How to Make it Big in the Seminar Business

Terms of Use......Page 5
Want to learn more?......Page 6
Contents......Page 9
It Started on a Dare......Page 11
Growth as a Seminar Leader and the Launching of the American Seminar Leaders Association......Page 12
How This Book Evolved and How It Will Benefit You......Page 13
Preface to the Second Edition......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 17
Part 1 How to Put Together a Dynamic Seminar......Page 21
Welcome to the Profitable World of Seminars......Page 23
What Are the Two Major Seminar Markets?......Page 24
To Sponsor or Not to Sponsor Seminars......Page 26
The Two Secrets for Success in the Seminar Business......Page 27
The Four Critical Features of a Winning Topic......Page 29
Knowledge......Page 35
Attitude......Page 36
Skills......Page 38
Strategies for Putting Your Seminar Together......Page 42
The One Technique Essential for a Perfect Seminar......Page 43
Why Use the Modular Design Approach (MDA)?......Page 44
Part 2 How to Make Big Money in the Seminar Business......Page 47
TADA—The Magic Marketing Formula......Page 49
Creating a Ten-Factor Profile of Your Target Audience......Page 50
Rules of Thumb When Choosing Your Month and Day......Page 52
The Best (and Worst) Months of the Year to Hold and Promote Your Seminar......Page 53
Guidelines for Choosing the Best Time of Day......Page 54
The All-Important Question......Page 56
Criteria for Choosing a Seminar Location......Page 57
Guidelines for Evaluating a Facility......Page 58
What About Meals and Refreshments?......Page 60
Rules to Guarantee the Best Meeting Room Price......Page 61
After You Have Booked Your Meeting Room......Page 62
Guidelines for Setting Your Fee......Page 64
Don't Forget Early Bird Specials......Page 65
How to Negotiate the Highest Fee for Your In-House Seminar......Page 66
Company and Personal Checks......Page 67
Opening a Credit Card Merchant's Account—It’s Simple......Page 68
The First Step Is Easy......Page 71
Design Your Brochure to Be Electronically Friendly......Page 72
The Big-Six Brochure Questions......Page 73
Principles for Writing Sensational Copy......Page 74
How to Use the Instant Brochure Copy Generator......Page 76
Twenty-Three-Point Brochure Checklist......Page 78
How to Choose the Best Printer......Page 82
Where to Find the Mailing List You Need......Page 88
How to Work with List Brokers......Page 89
Important Factors to Test......Page 90
When to Use a Mailing House......Page 91
What Is the Total Cost of Direct-Mail Promotion?......Page 92
Direct Marketing with Email......Page 93
Advertising versus Publicity......Page 95
Prerequisites for Using Mass Media......Page 96
Mass Media Advertising Categories......Page 97
Advertising on the Internet......Page 99
What Is a Media Kit?......Page 101
Components of a Media Kit......Page 102
Steps for Getting Media Coverage......Page 113
How to Get on National Radio and TV Talk Shows......Page 114
How to Exploit the Media and Fill Seminar Seats......Page 115
Four Golden Rules for the Two-Step Promotion......Page 118
The Two Types of Intro Events......Page 119
The Rollover Principle......Page 121
What Are the Three Major In-House Seminar Markets?......Page 122
National and State Societies of Association Executives (alphabetized by state)......Page 125
How to Market to Corporations and Associations......Page 129
How to Use Speakers Bureaus to Get Booked for In-House Seminars......Page 130
14 How to Start Making Money Right Now......Page 132
Ways to Start Making Money Right Now......Page 133
Additional Techniques for Getting Booked Quickly......Page 134
Do you Fit the Job Description? Fill Out This Questionnaire......Page 135
How Much Do Seminar Leaders Get Paid?......Page 136
How to Conduct a Job Search......Page 138
16 Double Your Profits with Back-of-the-Room Sales......Page 140
Profitable Products......Page 141
Compact Discs......Page 145
DVD/Video Products......Page 149
Secrets for Selling Your Consulting Services......Page 150
Secrets for Closing the Back-of-the-Room Sale......Page 151
Using Your Web Site to Sell Products and Services......Page 152
E-Products for Creating Additional Post-Seminar Profits......Page 154
Part 3 How to Hold Your Audience in the Palm of Your Hand......Page 157
The Building Blocks of a Dynamic Delivery......Page 159
How to Hold an Audience in the Palm of Your Hand......Page 167
Why You Need Handouts......Page 170
Types of Handout Material You Can Use......Page 171
Handout Formats from Which to Choose......Page 172
Additional Evaluation Questions......Page 174
Factors You Must Consider When You Set Up Your Room......Page 177
Why You Must Arrive at the Seminar Room Early......Page 185
What to Do as People Start to Arrive......Page 186
Rules for Beginning Your Presentation......Page 187
A Winning Agenda for Your Seminar......Page 188
Rules for Ending Your Seminar......Page 190
Don't Forget! Leading Seminars Is a Calling and an Art......Page 191
Part 4 The Seminar Business Yellow Pages......Page 193
Alabama......Page 195
Alaska......Page 196
Arizona......Page 197
Arkansas......Page 202
California......Page 203
Colorado......Page 219
Delaware......Page 223
Washington, D.C.......Page 224
Florida......Page 226
Georgia......Page 235
Maui Island......Page 238
Idaho......Page 239
Illinois......Page 240
Indiana......Page 243
Kansas......Page 245
Kentucky......Page 246
Louisiana......Page 247
Maryland......Page 248
Massachusetts......Page 250
Michigan......Page 253
Minnesota......Page 254
Mississippi......Page 255
Missouri......Page 256
Montana......Page 258
Nebraska......Page 259
Nevada......Page 260
New Jersey......Page 262
New York......Page 264
North Carolina......Page 267
Ohio......Page 269
Oklahoma......Page 271
Pennsylvania......Page 272
Rhode Island......Page 273
South Carolina......Page 274
South Dakota......Page 275
Tennessee......Page 276
Texas......Page 277
Utah......Page 281
Virginia......Page 282
Washington......Page 284
Wisconsin......Page 286
Wyoming......Page 287
Speakers Bureaus in the United States......Page 288
Corporate Training Companies......Page 313
Professional Associations for Networking and Education......Page 341
Public Seminar Companies......Page 358
Index......Page 375
About the Author......Page 385