Seminar Marketing Lessons Learned From the School of Hard Knocks
Stewart Gandolf is a panelist at the next session of Ralph Elliott’s Continuing Education Marketing Conference being held on August 28-30, in the Chicago Courtyard by Marriott-Magnificent Mile. He will share insights gleaned from 15 years in the field, convincing one of the toughest audiences on the planet to do something they do not want to do, i.e., convince doctors to attend a seminar about marketing.
Selling seminars and conferences is always hard but selling any product to Doctors is brutal. The trouble is EVERYONE wants a piece of Doctors….financial services reps, pharma reps, manufacturers, suppliers, realtors, etc. As a result, they have vicious gatekeepers to “protect them.” What’s more, unlike most other business owners, the majority of doctors feel marketing is beneath them.
The good news is, while selling to doctors is always challenging, the experience gained from the process is priceless.
So here is a preview to a few best practices Stewart has learned, honed from years of slugging it out in the brutal “real world.”
- Credibility is key. If you don’t have it, you better figure out a way to build it. Otherwise, you are doomed from the start.
- Rolling out big too fast can kill you. Sometimes losing tactics can give “false positives” early on, and wind up costing you many thousands.
- Getting past admin people is crucial (come to the Chicago Conference and let me tell you how).
- Remember that people will only go if they perceive your event is 100% relevant to their needs. 80% is not good enough to convince them to pull the trigger. Speaking of which, check out the terrific agenda in Chicago:
- Venue choice is critical to move the “fence sitters” into the “yes” column. Check out the Chicago Courtyard by Marriott – it’s comfortable and right in the middle of Chicago’s famous Miracle Mile.
- You need to test and adopt new channels of distribution. What used to work for us is now dead…constant innovation is critical.
- Remember, your audience is looking for excuses NOT to go. You’ve got to convince your audience that your event is highly relevant to their needs, worth the hassle and expense, and that they’ll enjoy their time while they are there.
In closing our recommendation is that you join us and the other speakers in Chicago so we can discuss how you can promote your events more effectively. You can see more conference details at Clemson Conference Chicago.
So to be successful in selling seminars and conferences to Doctors, there is zero tolerance for error. One missed “best practice” and your marketing program will spin off the road and into a cliff.