Question

Topic: Strategy

Which Approach Is Best?

Posted by Anonymous on 4/23/2014 at 9:29 AM ET 125 Points
I would value your opinions on the best approach to take to this particular target group.

Client's offer is a one-day seminar, specifically geared to the target group. The seminar is a proven successful product, content/quality is not an issue.

We want to send a DM piece to a list of unqualified prospects, comprising 2000 public servants, about whom we know very little other than their name/address/department. They may or may not have heard of the seminar through other advertising, but there is no way of knowing.

One approach might be a sales letter for the seminar containing relevant benefits and all booking details. The intention would be to simply make a direct sale to anyone interested in the subject matter.

The downside is that response can only be measured as a Yes. All non-respondents are No. We can't measure Maybes.

Another approach might be a sales letter for a free report pertaining to the subject matter. The intention would be to gather email addresses and subsequently market to the qualified list.

All responses to this are Maybes. Downside is time taken. There will need to be (several) more approaches before the sale is closed.

Overall, the end game is to sell seminar seats. Is there another approach that could be taken?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 4/23/2014 at 9:38 AM Moderator
    Would a hybrid work? Offer the free report AND mention the seminar, so those who are really interested can sign up?
  • Posted by tcgren on 4/23/2014 at 3:55 PM Accepted
    If cost not an issue, do you have the first DM be the course. For those who don't sign up within xx days, do you have a follow up with an option for sample report/summary?
  • Posted on 4/23/2014 at 5:37 PM Accepted
    If you want to be strictly single-minded I'd lead with the report as the main offer, so you can at least have an opt-in follow-up mechanism for the seminar from those who take you up on the offer. You can then contact those folks after a few days to ask them if the report was helpful and if they'd be interested in the seminar.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 4/23/2014 at 9:47 PM Member
    On a broad brush, will 'public servants' purchase? or their superiors? Then taking time to attend...all problematic for your target audience. It must be a true and I me true shown value for public coffers to spend anything, including time 'out' of office

    What of selling seats within the public sector buildings?

    Not knowing the value of your presentation, whatever your means of contact, the key will always be what you can offer vs cost. In your offering, make sure the 'worth' quickly can be seen to offset spending
  • Posted by telemoxie on 4/24/2014 at 8:41 AM Member
    are you really just trying to sell a single seminar? Sounds like a lot of work for a small amount of one-time money. On the other hand, is the seminar a way to introduce yourself to potential future clients and to position yourself as experts? If so, expenses such as postage and follow-up phone calls and white papers might be justified.

    Look at the marketing profs site. They sell seminars. But not just one seminar at a time: a subscription for a series of seminars.

    If you are selling a highly specialized and unique seminar to people with deep pockets, an expensive marketing campaign might make sense, even to sell a single seminar. We are kind of shooting in the dark... since we don't know the whole story (and you need to keep your client information confidential) we really don't know enough to confidently recommend the best strategy.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 4/24/2014 at 10:29 PM Member
    Why send DM pieces to 2K recipients who are unqualified? It makes more sense to send DM to prospects who are either: A) already warm. Or, B) piping hot.

    At best, a 2K list about whom you know next to nothing may (and it's a slim may) reap a return of
    1 percent. Surely, in order to get asses on seats for the client's seminar the client needs to know far more about their intended audience, otherwise aren't you're simply being set up to fail?

    To obtain a fresher, warmer list, you may want to contact https://kristalytics.com.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/24/2014 at 11:50 PM Member
    Can you offer the first "chapter" of the seminar (the teaser) for free (with an opt-in click-through-link), and then afterwards offer the rest for sale?
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