Well here we are, the kids are back in school, everyone's summer vacation is over, and except for retirees (and those nearing retirement) nobody is taking vacation from now until Thanksgiving. So it's a great time to plan business development and client focused events, right? Not necessarily. It's a great time to host them, but not a great time to plan. The planning needed to be done in July, so invites could go out this week, hitting desks just as folks have cleared the clutter and are organizing their fall schedules.
I've planned and hosted about six events per year for the last twenty years, and while I'm not ready to take down my shingle and be an event planner, I have learned the hard way a lot of do's and don't's for professionals who regularly try to bring together clients and like minded professionals. Here is my short list:
1. Plan ahead. Speakers, locations, topics, and invitation lists should be ready a month before the invitation needs to be distributed. That leaves plenty of time for proofreading and fine-tuning the outreach.
2. Calendar wisely. Obviously, don't plan anything in July, August, November or December unless you're okay with a very low turnout. Similarly, check for the beginning and end of the school year in your community, even if you don't have kids yourself. A large proportion of your target market probably has school age kids, and they will probably think beginning and end of school year events are more important than your educational seminar or special event. Know when spring break falls. Check for major religious holidays. Don't bother planning anything the week before and after Easter, on Passover or Yom Kippur, or Ramadan, if your target market includes anyone adhering to those religious traditions. Also consider sports. I once had a seminar scheduled the same afternoon as game four in the World Series, and wouldn't you know the home team was playing at home down the street that afternoon. Oh well.
3. Snail Mail. I know, several years ago we were all hot to send everything by email. But the reality is we are now so inundated by spam and bacon that we've asked for, it's hard to be sure that all that effort to publicize an event doesn't just go to a junk mail or spam folder without being opened. I always think that if I am going to the trouble of putting an event together, the expense of sending a tasteful paper invitation is well worth the effort.
4. Proofread. Nothing shows lack of attention to detail more than typos. Be sure to get multiple sets of eyes on the electronic and paper invitations, and include some fresh reviewers who haven't been so closely involved in the drafts that the won't notice the mistakes.
5. Mailing Lists Need Constant Cultivation. Developing a mailing list isn't something to be done in a rush, just when the event is being planned. Contact lists take constant, year-round attention. When you pick up a business card, in addition to adding it to your contact list, figure out which of your mailing lists the person is also interested in, and make sure the name goes there, too.
6. Use Social Media. Along with distributing invites to your mailing list and posting it on your website, consider using your Twitter feed, LinkedIn and other appropriate sites to advertise. I think those distribution channels are probably not very useful in bringing people who aren't already on the invite list to the event; nevertheless, they are excellent follow up reminders to your colleagues and contacts who might appreciate the reminder if the email and paper invites weren't enough. Effective advertising is repetitive. Get your message out as many times, and in as many forums, as you reasonably can.
7. Market Internally. Especially in larger firms where it is so hard to know what the other attorneys practices are about, it's important to approach other attorneys as a target market for the event as well. If possible, arrange for continuing education credit for your seminar. Attorneys in the firm, and outside it, are excellent referral sources. Don't waste the opportunity to bring them into the conversation.
8. Make it a Tradition. The best attended seminars and most effective events are those that happen on a regular schedule, are consistently worth the attendees' time, and have become a fixture. This takes time and commitment. Consider it a learning experience for the first few years, and don't abandon the effort without giving it a number of tries.
9. Ask for Feedback. Be sure to distribute evaluation forms to those who do attend. We can't learn anything without feedback. And use that as an opportunity to ask for input about what the audience wants to hear about from you.
10. Offer a Quality Event. Last, but not least, be sure that the presentation or panel offers the best quality experience possible. Take home materials are, in my view, essential. Yes it is good to be green, but people who make the effort to travel to your event in person need paper in front of them to write on. An effective Powerpoint presentation can be useful, but if you aren't particularly creative or fluent with the medium, consider sticking to your knitting. Powerpoints that are amateurish or boring can work against you.
So that's my little bit of wisdom on the topic. Now I just need to get my own invitation out, it's a week late this year due to my extravagant vacation. Watch my Twitter feed and LinkedIn updates if you aren't already on my mailing list, or send me your contact info and I'll be sure you are added!
0 comments:
Post a Comment