Seminars Create Business- Tips To Ensure They Do

Special Events and Seminars

By Bob Weiss

July 2005

If your last seminar or speech didn't produce new work, directly or by referral, within a few months of the event it's likely you fell into what sales trainers would describe as "the lack of contact trap." In short, you failed to touch your audience frequently enough about your topic to close the sale.

Sales trainers preach that the average number of contacts needed to close a sale is somewhere between 7 and 10. Most professionals make only 3 or 4 contacts before giving up the chase. In the case of your last seminar you probably sent an invitation, saw the attendees at the event and then sent a thank-you letter-there you are, three contacts with only a fraction of your entire potential audience.

Our national marketing effectiveness surveys have consistently shown that seminars and presentations are the most effective marketing tactics available. Nearly 80 percent of firms we surveyed last year said seminars and presentations resulted in work sent directly or by referral.

Here are some ideas to make it easier to achieve frequency of contact with those to whom you present:

Make sure you get an attendance list. If another organization is putting on the event, make this a requirement of your agreement to make the presentation. (Some sponsors will give you their entire mailing list-ask for it!) If you already have large mailing list and must cull names periodically, mark these with the date you made your presentation. Keep them on your list for 24 months at a minimum.

Distribute a "save the date" postcard or email in well in advance of your formal invitation to the event. Sixty to ninety days before your presentation works, if you can plan that far ahead.

Distribute a written summary of your remarks a few weeks after the event. This is in addition to and well after your thank-you letter to attendees. Promise to do it in your thank-you letter. This information should be more detailed than your presentation outline and urge recipients contact you with questions.

Even better, write a guest article or opinion column about your presentation, or get your topic (with quotes from you) covered in local or trade media. If the organization which sponsored your speech has a newsletter get your article placed there.

BEST PRACTICE: Poll attendees or invitees before or during your event. Send the poll results with your observations to local and trade media the day of the event. Nothing creates a buzz at your event more than an article in the paper that same morning about your presentation.

ALYN-WEISS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Public Relations | Marketing
1331 - 17th Street, Suite 410
Denver, CO 80202

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