Being a good seminar host can help you strengthen existing business relationships and form new ones.
“People are [at the event] in large part to get to know you,” says Gerri Leder, president of LederMark Communications LLC in Baltimore, “and to get a feel for you as a person, as an advisor and as someone they’d like to work with.”
This advice can help you get the most from your next seminar:
> Take control
After guests have had a chance to mingle and have something to eat and drink, show that you are in charge of the event by officially starting the seminar.
Invite all the guests to take a seat, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Strategist in Montreal. If you have a guest speaker for the event, introduce yourself first and thank everyone for coming. Then, introduce the speaker.
> Focus on your guests
Whether you are making the presentation yourself or you have invited a speaker, the guests come first. So, while the content of the presentation is important, there’s nothing more important to you than your guests. Instead of concentrating on the details of a presentation slide, Leder says, focus on engaging with your audience.
“Interacting with the audience is more valuable then ensuring you make every point of a complex slide,” she says.
If you are the presenter, Leder adds, make eye contact and ask the audience questions.
> End on the right note
Stay in control of the seminar by closing the presentation definitely.
Avoid concluding the event with a Q&A, says Gilbert, because people tend to get up and leave, and they won’t hear your final remarks.
Instead, thank everyone for attending as well as any guest speakers, she says. Invite those with questions to stay a little longer.
> Identify leads
Use a “lead capture document,” Leder says, such as an evaluation form or a newsletter, to find out whom you can contact later.
When asking guests to fill out an evaluation form, make it clear that you welcome all comments, but only those who are interested in being contacted should include their personal information.
IE