Workshop Follow-up

When I have run workshops or seminars, the number of attendees has varied from 10 to 100. Regardless of how many hear you speak, it is unlikely that a high proportion of them have:

  1. A need or challenge that they think you may be able to help with and
  2. Be able to make an immediate decision that they want to do business with you.

If there are only a few attendees, it is easy to speak to each one of them afterwards, but the more that attend, the harder that is to do. That is why it is important to give them something of value to take away and to have a simple process for keeping in touch later.

As an example, I follow this process:

  1. Rather than hand out copies of the slides, I give a leaflet with hints and tips relating to the subject matter – ideas that they can take back to their business and implement without needing to speak to me.
  2. I explain that I have other material I can send after the workshop and ask for email addresses so I can send it – normally about 90% of attendees will do so.
  3. Within 2 days of the workshop, I email a more detailed document – normally my guide to great customer service, which reminds them of areas I covered in the workshop and goes into greater detail.
  4. I also send them a connection request on LinkedIn – again, over 90% will accept this which means they are likely to see any material I put out on LinkedIn.

And that is it – I do not push for meetings although I mention in each communication that I am happy to meet and give my contact details. The secret then is patience – some people will contact you immediately, some will take time to get in touch and some may never get in touch but often will refer others to you. It all takes time – up to 2 years in some instances.

So be patient, follow these simple steps and do not forget to ask people how they heard about you – then you will get a clear understanding of how effective your workshops and seminars are.

If you have an accountant, they should be your first stop for business advice. If you don’t have an accountant or they can’t help, BuBul has a wide range of experts available. For more business advice why not follow BuBul on LinkedIn?

BuBul Expert Several Experts! Whenever you see BuBul asking you a question, it's from a group of experts rather than an individual!