trying to figure out what keywords to bid on, what topics to write about when posting articles online, or merely what words to use when promoting your seminars, it’s key to put yourself in your prospects’ shoes.

Be your ideal customer for a minute … and think about:

  • What do you really want? 
  • What solutions are you seeking? 
  • What dreams are you pursuing? 
  • What problems are you desperate to solve?

The answers you come up with provide valuable clues about how to hook your prospects … and even position your event.

Some of your prospects might not know the proper terminology for what you offer and/or what they need. For example, I recently consulted with an expert who is new to the seminar business. She expressed relief at finally finding my website because she hadn’t known what keywords to use when trying to find someone who could help her. Listening to her describe her needs and what keywords she had used to try finding me gave me insight into other ways I can describe and market my services, products and events.

Other prospects may not recognize how big their need really is or what they need to solve their problems. Many promoters who contact me are concerned about how to improve their marketing materials, but don’t realize that their mailing list is just as critical to their success. If I talked only about creating a mailing list, my promotions would hold little interest for my prospects. But if I focus on what my prospects think they need, I stand a better chance of capturing their interest.

Talking to prospective customers can help you pinpoint the words and phrases they use when talking about their problems and desired solutions. Regurgitate their words when writing your copy to ensure your language resonates with them.

Want more ideas for writing killer seminar copy? Check out my home study course, How to Successfully Market Seminars and Workshops.

May 13, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Audience, Copywriting, Marketing Research  No Comments

Why Do Potential Affiliates Refuse to Participate?

Affiliate marketing — asking other experts and organizations to promote your seminars, workshops, teleseminars and webinars in exchange for a commission — is a tool every event marketer should use to fill seats.

But many seminar promoters get frustrated by the rejection they face from affiliates. Prospective affiliates don’t respond to their phone calls and emails soliciting help on a campaign. Other affiliates agree to participate, but then don’t follow through and send out promotions.

If you’ve run into these frustrating situations, take a step back and consider the following:

* Did you explain your marketing campaign in terms of “WIIFM”? Prospective affiliates need to understand more than how your event will help their subscribers and clients. They need to understand how they personally will benefit from promoting your event.

In other words, show them the money — spell out exactly how quickly their affiliate commissions can add up to big bucks. If you have data about how well your promotional materials are converting for yourself and for other affiliates, definitely share these numbers. (But make clear that you’re not guaranteeing the same response for their list.)

* Explain affiliate marketing in terms they understand. Many people do not understand what an affiliate is … so why would they agree to become one? Explain what an affiliate is — essentially, a commissioned salesperson. More importantly, thoroughly explain what you expect them to do and how you easy you’ll make it to participate.

* Put yourself in your affiliates’ shoes. Most experts are busy. Really, really busy. Their lack of response is probably not a sign of disinterest or dislike — more likely, they simply haven’t had the time to respond. Polite and repeated follow-up is the key to winning affiliate participation.

* Understand what you’re really asking. Many experts are uncomfortable enough promoting their own products and services to their subscribers. If you want them to overcome their reluctance and send multiple emails about your events, you need to make it very much worth their effort and perceived risk.

* Repackage your offer. For some experts, promoting events or products for a small commission isn’t worth the effort. Others can’t or won’t accept a commission. For them, offer to extend a discount to their subscribers that’s equal to what you’re willing to pay as a commission.

Using affiliates to spread the word about your event is an easy and low-cost way to fill more seats. Use these tips to encourage greater participation and build stronger relationships with your affiliates.

April 2, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Affiliate marketing, Uncategorized  No Comments

Dr. Ralph Elliott is giving you a $10 discount …

Breaking news — I just got word that Dr. Ralph Elliott, Executive Director of the Effective Seminar Marketing Institute, is offering my readers a $10 discount on his upcoming 1-hour webinar with Brad Kleinman, Chief eMarketing Officer of WorkSmart eMarketing.

To claim your $10 discount on “Fill Your Annual Conferences with
Effective Microsite Marketing,” here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to http://worksmart-emarketing.com/fillyourconference/
2. Go to the registration page.
3. Type “Hamby” into the discount code box.
4. Click “Update Cart” and finish checking out.

Enjoy!

April 2, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

When Is a Marketing Lead Too Old?

When working with a limited budget, you need to make tough decisions about where you want to invest your marketing dollars. If you have enough funds to send a single direct mail package to your entire list or three direct mail packages to a third of your list, it makes sense to carefully choose who is “worthy” of receiving your direct mail package — in other words, who is most likely to respond to your offer.

Candidates for the “A” list could include people who have recently joined your list, customers who have purchased within the past six months, prospects within driving distance of your event, and your most loyal clients. You’d spend the most marketing dollars on these prospects, while relying on free and low-cost tools to reach your B-quality prospects.

While segmenting your database, you might be tempted to delete the oldest and least responsive names. After all, why waste time and money contacting them if they obviously aren’t interested in participating in your events?

It’s true that removing inactive prospects from your list can free up marketing dollars which then can be devoted to reaching more responsive customers.

However, don’t delete the names. Keep them in a separate sublist if you must. But don’t get rid of the names entirely. You never know when someone will be ready to attend your event. If you delete the names, you may miss the opportunity to make a sale. Plus, even if these prospects haven’t bought in years, it’s entirely possible that they’re referring colleagues and friends to you events.

The bottom line is that you’ve worked hard for every lead in your database. Although you may want to reduce the amount of time and money you spend marketing to the least responsive segments of your databse, don’t eliminate them from your list entirely. Instead, mail to them occasionally — once a year even — to gently remind them that you’re still around.

March 25, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Database Management, Guerrilla Marketing, Marketing Strategy  No Comments

Are Prospects Missing the Value of Your Seminar?

“I deliver a great seminar. But my prospects don’t see the value in taking a day from their businesses to attend my event.”

If this sounds familiar, it is possible that your event really isn’t worth the time investment participants would need to make to attend. Perhaps your seminar doesn’t deliver content that is timely, relevant to your audience, important to them, or critical to know NOW. It’s also possible that the content you’re delivering is readily available in other formats that are easier to access.

Most likely, though, you’re not adequately communicating the real value of your event.

If prospects read or listen to your promotions and don’t understand why attending is so important that they should schedule a day away from their regular lives, you need to do a better job of explaining what the event is about. The communication you’re sending is the only thing you have control over; you can’t force the recipients “get it.” If your message isn’t connecting, it’s time to tinker with your message.

Look at your promotions from your prospects’ perspective, and ask yourself the following questions to identify areas where you can improve your copy:

  1. Do you understand why it’s urgent to attend now — why waiting a few months or a year to attend will be detrimental to your success … or even survival?
  2. Is it clear how you’ll benefit by attending a seminar vs. obtaining this information via a teleseminar, report or simple online research?
  3. Does the copy adequately explain what will be taught — and provide such an overwhelming amount of proof that you know with total certainty that you’ll gain a ton of valuable information by attending?
  4. Do you have the impression that attending will give you a competitive advantage … and that not attending could put you at a disadvantage?
  5. Do you understand how attending will give you the knowledge and skills to produce a positive return on investment?
  6. Is there any indication of how big of an ROI you could potentially see … or how fast you’ll recoup your investment?
  7. Are there testimonials from other people like you who have attended this training in the past?
  8. Are you 100 percent sure that the seminar applies to you? Does the copy list your profession or title under “Who Should Attend”?
  9. Does the copy describe the problem(s) the seminar will solve … and the solution(s) you’ll get by participating?
  10. Is the seminar delivering significantly more value than you’ll invest to attend?

If, after reviewing these questions, you’re still having a hard time identifying where your copy could be strengthened, get feedback from people who aren’t familiar with your seminar.

For the most valuable input, seek out people who would make ideal prospects for your seminar. Ask them to share their candid feedback about your promotional materials, and invite their ideas for making your offer irresistible.

March 12, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Audience, Copywriting, Marketing Strategy  One Comment

3 Tips for Marketing to Approving Managers

Having companies, associations and other organizations as clients is good — and bad — for your business.

On the downside, if organizations cut their travel or training budgets, your registration levels will be impacted.

On the other hand, organizations represent a potentially long-lasting revenue stream. An individual usually will attend your seminar one time, but an organization can send multiple employees to you for training. As those employees leave or change jobs within the company, new hires are brought in to replace them — and they’ll need the same training.

To capitalize on this opportunity, the first thing you should do is pull out your registration form. Do you ask for the name of the attendee’s approving manager? If not, add it to your form immediately. 

Next, ensure that you’re capturing and segmenting these names in your database. Approving managers are worth the effort of creating additional marketing materials that specifically address their desires and needs.

Here are three tips for marketing to approving managers:

  1. Address the organization’s needs. Explain how the organization will benefit by investing in an employee’s education. Describe how your training will help employees boost their productivity, close more sales, reduce costs, etc. Companies want to see a positive return on the investment they make to train staff. 
  2. Give thanks. Send approving managers a thank you note after your event. Your gesture will help to create a memorable impression of your company. You might even want to acknowledge that they have many training options these days; then describe how your training helps them get the most bang for their buck.
  3. Pitch on-site training. At some point (the number varies depending on your seminar pricing), it becomes more affordable to bring the training to the company vs. sending multiple employees to your seminar. Highlight the benefits of private training in your seminar brochure or even in a separate mailing.

March 4, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Audience, Marketing Strategy, Prospects for marketing  No Comments

Staying Front and Center

As a seminar promoter, your primary goals are getting prospects to pay attention to your promotions and to sign up for your seminars. To succeed, you have to overcome two obstacles.

#1 Lack of awareness.

Consumers are bombarded with advertising messages each day, from the time they get up until the moment they close their eyes at night. It’s physically impossible to pay attention to every message you’re exposed to. Out of necessity — if not to preserve your sanity — you have to ignore most of the messages you hear and see.

This is true even when you have a relationship with the person or company sending the message. At most, prospects give messages a three-second glance before hitting the delete key or tossing it in the trash.

As a result, there are huge portions of your list that only vaguely aware that you’re offering a seminar. Because they’ve been ignoring your messages, they simply aren’t aware of what you’re promoting or of what a tremendous value it is.

#2 Lack of trust

Attending an event is a big commitment. When promoting your seminars, not only are you asking prospects to spend their money, you’re asking them to invest their time with you. This is by far the toughest sale.

If prospects are unsure about your qualifications, unfamiliar with your work, or don’t fully understand how your seminar will help them, they won’t see your seminar as a smart investment of their time.

One way to overcome these two obstacles is by strengthening your seminar marketing materials and plan.

From a content perspective, you can make sure that your copy fully describes what attendees will learn, how they’ll benefit, and what problems you’ll help them solve.

From a planning perspective, you can contact prospects more often and with a wider variety of marketing tools to break through the clutter.

But there’s an easier way to build trust and awareness: Publish a newsletter or e-zine.

Newsletter marketing offers 3 key benefits:

  1. You can demonstrate your expertise. For greatest effect, your newsletter should include helpful information, not just promotions. The more valuable the information, the more likely it is that prospects will hold onto your newsletter and refer to it when they are actively seeking the solution you offer.
  2. You can fly below your prospects’ marketing “radar” when promoting your events and products. Because the thrust of your newsletter is education, prospects are more likely to open and read it. When you slip in mentions of your event, readers won’t be as resistant to your message. In fact, providing valuable articles can whet prospects’ thirst for more information … making them more receptive to whatever marketing message you put after your article.
  3. You become a welcome guest. Providing quality content builds trust with your audience. When they get used to receive interesting, valuable information from you, they’ll be more likely to welcome and open your other messages, including promotions for your events.

Another reason you should publish newsletters? It’s a great way to force yourself to regularly create content for a blog or articles to distribute via online directories. Repackage your content for these alternate forms of distribution, and you’ll raise your visibility and SEO rankings, as well.

February 26, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Newsletter marketing, Relationships  No Comments