Seminars provide a cost-effective way to reach
a qualified audience with a targeted message.
The impact of a seminar lies in its timeliness,
its relevance to customer needs, and its call
to action. Seminars are:
Informative
Seminars tend to be viewed by attendees as an
opportunity for them to obtain information
about products or solutions they are considering
purchasing. What’s more, seminars add the
kind of quality and value that can lead to
further purchases.
Controlled
The location, timing, and subject matter of a
seminar are all planned in advance. This gives
you the time to plan your approach and develop
precise messages to present to your audience.
Solution-driven
Unlike a product demonstration which focuses
on product features, a seminar should
concentrate on the benefits your solutions can
deliver. Time is spent identifying the audience’s
needs and on how the product benefits provide
a solution to meet those needs.
Actionable
Seminars should provide key product takeaway
messages to the audience, and close with
a clear “call to action” or next step, motivating
attendees to purchase or evaluate products.
The steps for an effective seminar
Following these steps will ensure that your
seminar successfully builds your business.
Define your goal
It’s important to consider your business
objective for hosting a seminar – it will keep
you focused on your ultimate goal. You can
start by asking yourself the following questions: • What is my company trying to accomplish
with this seminar?
• Do I have a strong message and clear value
to deliver to my customers?
• Am I prepared to follow up interested
customers and take on new business?
• How will I measure the effectiveness of the
time and money invested in creating this
seminar?
Choose a topic
Once you have identified your business
objective, it’s important to pick an appropriate
topic. Keep the following in mind: • Promote your strengths. Make sure you’re
presenting a topic aligned with your core
competencies as a technology provider.
• Keep your audience in mind. Tailor the topic of
the seminar to their business issues and needs.
• Convey your message clearly and well.