Social Media Marketing and Successful Seminar Selling – Part 1

Social Media Marketing:

As guest speaker at a past MD2MD meeting, Philip Calvert gave an informative and comprehensive session on Successful Seminar Selling and the power of social media, not just in marketing seminars, but marketing your business as a whole.

Philip’s background is in Financial Services; today he still works closely with the financial sector, and has set-up a thriving social network site purely for the financial services industry called IFA Life.

It was during his time as a representative for a large insurance company that Philip discovered the power of seminars.  Targeted to meet up to 20 IFA’s a week, Philip decided it would be easier for everyone to come to him and so invited IFA’s to meetings and workshops, free of charge, and the promise of bacon butties.  His sales rocketed!

He was so successful in attracting delegates to attend his workshops he decided to write a book – Successful Seminar Selling The book focuses on how to get people to a seminar and what to do with them afterwards.

Philip now spends a large proportion of his time speaking on the subject at events. Before sharing the fundamental actions or tasks to consider when planning a seminar, Philip gave us an insight into psychology and human behaviour which will have a great impact on how to market an event:

People like to behave like people.  For example, if you look up and start to point, people around you will look up; if you are in a group or meeting with a number of other people, and everyone looks like they are enjoying themselves, it reaffirms to you that you are enjoying it.  Conversely, if they look to not be enjoying themselves, this will reaffirm to you also.  With this information at hand, you can include in your session topics of agreement to get everyone, as a group, agreeing.  For example, ask a question starting with “Have any of you ever…….”

Authority.  Just by the fact alone that you are presenting at an event, you will be perceived to be an expert.  It is important that you also appear human and engage with the audience to build their trust and impression of you; introduce yourself personally to as many as possible delegates as you can before you start; help with getting coffees etc.

Commitment/consistency.  People will always respond positively to you if they feel you have similar values to them e.g. being an eco-friendly company.

Scarcity.  If something is in short supply or unique, we want it even more.  Are there limited places for your event?  Do you have only so many free books to give away on the day?

Likeability.  How do you come over to people? Will they want to come and see you? Engage with them.

Social Proof. People believe that if others have done it, it follows they can do it too.  When marketing your event, add in a statement along the lines of “dozens of people like you have benefitted from this seminar……”

Missing out.  If people feel they are going to miss out, they will want it even more:- “you are really going to miss out if you don’t………” If possible, all these elements should be included in the marketing material and the presentation of any seminar.

My next blog from Philip’s presentation to the MD2MD group includes how to get high attendance to any event.