Financial Management is a Must in a Seminar

Putting together a seminar is a major decision. It takes a lot of time, budget, resources and a lot of serious planning to be able to deliver quality seminars, but of course the benefits are worth it. Just think about the outstanding seminars you've gone to. What made them so good? What sets them apart? Were you able to apply the information that was taught in your own business? If all the answers are positive, then that seminar was a success. You should be able to identify what they did right and effectively apply it to your own seminar. This way you can successfully market your own expertise, products or services to your prospective clients, or even join forces with other colleagues to produce a good profitable seminar.



Why Do a Seminar?



Seminars are meant to educate, but also to sell. Seminars are more like a soft Selling Marketing Strategy giving you the opportunity to get up-front and personal with your target market. It also gives you the opportunity to engage in a discussion where you are seen as an expert that offers possible solutions.



The advantage is that you are seen as someone who is knowledgeable enough to endorse rather than a sales force behind a company. Your audience will be impressed and that can convert them to buying customers. Seminars are one of the ways to establish a connection to help build an environment where a relationship can be created, which is an opportunity to sell strategically.



Financial Management in a Seminar



The key factor that affects the planning of a seminar is the financial management side of it. To achieve a profitable turnout for a seminar is to be able to effectively plan the budget for it. The number of attendees usually dictates the overall cost of a seminar. The following is what you should consider once you come up with your tentative or final number of attendees:



Invitations

Publicity materials

Speakers fee (if you are getting one aside from yourself)

Rentals (this include the venue and the following if it's not included in the venue chairs and tables, audio and video equipment, and lights and sounds)

General office expenses (usually the office supplies, photocopying, calls and faxes, shipping fees etc.)

Staff payroll (usually if it is a big seminar)

Meals (a seminar would not be complete without it)

And other related cost



Budget planning is a key factor to achieve a successful seminar. Usually it should take at least three months preparation time, to be able to organize especially if there will be external participants. Some seminars which include high-status speakers oftentimes take a year in advance to set-up.

Can Free Teleseminars Give You More Profit?

A lot of marketers thought that by offering free teleseminars to their potential customers, it would give them a boost in the response rate of their drooping direct mail or would make their business stand out from the rest. But be cautious, giving free teleseminars does not make it that easy and simple. If you are seriously considering giving free teleseminars to your potential customers, here are some questions to ask yourself first (actually they are already answered for your convenience):



Question: Are free teleseminars all about selling a particular product or service?



Answer: Yes, that is mainly why it fails. Realistically, a teleseminar is supposed to encourage participants to purchase a product. Making the selling aspect of the teleseminar too obvious and will annoy them more than make them buy. But if you try to make a presentation as informative as you possibly can (with only a hint of subtle selling), then participants will think highly of your company and will be inclined to make a purchase.



Question: Is it always the right approach to give free teleseminars?



Answer: It really depends on the strategy of your company's marketing plan. Free teleseminars usually work well if there is new technology or product to introduce. It is also perfect for products that need to be demonstrated, like computer software or system.



Question: If it's a free teleseminar, will that mean an overflow of registrants?



Answer: Free does not necessarily mean that people will come running. People have the impression that free means you have to buy something else. In reality, people are always flooded with free teleseminar invitations. Your concern is if your invitation will get their attention.



Question: If that is the case, should I charge a minimal fee to make it look like more important?



Answer: A big NO. It is not a free teleseminar anymore if you charge a fee no matter how minimal it is. If you charge even more then it would be improper to do any selling. Charging more is usually reserved for educational teleseminars. The goal is to sell your product.



At the end of the day giving something for free does not mean that your work is done. It just got you the attention that you need to work on your strategy to sell. Once you have that attention, you only have one chance to make a difference.

An Automated Seminar is a Profitable Business

Entertainment is considered a very vital commodity in our society. Presenters and speakers firmly believe that their sole purpose is to educate people. Although it is true (partly) it is not actually what gets them there, inspires them, or better yet to take action as the seminar recommends. For most of us education has its negative connotation.



That is why there is a great deal of similarity between good entertainment and a quality seminar. In truth, your seminar needs to be a bit entertaining too. Speakers should consider the fact of what keeps the participants in their chairs, prompts then to buy your products, makes them want to go back for more, and eventually advocate your seminars to friends, families, and even associates. Believe me, as much as the content is a factor; it is greatly contributed to the fact that they enjoyed the seminar.



In this business, you really need to think about how you can hold on to your participants interest throughout the seminar. That is why it is imperative to have killer content but also a killer script for their entertainment. There are also various ways to do your seminar such as having your participants share with the group, do exercises, and of course taking regular breaks and some snacks to go with it. These breaks are very important at a seminar (especially the long ones), it give the participants some breathing space in between topics.



Take notice of singers or bands, for instance as long as they do not sing the same genre of songs for a long period of time. They would probably start their set with slow songs and then eventually and gradually switch to fast-beat songs. Those who really know how to work a crowd would probably do small chit-chats in between songs. It could just be a simple intro of the next act or they might even share some personal funny stories about their lives, but basically and in any case even a short couple of minutes will somehow break the monotony of each song.



So you see, it's really not about which is better; entertaining or educating. It is actually about entertaining AND educating all at the same time. It is just a simple way of achieving an ambience that will make your participants feel that they are involved, which will inspire them to engage in discussions, and ultimately will make your seminars profitable.

Motivational Seminars: Making Your Life's Vocation Your Business

Having the genuine desire to impart valuable wisdom to your audience is a noble goal, but if you're serious about having a career in motivational speaking then you need something more than that. To make your motivational seminar profitable, you need to remember that what you're doing is not just your life's vocation but your business as well.



Use Seminar Materials as a Marketing Tool

Materials you distribute to your audience should not only include summarized points of your lecture but also your contact details. This will serve as your calling card to them, giving your audience a way of contacting you just in case they want you to hold another seminar in their area.



Get Their Contact Details

Seminars require listeners to register for one major reason, and that's so they can obtain a means to contact people and invite them for subsequent seminars. If they're interested in listening to you now and you've no plans of doing anything to change their minds, then there's a very good chance they'll be willing to listen to you again.



Remember to instruct the people you're assigning to the registration tables to ensure that each listener provides at least an email address, if not a phone number or residence address, for their contact details.



Always Give Your Best

Treat each seminar like it's your last. Profitability of your seminar is generally proportionate to your skills as a motivational speaker. You need to prove that your seminar is worth every dollar they've paid to hear you speak.



Consider Team-Ups

Look for a motivational speaker you can work with or just about any other professional to complement your seminar. This will add variety to your seminar and if all things go well, it can even let you increase your seminar fee the next time.



Encourage Returns and Referrals

Don't ever let them step out of the room without informing them about the seminars you have scheduled ahead on your calendar. Inform your listeners that they can receive discounts if they attend any of your subsequent seminars. All they need to do is provide verifiable proof like a ticket stub from your seminar and they'll be able to attend your seminars at a discounted price. Let them know they can also obtain greater discounts for every referral they make.



Ask for Feedback

Last but certainly not least, don't forget to distribute short survey questionnaires to your audience. It's the people listening to you who'll ultimately be the best judge in determining what factors make your motivational seminars profitable and of course enjoyable as well.

4 Tips on Creating Dollar-Earning Seminar Titles

Titles generally have the power to make or break works of art, whether they're books, movies, or songs. And as far as seminars are concerned, titles have considerable influence on the events success.



4 Tips on Creating Dollar-Earning Seminar Titles

Creating a title for your seminar, regardless of the topic, is just like creating a title for a novel or song. Basically, you want something that instantly grabs peoples attention or enough to make them want to know more about it, or better yet, attend the seminar right away.



Keep It Short

The shorter your title is, the greater the impact. Having a short title makes the meaning powerfully clear to everyone who reads it. Its briefness also makes it easy for people to recall your seminar. If you want to add more details, you can use them as your subtitle. What matters is keeping your title as short as possible.



Quantify It

Doesn't 7 Ways to Earn Today sound better than merely saying ways to Earn Today? The latter is too vague but the former asserts its intentions in almost a commanding way. The title lets you know immediately that you're going to find seven and its easy to imagine the word SEVEN in capital letters and then ways to earn money today.



If you want a head turner for a title, you need to quantify your statement. Ideas you can quantify include but are not limited to the amount of money you can directly or indirectly derive from your seminar, the number of days it will take your listener to put your lessons to work, and of course, the number of tips you'll be sharing in your seminar.



Think Brand Recognition

The name Ferrari always makes people imagine wealth, power, and beauty. You, too, should aim for instant brand recognition when creating your title. If you have a famous guest speaker joining you in your seminar, include his name in the title. If you are focusing on 9-11, be sure to include the event in your title. Anything that makes your people immediately grasp the concept of your seminar and make them want to know more should definitely be included in your title.



Speak the Language of Your Target Market

If you are targeting teenagers then you have to speak their language and avoid formal or archaic words. If you are speaking to businessmen then you should know that they're more likely to be impressed if you have Bill Gates as a guest than Lindsay Lohan. If you want your title to standout, make sure they understand it first!

5 Essential Factors to Consider for Seminar Pricing

Determining the right price for your seminars is just like determining how much you wish to sell the brownies you've baked. But instead of delicious chocolate pastries, what you're selling this time is the wisdom you're imparting to the audience.



Compute Costs

Naturally, the first thing you should aim for is your seminar price to offset your costs. That's why its important to calculate your expenses from day one. How much are you paying for the venue? Are you going to rent a sound system? Are you going to offer foods and drinks? Are you going to employ people to help you conduct the seminar? What about printing costs for materials? Do you have any marketing expenses?



As all these will reflect on your income tax report, its best to keep all receipts and related documents as proof for such figures.



Compute Discounts

Are you going to give discounts to people who are returning to listen for the second or third time or people who are bringing referrals with them? What about existing tie-ups you have with certain companies or organizations? You need to consider all these as they'll reduce the amount of money you can earn from your seminar fees.



Estimate Venue Capacity and Expected Attendance Rate

What's the maximum number of persons the venue will be capable of accommodating? How many persons do you expect to attend your seminar? You'll need to ask the venue manger for the first figure and make a calculated guess for the latter. The more people you expect to attend, the greater chance you can afford to reduce your seminar fee.



Compute Taxes

You didn't really think that your seminars could escape the IRS, did you? As long as you're earning more than peanuts from any legal activity, expect the IRS to ask for a slice from your occupational pie. With regard to taxes, you may need the help of an accountant to accurately determine how much you're expected to pay in terms of taxes.



Consider Industry Rates

Finally, we come to the part of determining the markup of your seminar fee. How much is Oprah charging these days for her seminars? What about Rick Warren or Robert Kiyosaki? Now, compare yourselves to them. Can you justify charging the same rates they do? Assess your capabilities honestly. What is a reasonable rate for the kind of seminar you're offering? Consider your topic as well. Is it something new; something that hasn't yet been discussed and is sure to catch peoples attention?

How to Find Topics that Can Lay Golden Eggs through Your Seminars

No matter how skilled and knowledgeable you are as a speaker, there are just some topics in your niche that are less profitable than others and conversely, there are some topics that will rake in more dollars than others. Here are a few tips to help you unearth the topics designed to lay golden eggs through your seminars.



Earn More from Your Area of Expertise

Consider: Stephen King and JK Rowling are both famous and successful authors, but guess who you're going to listen to if you want to write a horror novel? A combination of knowledge, skills, experience, and personality makes certain topics more profitable for you than others. You should know what these topics are and find ways to improve so you can continue being the best and earning the most from these topics.



Latest Trends Yield Greater Returns

Think of what's currently making waves in your target market. If you are mainly catering to mothers, housewives, and women who are generally aged 40 and above and live in the suburbs, you should look for ways of connecting your seminars to the latest issues affecting them. Think Desperate Housewives, online protection for kids, and maybe even same-sex marriages. You need to be constantly alert for the issues that strongly affect your target market, regardless of whether it elicits a favorable or unfavorable reaction from them.



Use the Calendar as the Guide

What's happening now? Is it just a few weeks away from Christmas? Then you should take advantage of that and think about what kind of seminar topic you can introduce and connect to Christmas. Is it summer? What is there in summer that you can relate to the kind of topics you usually discuss?



Promises for a Better Future

People love to find out how they can improve themselves, earn more money, and make their future brighter in general. Your seminars have better chances of selling out if you can find a way to convince people that you're offering them a chance to have a nicer future to look forward to.



Study the Competition

Finally, we boil down to the competition. You're not being asked to copy them. Well, not totally, at least. But look at your competition. Who's currently enjoying sold-out crowds with their seminars? What similarities do their seminars have in terms of the topics they're discussing? Now, consider those similarities: can you think of something that's directly related to those topics but presenting contrasting or varying elements at the same time? If the hottest topic today is health and diet, with most speakers focusing on the benefits of vitamins, what if you talk about the risks of taking vitamins or the consequences of not taking vitamins?