Author Archive

Establish Who You Are
Create credibility by establishing a unique identity such as an “Institute” or “Center” along with a description of your mission. For example, the “Center for Personal Finance” or “The National Institute of (fill in the blank).”

Use any industry or high-profile connections to establish and promote an advisory board. Use “big name” speakers or co-chairs along with their photos on all of your promotional materials. Your prospects will feel safer registering when they see familiar or official-sounding entities.

You’re in Good Company
Find yourself a reputable sponsor or co-sponsor and then shamelessly promote your partnership. If you have not yet established a reputation, “borrowing” someone else’s can give you a tremendous attendance boost. You’re smiling to yourself, but it’s true!

Prominently promoting individuals and/or companies that have participated in past events can also launch instant credibility. Do you have notable speakers?

• Jack Welch
• Donald Trump
• Martha Stewart
• President of an industry leading company

Or promotable sponsors?

• Cadillac
• MetLife
• An industry leading company

More importantly…are you promoting them?

Grab them at “hello” by starting with an event title that captures the key benefit of attending… “Eliminate 80% of Registration Hassles with Online Registration.” If you get their excitement flowing right away, they will seek out reasons to support that feeling instead of being skeptical as they read on.

“How others have benefited from attending this event:”

Testimonials are a great way to give credibility to the benefits of your program. Collect and publish testimonials from past attendees about what they gained from attending your event. Create a section in your event summary titled “How others have benefited from attending this event:” You can make it easy for past attendees to share their thoughts by calling or emailing them and asking “What did you get out of this event?” When they respond, ask if it is ok to share it with others.

“Don’t take our word for it, talk to past attendees…”

Take your testimonials one step further by offering to provide names and phone numbers of past attendees. When someone provides you with a stellar testimonial, ask them if they would be willing to share their experience with others, and if it’s ok to share their email address or phone number. Having references shows confidence to your prospects and enables your happy attendees to do the selling for you.

“What you will miss by not attending?”

One of the most powerful motivators for people is to tell them what they will gain from attending or what they will miss if they don’t attend your event. These lists work so well because it tells your prospects that you understand their pain and have knowledge that could make their situation easier.

This is an example from a management seminar…

What you will miss by not attending:

• Knowing what do when your employee is preoccupied or distant
• No longer feeling like an outsider with your co-workers
• No longer feeling trapped between needing to report to your boss and not wanting to micro-manage
• Understanding alternatives to letting someone go
• Knowing how to reduce anxiety related to rumors

“No question goes unanswered.”

Eliminate any remaining doubts your prospects may have about value by telling them that they will get ALL their questions answered. Mention that you will follow up after the program is over to answer any unanswered questions.

Provide a Complete Agenda

Help your prospects understand that your program will address the problems they are experiencing today by including a detailed blow-by-blow agenda. The more depth you show in your agenda, the more likely your prospects are to feel they will get the value they need.

Tailor-made Answers

Show your prospect they will get all the answers they need from you. You can tell your prospects that as they register online, they will be asked to supply their specific questions which will be addressed during the program. To overcome other prospects’ hesitations you can also add the “Common questions that will be answered” to your marketing materials as well.

Cutting edge

You will attract more people to register for your event if they feel they will get the latest and greatest information from you. To give your prospects that feeling, use up-to-date terminology such as “cutting edge”, “new”, “advanced”, “latest” and “just-released research” in your copy to draw in your audience. Be sure to speak to them using action-oriented sentences such as “Attending this program will….” or “Learn how to….” or “Be the first to see updated techniques on…”

The first step is showing your audience you understand their challenges and the second step is showing them you know how to help them with those challenges, or at least have content that can.

“If you are not sure, speak to us…”

Sometimes prospects need to talk through their concerns about the relevancy of your content. Make it easier for them by saying “If you are not sure this seminar addresses your specific concerns, call or email the speaker or conference chairperson for more course details.” Very few prospects will actually phone or email. Those who do will be more easily convinced by you. Those who don’t will feel better knowing that you care about addressing your needs.

Interactive benefits

One of the most common comments made about events is that people learn more from listening to their fellow attendees. Take advantage of that sentiment by showing how interactive your event will be. In your promotional copy, stress the interactive activities whereby attendees will share their specific concerns at the start of the course so that the program leader can address those concerns in the presentation.

You could also provide “topic specific” round table networking sessions at lunch or have a “50 ideas in 50 minutes” session where each participant gives their best gem of advice for the group. Help your prospects see the substance that’s beyond the typical agenda.

Return on Time

Spell out for your prospects how they will save hundreds of hours of time because of what they will learn at your event. You can help them do the math; show them that the time they invest with you will translate into weeks of time savings for them in their current jobs. Show them how you will give them the tools to work smarter, not harder.

More Times and Locations

If you offer multiple dates and locations, your prospects will feel it’s easier to get to your event and to schedule the time. This is why regional events can end up being more popular overall than an annual conference or expo. For your regional events communicate that attendees get educational benefits of a national event with the convenience of it being in their backyards.

More Learning Options

You can also make it more convenient for your prospects to learn by offering other options such as online events, videos, CD’s, and books. If they don’t have the time to attend, they may find it easier to purchase one of these options from you.

Register now, pay later

Why do so many products offer payment plans? Because they work! Offering payment options can be an excellent way to get your customers to sign up immediately. If they can pay over time, they may avoid budget challenges and constraints. Offer “register now, pay later” or an installment plan if your organization can accommodate the accounting practice.

Discounts

Who doesn’t like getting a deal? Discounts are an easy way to promote attendance and they are proven to create urgency. Give discounts for early registration, group registrations or to those that register for more than one event at a time. If you offer a certification of any kind, offer a sizable discount for registering for the whole series up front.

Scholarships

For an event? Yes! Offering scholarships to a qualified person or group is another way to attract your target market without burdening them financially. It could be for kids to attend, for non-profit attendees – just about anyone you deem appropriate. Plus, it’s a feel good thing for helping someone out.

Beware the fresh coat of paint

Before you scrape off last year’s dates and slap on next year’s information, think about what you would think if you got the same old, same old in your mail or inbox. Remember the teacher in Charlie Brown? You could hear her voice but not what she was saying.

Before you go to the printer

Yes, a fresh coat of paint will save you money versus a redesign. But beware, it can cost you more where it really hurts – in attendance – if you don’t keep your marketing exciting. Consider the following changes when sprucing up your materials:

• Brochure cover – do you have a new theme?
• Layout and format of your brochure – swap out section locations
• Webpages that talk about the event – use fresh design and colors
• Change titles, topics and themes each year – what is new and exciting?
• Use the words “new”, “revised” and “updated” for fresh appeal.

It can be so much easier to scrape and re-paint – but put a little elbow grease into your promotional materials and watch your efforts, well, shine.