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Subject:
starting a seminar business successfully
Category: Business and Money Asked by: zulu500-ga List Price: $200.00 |
Posted:
08 Apr 2003 21:59 PDT
Expires: 08 May 2003 21:59 PDT Question ID: 188090 |
How do I successfully start a seminar business in australia selling NLP? I am fully trained, now I want to compete against already established companies. How can I market as cheaply and efectively as possible? We plan to run a weekend personal development course and certification trainings in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis. Do we need to price ourselves far below the established companies? I am in my 20s and though the course content will be almost identical to larger certification trainings, people judge I lack their "experience". The alternative market has heard of nlp though they have also most likely heard of the main companies. Outside of the seminar junkies most don;t belive the promises of nlp etc are true and have not heard of it and are more price resistant (from my limited market research) | |
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Subject:
Re: starting a seminar business successfully
Answered By: taxmama-ga on 30 Apr 2003 05:57 PDT Rated: ![]() |
Hi Zulu, Yes, you did get excellent advice from unico67 - the first comment below. And MathTalk's recommendation about tapping into a niche market will significantly reduce your overall marketing efforts. Using the 'niche' technique, you can become THE expert in NLP for that one area of professionals or... But, you want something with faster results. I understand that. Take MathTalk's idea - find a company, or business, with hundreds of employees working under stress, let's say a real estate office. (Or try a hospital's nursing staff, or bus drivers who have to deal with both nasty people AND traffic, or flight attendants, or...find a group of people no one has thought to specifically target.) Working with the example of a real estate office (use the same logic for any of the niche markets), offer to do a one-hour introduction for them at one of their sales meetings, for free. (They always have speakers.) Then, offer them a discounted price for a group of, say, at least 10 people. Work with them. Get them impressed with your skills. Have them write testimonials. Then, offer to do the same for another branch of the same company. Do this a few times until you can prove that you can consistently get good results for them. If any of them had increased sales, or worked more efficiently, or anything that can be quantified - get that information. NOW, you can go to the public with your flyers or ads and offer a seminar for the public. Promote it by writing some articles for the local newspaper. If they won't publish them - find one of the smaller papers who will. Try to make the articles about people. Readers identify with stories about others, rather than stories that simply try to teach or preach. I started building my tax practice by sending out press releases about a $10 workshop on how to prepare your own tax returns. No ads. I found a hotel that would give me a meeting room cheaply. The first time, only 10 people came. Three became clients. The next time, there were 20. Several of them became clients. And so on. Another place you can go is to gyms. People using them are into self- improvement. They will be receptive to learning about another way to help themselves. The hardest thing to do is to educate a market about a new idea. NLP isn't generally known outside of the community who practices it. If this is a good start, please let me know. I'll be happy to continue to guide you in your marketing efforts. Whatever you do, though - do get some articles out there with your name on them. You can even get them published online. Establish yourself as a an expert by packaging yourself. Perception is important. Your TaxMama-ga | |
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zulu500-ga
rated this answer:![]() Thanks :) |
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Subject:
Re: starting a seminar business successfully
From: unico67-ga on 08 Apr 2003 22:53 PDT |
I have been in the "seminar "business for 25 years the last 21 of which in Italy. I understand fully the points you are making. 1 The main challenge is credibility in the eyes of the client.So write a book-an article - a series of articles.Its not that difficult.You can do it.Make it immediate, visual....can I say "Tom Peters" style etc etc. 2 The second major challenge is contacting clients.Mail-outs and circulars are not effective any more .Its even more about networking. Directors of Personnel meetings. Ask to speak as a testimony at smaller management trade fairs .Offer a freeby to the local Rotary etc. Offer a freeby to the New Venture/ startup unit of the local Chamber of Commerce.You get the idea..... 3 Make it industry sector focused.As consultants we have to kiss goodbye to multi generic seminars (mining on Monday ...Retail on Tuesday....a manufacturer on Wednesdays....the real buyer today says "hey ..how much do you know about MY industry.After 18 years of generics I changed to focus on the Fashion Industry about 3 years ago.Great ...there are fewer well focused consultants about so the market pulls rather than vice-versa. 4 Get some help from a PR agency.Choose well ....see at least 10 before you decide.Negotiate a SMALL startup fee.Get them to organise a book presentation for you to their journalist list.Write articles for SPECIFIC magazine sectors...eg" PNL at the front desk Increasing sales in the car rental business" PNL: reducing queues and stress in local goverment front desk operations" Do a small sector research which get PUBLISHED. Then go with your article to your appointments.You'll see the difference. 5 Avoid "Show and Go" seminars.Companies want stuff they can appy Monday morning which works.An intercompany seminar - very often running at breakeven - is ony a KEY to do the lucrative in - company stuff. Its a tough tough super enjoyable industry.Its like doing an MBA which last 20 years. Most of all use a £"non arrogant" consultant style. Good luck!! |
Subject:
Re: starting a seminar business successfully
From: zulu500-ga on 23 Apr 2003 17:34 PDT |
Thanks for the comments! It appears this question has been placed in the "too hard basket" oh well, perhaps some brave researcher will still take the plunge... Your webpage is VERY intersting Cate, I will be in touch soon :) |
Subject:
Re: starting a seminar business successfully
From: bcguide-ga on 28 Apr 2003 07:43 PDT |
Hi zulu500-ga, I'm not sure what researcher would be able to provide a better answer than the comment already posted. Unless you want a specific business plan format, you've gotten an excellent answer in the comment. Having a publication record takes the place of academic degrees and field experience in establishing your credibility. By having articles in media read by your target audience you gain both expert status and advertising. Pricing yourself well below the established companies may send the message that your product is inferior. You need to follow the guidelines laid out in the comments and make some contacts in the corporate area. It may take a while, but if you've got a good product and persistance, you should do well. Good luck, bcguide-ga |
Subject:
Save your money, do it yourself.
From: sergeantshultz-ga on 29 Apr 2003 11:03 PDT |
Their was one good piece of advice from above, find a niche. You say you know your stuff, so we wont question your ability we will just assume you CAN. You have probably heard of Anthony Robbins, do you know he started doing private consultations with clients? One of which earned him a fee of 6 or 7 million. That's where I would focus my niche if I were you. If you want to have a low cost way of approaching these businesses, take a cue from a very successful investment broker. In his early days when he had no money he would conduct "brown bag" seminars at local meeting places. (The owner of one of these can be one of your first clients in exchange for the meeting room.) The "brown bag" seminar in your case would be local business owners bringing their lunch to the meeting hall, you might furnish them an ice tea, or coffee. You would explain how your services could benefit them; using NLP in their marketing materials, in store displays, in newspaper advertisements, in how their customer service people talked to their clients, "upselling" at the checkout. Capturing clients names for future promotions. NLP is nothing if not what language a store owner can use to increase profits. This same investment broker did these "brown bag" seminars at first once per week, then he had such demand he did two per week. Then he eventually was offered a time slot on the radio each week, he got syndicated across the country. I would love to have an NLP trainer train my mind. You and your spouse(or friend) can hand out coupons (basically instructions on where the next seminar will be), just go door to door in your business area. You're the NLP trainer show the store owners how effective NLP is just in how you can fill a room with the brief note you have given each attending "brown bagger". Use those NLP power words to stuff the room. At the end of your meeting that just nicks the surface of what NLP can do for those store owners that choose to use you, offer your services. Give them just enough bait to set the hook, then reel them in. Maybe you could hook yourself up with a web page designer that is learning NLP, or wants to, then you can offer that as a service as well. I am sure businesses such as insurance sales could use scripts that their telemarketing departments could use to boost closing ratios. Above all don't let price sell your offering, in fact use it as an "exclusivity tool". Why make a hundred bucks each off of 50 individuals when you could make 500 dollars each off of ten. That raises another good point, business people are able to afford your services and individualized attention. |
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