Each of the following items are based years of experience and reams of data on marketing thousands of professional education workshops. Each item focuses on a top priority marketing activity that is critical to generating successful enrollments. Some program topics and audiences allow bending of the rules, but if you rate your efforts high on each of these dimensions, you will have a successful effort no matter what the program.
For each item, assign a number based on the following scale:
1=Never, 2=Sometimes, 3=Always.
- ___ I determine that there is a definite perceived need for a program prior to starting the actual marketing process.
- ___ I plan my marketing schedule for the brochure to be “in the mail” at 12 weeks in advance of a one or two-day workshop, or 14 weeks for a three or four-day workshop. ( I add at least one week to this if I am mailing outside a 50 mile or so radius from where the program will be held.)
- ___ I allow 2-3 weeks for the printing and mailing process.
- ___ I start the marketing process 5-6 weeks ahead of when the brochure will go to the printers. ( I know that catalogs, calendars, and conferences require much more time.)
- ___ I write a “tell it like it is” title for the program that is obvious to the recipient no matter which side of the brochure they happen to pick up.
- ___ I use a good sub-title, or a couple of good sentences or bullet items that expand on the title, on the front cover.
- ___ I make the most of credibility, such as name of co-sponsors, certification requirements met by attending, quotable quotes from past participants.
- ___ I mention hot-buttons that may be important, like “a series of half day...”, “a tour of ...”, “offered in the evening from ...”
- ___ I take advantage of the fact that there are two covers on a brochure and I feature as much as I can of the key copy elements on both covers.
- ___ I price the program right, knowing that if it’s an extraordinary success, I can always raise it. I don’t want to overprice in a test mode, unless testing price.
- ___ I start my list research at least 3-4 weeks before I plan to print.
- ___ I am much less picky about how I segment and pull from my internal list, since it is probably my best list, no matter what.
- ___ If I have people on my internal list for whom this offering is a logical next step, I send them two copies, first class mail, with a very brief generic note enclosed, because the return on my investment will be ten-fold.
- ___ If I have done this program before, or one similar to it, I review past attendee lists for geographical distribution, predominant titles and industries represented, before researching rented lists.
- ___ I put as much succinct, well-written, “you” worded copy in the brochure as I can since I know more copy is better, regardless of whether they read it or not.
- ___ I make sure I have my key coding or stone plan in place to track response.
- ___ If I know I am going to be mailing at least one list that I expect to be my best list, I plan to mail that same list a second time about 2-3 weeks after the first mailing.
- ___ I do an email reminder to my internal list, giving them a hotlink to a brochure download area, about 5 weeks after the first mailing.
- ___ I code every brochure and registration form on my web site so that I can track responses to the web site.
- ___ I am careful about letting design, graphics, or photos detract from the primary message, as opposed to using them to support and draw attention to the primary message.
- ___ I always mail on time, or real close to it, because I know that if I do everything right but mail late, I am increasing my risk and depressing my response substantially.
So, pat yourself on the back for your 3’s, tackle all the 1’s as soon as possible, and watch enrollments increase.
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