New media such as SEO, pay-per-click, and email marketing all have their place in the marketing mix, but for turning leads into prospects and accelerating the sales cycle, there’s really no substitute for bringing your target customers. to a room and physically. showing them your product.
Many companies balk at the expense and logistical demands of hosting product seminars, and it’s true that a poorly organized event is even worse than simply doing nothing. But do it right, and the event will pay for itself many times over. If you get it right often, the logistics will start to take care of themselves.
As a marketer in charge of hosting 2-3 events each month, here are my 10 tips to ensure your product seminars are a huge success…
1. Get the content right
Before you even think about logistics, you need a concept. Think about what questions you are going to ask and how you are going to answer them. Think about what customer pain points your product can address.
Then you can think of a good topic for your seminar. Let’s say I sell a product called Wonderfresh, a new air freshener aimed at the food and beverage industry. If I just title my seminar Introducing Wonderfresh, do you think a lot of people will come? Probably not. However, if I title it Fresh Ideas for Restaurateurs, I’m sure I’ll get a better response, not because I’m being dishonest (people aren’t stupid, they know you want to sell them something), but because I’m adding value, giving attendees information and tips that they can use after the seminar, regardless of whether they buy the product or not. Let’s face it, we’ve all been tricked into attending an hour-long hard sale when we thought we were attending a workshop or information session; if the organizers had added an informative 30 minute presentation on business related topics, we would have left happy!
2. Develop Effective Logistics Processes
The first time we organized an event, we worked very, very hard. The second time, it was a little easier. The twentieth time, it practically organized itself. This is because we learned from our mistakes, established what worked (and what didn’t), identified the best vendors for giveaways, permanent banners, etc., identified our own staff competencies, and used our CRM system to establish an iterative process from the start. concept for post-seminar follow-ups. Themes, target customers, and speakers may change, but the organizational process remains the same for every event we host, with occasional optimization tweaks here and there.
3. Invite the right people
Okay, you’ve got 50 bums in seats for your seminar. Excellent! But how many of them are decision makers? It’s better to have 10 influential attendees than 50 junior employees who can’t make decisions, then go back to their office and give a confused and subjective version of your event to their superiors.
Be sure to target the right industries (industry-focused seminars are MUCH more effective than general events), and to identify and invite decision makers from your target companies. If you don’t have a CRM solution to help you do this, get one NOW.
4. Choose the right place
Hosting seminars isn’t cheap, but try to cut corners and your event may suffer. That 3-star hotel around the corner may give you a great deal on room rentals, but do they have the right technology and quality of service? Using the local Hilton or Sheraton can be expensive, but it adds cachet to your brand and you’ll get great services and facilities.
Use the same place every time, and you’re sure to get better rates, preferred availability, and service from people who understand you and know what you want. We use the same two venues for all of our events and everything runs like clockwork!
The right venue should provide you with a large enough function room and related equipment (screen, microphones, etc.), an area outside the room for your reception table, space for standing banners, and most importantly, an area tea/coffee area where you can mingle with your guests during that crucial coffee break – this is when contacts are made and deals are closed.
5. Invite guest speakers
Guest speakers add value to your events, especially if you’re charging people to attend. For example, we often host Microsoft product seminars and always bring someone from Microsoft to speak. More credibility for us, more value for attendees.
However, be careful not to rely too heavily on guest speakers. An event that consists entirely of guest speakers will leave attendees wondering if anyone at YOUR company really knows the product.
6. Develop an internal network of speakers
Moving on to #5, you need to provide your own speakers to show that you know what you’re talking about. This can be difficult as many people are terrified of public speaking, but once a person volunteers, they will find that others will soon follow. For one thing, it’s a huge career change!
Your own speakers are also valuable for use as MCs, handling Q&As, or as a backup in case another speaker leaves on short notice.
7. Control your technology
These days we rely a lot (some would say too much!) on technology to deliver presentations. A faulty projector, buggy laptop or malfunctioning microphone can ruin a carefully planned event, as can new or borrowed equipment that speakers are unfamiliar with.
So always try to use your own equipment. Try it in your office the day before. On the day of the event, get to the venue early, set it up, and test it again. Computers are capricious beasts and just because your laptop worked fine in your office last night, doesn’t mean it will work at the hotel today!
8. Product show
It sounds obvious, but we’ve all attended (or even hosted) product seminars where the product itself was absent. A product-less-product seminar says one of 2 things: you don’t have confidence in your product; or your product is not ready yet. Both messages are disastrous for your business.
So show your product to attendees and focus on your WOW factors – those things that set you apart from the competition, do something completely unprecedented, or just look really cool. You probably won’t have time to show people every single feature, so focus on the needs of your audience and start and end with a WOW.
9. public relations
Product seminars are a great PR opportunity, not just for the product itself, but for your brand as a whole. Send press releases, advertise in the media and on your website, invite journalists and photographers, record the event and turn it into a podcast, record it on video and post it on YouTube (www.youtube.com), or make it a webcast. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
10. Follow up
Your seminar doesn’t end when the last attendee leaves. You should call each attendee within 48 hours of the seminar and also send a follow-up email or thank you letter to each attendee, including a feedback form to gauge their interest and monitor the quality of your seminars. You can also send them the presentation slides to remind them of what they saw and heard, or if your slideshow is too large to email, make it available online, either on your own website or using a presentation tool. online as Zoho (www. .zoho.com).
Hosting product seminars isn’t rocket science, but it does take some time to get into a routine, and your first few events will probably stress you out a bit. But follow the tips above and you’ll soon develop a well-oiled machine for delivering informative and enjoyable seminars that generate leads and drive sales.