Anders Frankel

Arranging seminars with e-mail invitations

As you may have noticed, we are quite fond of arranging seminars on e-mail marketing at Apsis. To have an efficient work flow – and to do what we tell others to do – all our administration is based on e-mail communication and Apsis Newsletter Pro. Here are a few suggestions on what you should do to successfully arrange your seminars with email.

1. Your database is priceless

You should have a reasonably large database with e-mail addresses in order to arrange a seminar with e-mail communication. The receivers must recognize the sender and the must have given their permission – purchased addresses often yield a poor response (as well as putting you at risk of bad will, obviously). With your own list of potential participants, it is both easy and efficient reach them.

2. Your potential customers probably know others just like them

Encourage your visitors to bring a colleague or two. It is an excellent opportunity to expand your database with additional contacts for your next seminar.

3. Send the invitation separately

It may seem odd, but whenever we send an invitation as a part of a regular newsletter, we get quite few applications. But if we send a message with only the invitation, the response is considerably better – even if the number of receivers is quite a bit lower. Conclusion: The readers give the newsletter a quick look, and each headline does not get nearly the same attention as it does in a separate letter.

4. Send a remainder a few days before the event

We have all busy days, and it might be easy to forget or give a seminar a lower priority. To avoid empty seats (or even worse, turning down visitors who might have had a seat) – send a remainder a couple of days before the seminar where it is possible to unregister.

5. Time is precious – make it worth while for your visitors

Anyone who registers for a seminar wants to learn something new – they do not want to listen to a sales pitch (in that case, they will call a sales representative). Plan your seminar carefully and make sure that you give your visitors good value for their invested time. And, finally – be careful not to linger too long in the spotlight. If you stretch beyond the scheduled time, visitors will have to leave during your presentation, which is never a good thing.

Good luck!