Strengthen your marketing initiatives with a well-planned seminar

Here are a few final tips from this three-part series on how to organize your next seminar:

> Make people feel welcome
Either yourself or team members should greet people personally, regardless of the size of the seminar.

If it’s a large event, with 50 guests for example, have people at the door to greet the attendees with nametags and any materials they may require, says Wheeler.

For smaller events of eight to 10 people, consider starting out the evening with cocktails and greet guests personally, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Strategist in Montreal.

Smaller seminars also lend themselves to a wider variety of activities: for example, you might include a wine tasting at the end of the presentation, says Gilbert.

> Make it a team event
For the best response from clients and prospects, have your entire team present.

“Make sure team members are there — it’s not just an advisor event, it’s a team event,” says Gilbert. All team members should take time to thank people for attending.

> Ensure your voice is heard
Do a lot of the talking at the event to make sure people remember you.

If you have guest speakers, introduce them, as well as referring to your own business, says Gilbert. It’s also very important that you do the conclusion for the event.

“Often the advisor leaves the speaker to do the conclusion,” she says. “This is your event, you take charge, so you introduce the speaker and you conclude the event.”

Even better is to be the main speaker yourself, says Wheeler. Another option is to use a panel discussion, with panel members that include experts such as lawyers, accountants or fund company representatives.

> Hand out an evaluation
Get feedback for your next event and keep track of potential leads with an evaluation.

An evaluation will help you come up with ideas for a future seminar, says Wheeler. As well, an evaluation helps turn leads into clients by asking them if they would like to receive more information and adding them to your communication strategy.

> Follow up with guests
The work doesn’t stop when the last guest leaves the venue. To make the most of a seminar, following up with guests is critical.

Create a summary of points that were made during the seminar and send it to everyone who registered, even to people who did not attend, says Gilbert. The summary acts as a refresher and an additional touch point for those who attended. For those who couldn’t make it, a summary can spark interest for a future event.

> Hire a professional
With so many details to remember you might want to hire some help to put together your next seminar.

There are many event planners, charging reasonable fees, who can help you to stay organized, says Wheeler. Hiring a professional to handle the details of organization will allow you to focus on the seminar’s message — and your audience.

IE