Marketing Tactics * Direct mail
* Telemarketing
* Online services
* Advertising
* Fax on demand
* Direct selling
Increase Your Response (in descending order of importance) * Concentrate your mailing list on past customers/clients
* Build dramatic headlines for ads
* Cultivate inquiries with follow-up phone calls
* Create an irresistible offer (see below)
* Pay attention to price points
* For workshops, use a title that is the key benefit of attending
* Consider the best time of week and best month for your audience
* Use the active voice in your copy.
* Use an attention-grabber as your P.S. in your cover letter
Seven Steps to an Irresistible Offer * Offer easy registration options * Phone * Fax * Mail * E-mail * Web
* Accept several payment options
* Explain your cancellation policy
* Name a specific person to call for more information or to register.
* Offer a guarantee, such as:
* Refund plus guarantee (for example, money back plus $100 cash)
* Refund plus free registration in another program
* Provide contact details for the hotel
* Offer discounts:
Reduced hotel rates
Volume (team) discounts
Bring-a-colleague discounts
Tuition agreements with organizations that send a large number of registrants per year
Six Online Marketing Tips * Encourage participants to e-mail questions to speakers
* Create a pre- and post-seminar listserv so registrants can network
* Post upcoming educational events
* Allow online registration
* Offer site visitors an option to send e-mail requests for information
* Create links with affinity groups
Five Ways to Reduce Cancellations and No-Shows * Continue marketing after the sale
* Mail questionnaires to registrants asking what they expect from seminar
* Send follow-up thank-yous
* Send e-mail encouragement
* Tell customers what they will receive after they register
Sales Brochure Essentials * A title that suggests the key benefit of the conference
* A program agenda (at least 30 percent of the brochure)
* A summary of at least 10 benefits
* A quantification of the benefits of attending
* Background on the instructor(s)
* A pledge (quote) from the instructor(s) "After you take this course, you'll be able to . .
Brochure Copy Tips * Talk to your audience. Use more "you" statements than "we" statements
* Stress benefits
* Use short sentences with one idea per sentence
* Paragraphs should be no longer than seven lines
* Restrict two-thirds of your words to five letters or fewer
* Use type that's at least 10 point.
* Use serif type for body copy; sans serif for headlines
* DON'T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. IT'S DIFFICULT TO READ.
* Use reverse type (light type on a dark background) sparingly
