How would you fill this seminar?

14 replies
Hi all,
I really enjoy speaking in front of groups and doing large scale teaching. I'm a dog trainer and have had opportunities to do so with my own clients in Utah.

More frequently, as of these past few years, I've been hired by people in other states to come in and work with them for a few days to work on more advanced training that is pretty unique in the market. Obviously I have to charge quite a bit for that and most people can't afford it.

I'm looking to do a seminar where I'd come into a city for a few days and work with a ton of dogs and owners. We're currently living in Costa Rica while employees mind the store back in Utah so I've got some time to dedicate to filling a seminar like this. Looking at ticket prices I'd be looking to do this in Dallas, Miami, or Tampa. The problem is, though, I'm worried about putting a date out there, allocating resources in advertising and marketing, nailing down a location, investing in flights and a hotel....and then not being able to get enough people out.

I think I'd price it in the neighborhood of $200 early registration, $250 mid-registration, $300 final registration. I'm thinking of a two day intensive seminar. I would also do upsells of my dog training DVDs, training equipment, and dog food.

I'd love some ideas on how to fill the seminar. In my own brainstorming I've come up with the following methods and the challenges with them and would love any feedback to flesh this idea out:

- PR. I've been fairly successful in the past at getting on TV, radio, and in print for my company. I've never done PR on a deadline but I'm guessing I could get some press for this type of event.

- FB and Google PPC ads. I've never done FB ppc. I've done some Google PPC but I wouldn't say I'm good at it. I'm guessing that this would be the quickest and cheapest way to target dog owners in a certain area, correct?

- Postcards. I'm thinking this could be too expensive? If I did 2500 postcards I'm looking at $1700 in cost, or so, meaning I'd have to sell 6 or so slots to break even. That is a quarter of 1% response rate. I know a lot of people say they look for a 1% response with post cards but I'm nervous about banking on that and shelling out a couple grand.

- I've got an admin assistant in Utah that could devote some time to calling veterinarians and groomers in the area and then sending out posters or promo material. What kind of material would you do? A nice poster? Or take home fliers? Both?

- My own site- Dog Training and Puppy Training Online. I get about 150,000 uniques a month so I've got decent traffic. I could put a peel away ad up top to make people aware of the seminar. Obviously it wouldn't appeal to most as I'd be geo-targeting. I've also got a large list although, admittedly, it's not terribly responsive due to my own ineptitude in list management.

- Take out local ads. I could do ads in local publications like newspapers or magazines. Lead time on magazines is pretty big, though, and it's pretty pricy. I'd have to check and see if there are pet related local mags.

- Craigslist and local classifieds. This would be a given as it's free. Not sure if the response would be great but it's a no-brainer to do it anyways.

Those are the ideas I've come up with. If you were tasked with getting 20-50 people into a seminar like this what would you do?

Thank you.
#fill #seminar
  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Who are your clients? Dog lovers, or veterinarians and dog groomers?

    If it's vets and groomers, you can buy lists cheap. Send postcards to vets and groomers in the state that you will be presenting. Drive them to a toll free number to register, or to a website to register. Have someone call them to invite them to your event. The majority of these types of event seats are sold over the phone.

    If your clients are consumers that are just dog lovers, radio is OK. PR is free and is better than advertising. Speak for any local groups that will let you speak. people who go to seminars love to go to other events with speakers.

    Upsell your DVDs at the event, but also do a mailing to the list you have of non attendees.

    Of course Facebook, a series of e-mails to your list, announcement to local newspapers.

    But the majority of seats are filled by phone. The second most productive media is direct mail to a select list. Subscribers to dog magazines by state.

    Any list broker can get you those lists.

    Do NOT do a mailing to the general public, you'll lose all that money. Postcards are the way to go.

    Contact a few pet suppliers to act as sponsors. Use their local lists, or let them do mailings for you. A dog food Mfg, a mfg of flea collars, anything like that. You could end up with them paying all the costs. Of course, they set up a booth at your event and get to give a short commercial. (or just buy a booth, and their literature handed out as people arrive)

    If you want the event to be profitable, you have to have several packages you sell at the event. It may take you $100-$300 per seat to fill this.

    When calling your prospects use an upsell of your DVDs on the call. You need to pay for this event. That's how you do it. The registrations won't be enough to cover your costs.
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    • Profile picture of the author TyBrown
      This would be for dog owners.

      If I did postcards to dog owners (from a dog magazine list for example) would you recommend a postcard to sell them the seminar, a postcard to get them to a website to educate them, or a postcard to get them to a toll free number?


      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Who are your clients? Dog lovers, or veterinarians and dog groomers?

      If it's vets and groomers, you can buy lists cheap. Send postcards to vets and groomers in the state that you will be presenting. Drive them to a toll free number to register, or to a website to register. Have someone call them to invite them to your event. The majority of these types of event seats are sold over the phone.

      If your clients are consumers that are just dog lovers, radio is OK. PR is free and is better than advertising. Speak for any local groups that will let you speak. people who go to seminars love to go to other events with speakers.

      Upsell your DVDs at the event, but also do a mailing to the list you have of non attendees.

      Of course Facebook, a series of e-mails to your list, announcement to local newspapers.

      But the majority of seats are filled by phone. The second most productive media is direct mail to a select list. Subscribers to dog magazines by state.

      Any list broker can get you those lists.

      Do NOT do a mailing to the general public, you'll lose all that money. Postcards are the way to go.

      Contact a few pet suppliers to act as sponsors. Use their local lists, or let them do mailings for you. A dog food Mfg, a mfg of flea collars, anything like that. You could end up with them paying all the costs. Of course, they set up a booth at your event and get to give a short commercial. (or just buy a booth, and their literature handed out as people arrive)

      If you want the event to be profitable, you have to have several packages you sell at the event. It may take you $100-$300 per seat to fill this.

      When calling your prospects use an upsell of your DVDs on the call. You need to pay for this event. That's how you do it. The registrations won't be enough to cover your costs.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7551052].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by TyBrown View Post

        This would be for dog owners.

        If I did postcards to dog owners (from a dog magazine list for example) would you recommend a postcard to sell them the seminar, a postcard to get them to a website to educate them, or a postcard to get them to a toll free number?
        Hard to sell a seminar from a postcard, unless you go the "Free invitation for dog lovers" route. A postcard gives them the option of a "toll free recorded helpline" or a website to further sell. And even if they sign up for your event, still send them offers for your DVDs...even before the event. You'll be amazed how many will buy. Remember, they were in heat when they signed up. That's when you start sending them offers.

        Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author bluecoyotemedia
    Ty

    happy new year

    so you finally made it to costa rica

    where are you staying???

    if you want to increase of %% of success with any kind of seminar then you need to already have some sort of an established relationship with your market

    so if you have a list of buyers of interested people from past promo's then you have a better chance than going cold

    we did seminars a few years ago in the cigar market and it was only because we had a prior relationship that they were profitable.

    going cold into a market is the riskier scenario.

    good luck

    eddie
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    • Profile picture of the author TyBrown
      Estamos en Playa Hermosa, cerca de Jaco. No me acuerdo, donde estas tu? Fue Alajuela? Heredia?

      I have an established relationship with the dog market in the sense that I carry a good amount of authority from my websites, DVD series, etc. I just don't have a local following in Miami, Dallas, etc.

      Originally Posted by bluecoyotemedia View Post

      Ty

      happy new year

      so you finally made it to costa rica

      where are you staying???

      if you want to increase of %% of success with any kind of seminar then you need to already have some sort of an established relationship with your market

      so if you have a list of buyers of interested people from past promo's then you have a better chance than going cold

      we did seminars a few years ago in the cigar market and it was only because we had a prior relationship that they were profitable.

      going cold into a market is the riskier scenario.

      good luck

      eddie
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  • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
    Another angle for filling paid seminars is to have "feeder" events in the week leading up to the event.

    You contact every vet, pet shop, shelter, and anyone else who has access to dog owners and try to set up free events for their customers. You give them some free training, teach them something simple that makes them say "wow" and then you sell them on the event that weekend.

    You'll spend all week talking and teaching, getting ready for your event that weekend. You will have to do this in a way that creates value for the store owner also, although getting a bunch of people to come into their store will be valuable in itself. People will buy stuff while they are there.
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    • Profile picture of the author TyBrown
      Thanks for the idea. Who did I hear giving a seminar talking about how he did this exact thing for Tony Robbins? It was some audio I heard, can't remember who it was?

      I think it's a good idea. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the logistics of how it would work in this space.

      The guy who did this for Robbins would go speak at offices and there you had buyers and plenty of prospects in the form of businesspeople. I don't know how I could get regular dog owners showing up at a vet's office on Monday and then back again on Friday for paid training. Something for me to think about, though.

      Originally Posted by Dan McCoy View Post

      Another angle for filling paid seminars is to have "feeder" events in the week leading up to the event.

      You contact every vet, pet shop, shelter, and anyone else who has access to dog owners and try to set up free events for their customers. You give them some free training, teach them something simple that makes them say "wow" and then you sell them on the event that weekend.

      You'll spend all week talking and teaching, getting ready for your event that weekend. You will have to do this in a way that creates value for the store owner also, although getting a bunch of people to come into their store will be valuable in itself. People will buy stuff while they are there.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7551071].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author davidreese
    I think the free event idea is good. It will increase your response. I think you are pricing your event too low. $200 to $300 for a weekend workshop?

    If it were a topic I was interested in, I would pay $395 or more and I have for weekend workshops.

    I would checkout the distribution services (flyer and poster services or find some college students to do it) in that area. See if they can target specific areas. Use the same image in local print and on Facebook and you'll create a buzz.

    You could start with a Facebook campaign and adwords campaigns in the local area giving away a freebie. I would consider whether you want to visit the area on a regular basis- say once a year or twice. It seems like a lot of money to put up to develop a local list for a single event.

    -David
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Ok here are a few thoughts.

    1. Do you have one or more books? If not you need to write them. The reason for this is two fold. First the vast majority of people don't understand how easy it is to publish a book so you automatically become an expert to them. Second this give you upsells at your events.

    2. If your web traffic is spread out you need to use your website to promote these exclusive events.

    3. You need to advertise locally (to the events) where your prospects are. Can you find local vets, animal stores, parks, and etc that will let you advertise? Can you offer them a finder's fee for leads and or ticket sales? Can you rent lists of dog owner's in the area? Of course you can. You can rent the list of dog magazines. You can get a list of dog licenses. If they are paying for those they may pay for your training.

    4. I personally would avoid radio and etc unless you have the margins to handle the cost. You will hit a lot of ears but they are not targeted. Unless you can find a pet or dog based radio show on a local channel.

    5. PPC both on Google and Facebook. If you target this right you could get some people here but you will need to test it of course to get a good ROI.

    6. PR in it's most basic form. Can you get interviewed by local TV, radio, and newspapers? This may work best right before the event for last min attendees and also if you have a second training scheduled say 2 or 3 months from the first you can use this to fill that.
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    • Profile picture of the author TyBrown
      I do have several ebooks. I could turn them physical. I do have DVD programs, though, and those are my big sellers.

      How would you recommend using a site geared towards international traffic to sell a local event? I want to do this but am not sure how.

      Originally Posted by Aaron Doud View Post

      Ok here are a few thoughts.

      1. Do you have one or more books? If not you need to write them. The reason for this is two fold. First the vast majority of people don't understand how easy it is to publish a book so you automatically become an expert to them. Second this give you upsells at your events.

      2. If your web traffic is spread out you need to use your website to promote these exclusive events.

      3. You need to advertise locally (to the events) where your prospects are. Can you find local vets, animal stores, parks, and etc that will let you advertise? Can you offer them a finder's fee for leads and or ticket sales? Can you rent lists of dog owner's in the area? Of course you can. You can rent the list of dog magazines. You can get a list of dog licenses. If they are paying for those they may pay for your training.

      4. I personally would avoid radio and etc unless you have the margins to handle the cost. You will hit a lot of ears but they are not targeted. Unless you can find a pet or dog based radio show on a local channel.

      5. PPC both on Google and Facebook. If you target this right you could get some people here but you will need to test it of course to get a good ROI.

      6. PR in it's most basic form. Can you get interviewed by local TV, radio, and newspapers? This may work best right before the event for last min attendees and also if you have a second training scheduled say 2 or 3 months from the first you can use this to fill that.
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    I can only think of the last several guys who had best-selling books on the NY Times list who advertised their seminars in late night infomercials. I'd get my clues from that. 1. Establish yourself as an expert (for example, either by writing a book, having a tv show, being the guest expert on others' shows, having celebrities as clients); 2. Gather case studies and testimonials to present; 3. Start small with free seminars (Starving Artist Group has been hosting free shows for years and years. Even big time names like Robert Kiyosaki has free seminars. It must work!); 4. lots of levels of back end, upsells and follow up. 5. Call Frank Kern to help you, ha ha ha.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Pretty good suggestions from everyone.

      The one absolutely proven no-fail way to set up these seminars is by having free "preview seminars" for small groups, that feed into the bigger paid event.

      For the Dog training expert, small seminars at pet supply stores (they would advertise, and you would promote the store). I'm not knowledgeable about the niche, but any group where dog lovers go, would be an ideal place to put on these events.

      Michael Bucker has a report on how to do this. It covers most of what you need to know. Here is a link.

      http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...-salesman.html
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      • Profile picture of the author TyBrown
        These are good suggestions. IF I can make this work (big IF) I couldn't do feeder seminars. I'm out of the country and wouldn't have time to come in for mini-seminars leading up to the main event.

        Good ideas, though, I'm getting a lot from this thread.

        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Pretty good suggestions from everyone.

        The one absolutely proven no-fail way to set up these seminars is by having free "preview seminars" for small groups, that feed into the bigger paid event.

        For the Dog training expert, small seminars at pet supply stores (they would advertise, and you would promote the store). I'm not knowledgeable about the niche, but any group where dog lovers go, would be an ideal place to put on these events.

        Michael Bucker has a report on how to do this. It covers most of what you need to know. Here is a link.

        http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...-salesman.html
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7551040].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yohanaton
    So many great idea's...

    Maybe another personality that you could invite as a guest speaker that would draw people as well? Maybe someone that's pushing something related but non-competitive so they'd show up for free... Maybe more than one...?
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