| Seminars, workshops, boot camps and other
educational programming is very popular, with the public and with savvy entrepreneurs.
We're in an age where information is the ultimate commodity: our value is largely
determined by how much we know and what we can do with that knowledge.
Anything a consumer can do to add to their knowledge base
has real value and appeal. At the same time, an opportunity to showcase your specialized
knowledge can enhance your Expert Identity and make your services more attractive to the
buying public.
Here's a five step process to developing seminars that
will appeal to your target audience:
Step One: Define Your Target Audience
Nichepreneurs™ have a range of potential audiences for
educational material. Classes could be directed toward colleagues and peers, with an eye
toward enriching the industry as a whole and generating referral business. Or you may wish
to focus on educating the general public, creating a more educated consumer and enjoying
higher sales.
Realize the two groups have different needs and require
different information. You need a clear vision of who you're talking to before you worry
about what you're talking about!
Step Two: Identify Critical Information
Now that you know who your target audience is, you want to
determine what is important to them. What crucial areas are your customers the most eager
to learn about? Bear in mind that there is always a hunger for basic, introductory
information.
Never assume you know what is of interest to your
clientele. Ask them -- either anecdotally, during the course of business, or as part of an
outreach campaign. The topics you might think are can't miss might leave them snoring,
while something that you considered insignificant could have great appeal. Do your
research!
Step Three: Select a Topic
Use the results of the research you conducted in step
number two to select a topic. What are the most important points to cover? Create a
presentation focusing on those points. Remember, you want to appeal to the wants and needs
of your target audience.
Step Four: Select a Format
Consider the type of material you'll be teaching and your
own personal style. This is one time when you'll really need to be brutally honest with
yourself: if you're an outgoing, dynamic person who thrives in a crowded room yet hates
technology with a purple passion, why try to host a web-based event? Select a seminar
instead, and let your people skills sell you! The reverse is even more true:
Nichepreneurs™ who might be brilliant but pedantic will lose far more customers than
they gain by boring a room full of people to tears.
Consider your material. Some information is better
presented visually -- financial or scientific data, for example. Other information, such
as massage techniques, cry out for live demonstrations.
Step Five: Market Your Classes
Once you've designed your educational offerings, you need
to market them. There are a number of ways to do this. If you're trying to reach a purely
local audience, then saturating local media with press releases and announcements, as well
as fliers and direct mailings is the route to go. For larger events, or web-based classes,
you'll want to adopt a broader strategy, taking in e-mail, web site and blog postings, and
more.
The key to success of any seminar, boot camp, or
educational offering is through marketing and promotion. Yet this is the area where more
Nichepreneurs™ drop the ball. Don't short-change yourself. Devote as much time and
energy to promoting your classes as you did developing them! |
