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Watch Your ROI Rise When your seminar has come and gone, it is time to take stock of how it went. It is important to determine if the content was relevant for your audience, and measure just how much you have gained, in relation to what you have spent. This article illustrates how to capture your success rate, gather critical opinions about the seminar, and use this event as a valuable learning tool for future client interactions. Following up |
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The purpose of events is to network within your prospect base, and strengthen existing client relationships. Three suggestions to maximize the contact with each attendee are:
Follow-up with each attendee.
- Answer any lingering questions they have about your current products, promotions, or the event.
- Provide any additional information that was promised at the event.
- Send a survey to get their perception of the event and content ideas for future events.
Enter guest information into a contact database.
- Clarify their industry, department, and job title for better targeting of future events or promotions.
- Supplement client contact information with notes about areas of interest or special dates, such as business anniversary or birthdates. Use this information to customize future communications, to show you’re interested in more than just making a sale.
Follow-up with no shows.
- Offer to provide copies of event content and handouts.
- Send them a link to your event highlights.
- Let them know about current promotions, and inform them of upcoming events that might interest them.
Measuring Success
Accurately measuring the success of a client seminar will help focus your future efforts in the right direction. You can do this through calculating your Return on investment (ROI). ROI is the expected return in sales or gross margin dollars for every marketing dollar you invest. Your ROI will depend on several factors including the size of expected sales and the cost of marketing the event. For example, if your event cost $2,000 to host and drive attendance, and you close two deals worth $25,000 gross each as a result, you have made a 25xROI ($25 returned for every $1 spent).
$50,000/$2,000 = 25
Other key measurements for your event include tracking your actual registration, attendance, and length of your sales cycle. Take your ROI and attendance figures into account for your next client event or tradeshow. Keep what worked, and eliminate the methods that did not. Keeping track of these factors over time will help you reduce your planning time and expenditures and improve your efficiency.
