Seminar Marketing: Who do you know?

By Daphne Bousquet, CMP

Have you ever heard the expression

“It is not what you know, but who you know?”

When you are an expert on your topic,

you always think it is most important what you know

Especially when you host workshops and seminars

After all, you teach this stuff, right?

And it IS important

However, when you host workshops and seminars,

relationships are important

It is WHO we know that can give our workshops

a boost in attendees,

in value for our attendees and in income for us

So ask yourself, “Who do I know who could…

Partner with me on my event?”

Do you know business owners who have the same

target market

and offer a complementary service?

You could do a workshop together,

leverage each other’s databases and clients

and split the profits

Many times you will stumble upon a match

made in heaven

One caveat: be sure to have an

agreement that spells out the

responsibilities of each partner and

the percentage of the profits each partner receives

It is better to have your ducks in a row

before you enter into a joint venture like that,

just in case one partner doesn’t pull her weight

“Who do I know who can…Speak at my seminar?”

It is hard to carry a multi day event all by yourself

No matter how energetic you are,

even you need a break

Not only does adding another presenter give

you a much needed rest from talking,

good speakers, with great content,

add value to your event

Your attendees will love hearing a different voice

and learning from another perspective

Be sure to choose someone whose topic of expertise

ties in with yours, without competing with it

And the best part?

You will get to share in the revenue of

your guest speaker’s sales

“Who do I know who can…Promote my workshop?”

Who in your network has a large database of your ideal clients?

Ask if they will promote your event as an affiliate

That means they will share your workshop

with their subscribers, friends and followers,

in return for a commission on every sale they make

Be sure to make it super easy for them

to share you

You can pre-write emails, Twitter and Facebook updates,

and newsletter blurbs with a referral link included

“Who do I know who can…Sponsor my seminar?”

Who would love to promote their

products and services to your audience?

You worked hard to get your

attendees in the room,

and yes, other companies will want to tap into that

What other products and services

are your attendees interested in?

You can create an opportunity for companies to

market to your audience through a display table,

a direct response ad in your workbook or

even through personal interaction

and networking as one of your VIP guests

The possibilities are only limited

by your imagination

It is important who you know,

especially when it comes to events

The relationships you have with your network and

with your audience are vital

They allow you to create

WIN/WIN/WIN situations

for your partners, your audience and you

For more strategies to fill your workshops and seminars

without driving yourself crazy,

Pick up a copy of my FREE seminar marketing eBook at EventStrategySolutions.com