Seven Tips for Marketing Your Seminar
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Want to begin offering workshops (by phone or in
person) to attract clients and maybe build another revenue stream?
(1) What to charge?
Charge nothing and you may attract sign-ups, but
they're often no-shows. Some openly search for content they can use in
their own classes. Many will disappear as soon as you ask for a dollar.
One option: start with no-fee classes and then
charge as your reputation builds.
However, when someone finds your class for the first time, she or he
may be unfamiliar with what you offered before. And the whole dynamic
of a class will change when you charge even a small fee.
(2) If you can frame your subject to show
that you will help people make money, lose weight and/or find a
soulmate, you'll attract more motivated participants.
(3) Remember participants pay with their time,
whether or not you charge for participation. Ten minutes for a sales
pitch, ten minutes for roll call, twenty minutes for participants to
"share" why they're here. Now you've got twenty minutes to deliver
content.
Better to plan on fifty-eight minutes of value with
a one-hour class. You can follow up with an email to remind
participants who you are.
(4) Your titles must sizzle!
My course "Midlife, Midcareer and Middle of the
Maze," generated more interest than "Career Decisions at Midlife."
And that's not as sizzling as it could be.
A problem-solving class might be called: "Creating
an 'Aha!' Moment Just When You Need It"
Mary Lynn, of The
Writers Center, calls her novel-writing class, "Write your novel --
in one day!"
A class on the business of creativity was re-named,
"As you earn more, keep more!"
(5) To create titles and headlines that
magnetically attract clients:
Turn off your Inner Grinch and focus on moving to
something wonderful, not avoiding something horrible.
"Most businesses fail! Will yours be one of them?"
becomes
"One percent of home businesses will gross six figures this year - and
yours can be one of them!"
Of course, you must be able make that claim
honestly and ethically -- and a few testimonials wouldn't hurt.
(6) You're in charge!
Be prepared to cut off long-winded questions and
participants who want to give "advice" to other callers.
Stay focused, organized and on topic. Make sure everyone has a chance
to participate -- not just the most proactive callers -- but I wouldn't
force participation. I believe participants have the right to
"lurk" silently.
(7) Style counts.
"June" has such a charismatic personality that her
classes would fill with eager prospects if she read the phone book
aloud for an hour.
"Bill" has such weak, tentative delivery that his
classes actually turn away prospects who love his website.
Teleclasses can be fun for both leaders and
participants -- and there's no more convenient way to learn
information. Once you get going, you may be hooked on excitement...and
money too.
I offer one-to-one consultations on business and career
strategy.
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