I just love it when you put up an advertisement for a new workshop and get an instant response.  So the first tickets have already gone and the ad only went up an hour ago.

Of course there’s a knack to it – which we’ll tell you about at the next Successful Seminar Selling workshop on 19th September, Hilton Bracknell, UK.

Philip

Recent glances at the BBC News website makes grim reading. In addition to the disasters in Burma and China, news closer to home provides little to smile about.

Having said that, there’s always a certain reassurance when you read that Marks & Spencer’s profits are once again heading in the right direction. Recent news revealed a 4.3% increase in profits reported by the famous store to £1 billion. As usual the M&S boss Stuart Rose was cautious and expressed his concerns that conditions will remain difficult for the foreseeable future.

It’s easy for him to say. Companies like M&S have big marketing budgets – the like of which most small businesses can only dream about. Whilst it’s likely that many smaller businesses will be directly affected by the ‘credit crunch’, they will be just as determined as bigger brands to compete for new business.

So what can small businesses do that will have a positive impact on cash flow, without having the luxury of a bottomless pit of marketing assets?

During potentially difficult times there are five key things to consider within your marketing plan. All five need to be combined for maximum impact.

Differentiation

A lot of businesses try to be ‘better’ than their competitors – but increasingly people realise they need to be ‘different’ to stand out from the crowd. So a lot of smaller businesses use online social networks to be different, to raise their profile, to attract attention and to enhance the perception of their expertise and professional credibility.

Whilst online social networks are very powerful tools, because of their attractiveness to Google and other search engines it makes it very easy for competitors to follow your activities and potentially copy products and services. (I think I read somewhere that if you promote a new and unique service on a popular social networking platform; you have just 10 minutes before a competitor using Google Alerts can pick it up.)

Differentiation is crucial, but for your business to be seen as truly the only choice by your prospects, you need to combine it with four other ingredients.

Multiple Prospects

When I’m looking to ‘up the pace’ on my marketing activities, it seems sensible to not just see one prospect at a time, but to see multiple prospects. It better use of time – but has many other advantages too.

Live Marketing

During potentially difficult times I want to make it as easy as possible for prospects to choose my services over those of my competitors. This is important, because with the Internet it’s all too easy for prospects to gather lots of information about their potential purchase all by themselves.

Undoubtedly people still buy people before they buy their products or services, and that’s why it’s vital that potential prospects are able to see and experience you and your service live at the earliest possible opportunity. Being able to put a toe in the water without having to make a purchase first is becoming increasingly important for consumers – more so I believe during difficult times.

Engage

As I mentioned above, despite the undoubted power of the Internet, humans crave interaction and engagement. They enjoy being part of groups where like-minded people can feed off each other’s knowledge, experience and expertise. Again, if I am looking to up the pace of my marketing I will be looking for ways to actively engage with groups of prospects, and to facilitate engagement within the group so as to help reinforce my marketing message.

Loyal Advocates and Followers

Finally, to ensure that my marketing spend goes as far as possible – I will be looking for help from my customers. Yes, I will be asking for referrals – but I’ll be working hard to ensure that my marketing activities don’t just promote my products and services but also seek to educate and entertain so that they naturally want to tell their friends, relatives, business associates and colleagues.

So what can I do that will help me to differentiate myself, see multiple prospects, enable prospects to see and sample me live, engage with prospects – whilst at the same time attract loyal advocates and followers?

It sounds like the Holy Grail of Marketing, but it is a specific strategy for when the business environment is perceived to be tougher. It’s called Seminar Selling and potentially fulfils all of the tests I have outlined above.

Seminar Selling differentiates you from the competition because so few of your competitors have the guts to get on their feet and showcase their expertise live. It also differentiates you because it is both creative and proactive – and is seen as novel and appealing by your target market.

Clearly, Seminar Selling enables you to see multiple prospects all at the same time – whether it is a small presentation to half a dozen people or indeed to several hundred. Typically you should see conversion rates well in excess of 50% and sometimes as high as 100%. Those that do not convert into hot leads or customers are at least being warmed up for another day and added to your database of prospects.

It should go without saying that putting on seminars and workshops enables your prospects to see and experience you live – though don’t make the mistake of many seminar hosts by asking professional presenters to speak on your behalf. Whilst on some occasions an expert speaker may attract people to attend, they can in fact water down the impact of your own message.

A good seminar is also the perfect opportunity for prospects to interact and engage with both you and each other. Whilst your seminar is essentially a marketing event for your own business, it is important to remember that it is a great networking opportunity for your guests. Make sure that you highlight this point as a key benefit of attending in your marketing materials. You will also find that the social warmth within the group aids listening and retention of your messages.

Assuming your seminar has gone to plan and that your presentation was given with passion and conviction, not only will you find multiple new prospects, but those who have attended will, on average, tell three other people about your event and your business. Make sure that you keep in regular contact with them through your blogs, articles and new technologies such as Twitter.

As business people we are faced with an incredible array of marketing tools. Some of us will feel comfortable using mail shots to promote our services – others will use email. Some will prefer to use the Internet to get their message out there whilst others will use radio advertising, PR and perhaps telesales. Whatever you use, it is important to remember that most people are subjected to approximately 40,000 marketing messages every day! Getting your message seen, remembered acted upon can clearly be a challenge – more so during recession or tougher times.

Make life easy for yourself and design a marketing strategy which is both proven and effective. Seminar Selling is one such approach – and when combined with traditional techniques and more modern approaches such as Social Media Marketing you are able to position your product and service proposition head and shoulders above those of your competition.

Need help building your Seminar strategy?  Join us on 19th September 2008 at Successful Seminar Selling Live, where you’ll learn how to plan, promote and profit from your own seminar programme. 

Philip

Despite the growth of the Internet as a communication tool, many IFAs are also turning to more traditional methods to engage with clients, prospects and professional connections. ‘Seminar Selling’ is a powerful and proven way for IFAs in Northern Ireland to find new clients, add value to existing clients, promote their services and enhance the perception of their expertise and professional credibility. 

And post Retail Distribution Review, seminars will inevitably be at the core of how IFAs communicate their services.  Many IFAs have also discovered that holding seminars creates the possibility of profitable new income streams to their businesses.  In short, IFAs who host seminars will have a distinct advantage over those who don’t. Whilst large numbers of IFAs want to run their own seminars, most do not know how to promote them effectively, how to get ‘bums on seats’ or how to convert attendees into profitable new clients.  

IFAs who believe seminars have a part to play in their business now or in the future, are strongly recommended to sign up for Philip Calvert’s acclaimed ‘Seminar on Seminars’.  In this powerful, practical and high-content full-day training workshop at the Hilton Templepatrick on 30^th April 2008, IFAs discover everything they need to plan, prepare and present their own profitable seminar programme.  Just some of what is Included: 

• How to use seminars to attract high net-worth clients and professional connections
• How one IFA achieves near 100% conversion rates
• Over forty proven tips to dramatically improve attendance levels at IFAs’ seminars
• The right (and wrong) days of the week to hold a client seminar
• How to write promotional materials that are irresistible to your target market
• The seven deadly sins that IFAs make when promoting their seminars
• How and when to charge for seminars and create profitable new income streams
• How to use seminars to differentiate services between different types of clients
• How to use seminars to help with Treating Customers Fairly
• Proven speaking tips to guarantee attendees remember and act on your seminar

There is no other training event that offers so much value for IFAs.  Places are limited and the PFS has negotiated a special discount of almost 50% on the price of tickets.  Your investment is normally £180 – but PFS members booking quickly pay just £97.  Every attendee also receives lunch, refreshments throughout the day and THREE free eBooks.  You will also receive free follow up advice for 12 months plus a Personal Seminar Plan so that you can implement your learning and start earning immediately.

Priority registration link: http://httv.biz/IFAseminarNorthernIreland/

I hope to see you there.

Phil

Have you discovered how to use LinkedIn, Facebook, Xing, MySpace, Ecademy and others to promote your seminars, workshops, courses and events?  There’s a very clever secret about these and other online networks that virtually guarantees that I get a full house at my own seminars – and as a result my ‘Seminar on Seminars’ on 1st February 2008 is now sold out.  Like the other Seminars on Seminars before them, this one has also sold out more than two months in advance.

If seminars and workshops have a part to play in your business – now or in the future – and you would like to learn powerful and proven techniques to get profitable bums on seats at your events, courses and workshops, contact me soon because at the next Seminar on Seminars I’ll reveal exactly how I use social networks to pack-out my events… so that you can too.

Click here.

Phil

Successful Seminar Selling Live! on the 16th November 2007 and 25th January 2008 are now sold out. The first one sold out one and a half months before the date, with the January workshop filling up more than three months in advance.

Kick-start 2008 by learning in one ultra high-content day how to use seminars and workshops as a powerful marketing and brand-building tool. The next event is on Friday 1st February at the Hilton Bracknell. I’ll share exactly what I do to sell-out my events so that you can too.

A full list of benefits is at this link.

See you there…

Regards

Phil

For the first time this month I’ve had to give two speeches whilst having a really bad throat.  I was in two minds as to whether I should go ahead at all, but did not want to let down the organisers – specially given that they were both booked many months in advance.

On one of the speeches, I broke my golden rule of apologising in advance to the audience in case I collapsed on stage in a heap coughing and spluttering.  It’s a rule in so much that starting a speech with an apology is always a big downer for an audience and somewhat lowers their expectations.  As it happened, both speeches went without a hitch, but I was conscious that I was only firing at 99%. 

But interestingly, when following up some of the audience today with phone calls, all of them asked how I was feeling etc – so clearly it was remembered for the right reasons.

What do you do when you’re feeling below par but still need to perform?

Phil

The good news is that Successful Seminar Selling Live! on the 16th November in Bracknell has now sold out – a good month and half before the date.  Well – if you can’t sell-out a seminar on how to sell-out seminars…

The next date is the 25th January 2008 – again at the Hilton Bracknell.  A great opportunity to kick-start your sales and marketing activities for the new year and to build the value of your brand.

Full list of benefits and reasons to attend are at this link.  See you there!

Philip

Hey – I’m very excited about this one.  Successful Seminar Selling – Live!  is coming to a venue near you soon. 

We’re kicking off at the Hilton Bracknell on the 16th November – but I’ve only got 19 places left.  I definitely recommend that you put aside anything you’ve got planned for this date as you’re going to learn all the inside tips on how to plan, prepare and present a seminar or workshop that will make you a lot of money.

 For further details and to reserve your place, go to this link now.

Looking forward to seeing you in Bracknell!

Philip

We’ve added a ‘quick and dirty’ eGuide which reveals just the hard facts you need to sell-out and fill-up your seminars.  All the tips are tried, tested and proven – and are used by all the successful seminar hosts around the world.  It’ll be invaluable when planning your events.

More details and download at this link.  Let me know how you get on with it.

Phil

Look out for more of this in the speaking and seminar worlds – a great way to keep speakers at the cutting edge and to create interactivity with an audience or people listening/participating online.  The people I’ve linked to above decided not to do it in the end, but I’ve done it about five times (here and here are examples) and it adds a completely new dimension to a presentation.

Phil