Construction Business Owner, April 2008

If you're not using seminars as a major part of your marketing strategy, you might as well start ripping up $100 bills right now.

I know what you're thinking-you don't have the time or money for this. Plus, you're not even sure how to start and besides, you're not good at public speaking and don't like it. However, I'm going to prove to you that most of what you thought you knew about seminars and public speaking is dead wrong. If seminars are done properly, then can generate highly qualified leads and convert them into paying customers.

Most people think that doing seminars is difficult, time-consuming, expensive and even scary. But in reality, doing seminars is easy, takes very little time and costs less than you'll pay for today's lunch. And as for scary-let's get the issue of stage fright and fear of public speaking out of the way right up front. Many people say they're afraid to do any kind of public speaking. Sure, you may feel some jitters at first, but the reality is simply this: Once you get up and start speaking, your fear goes away in less than three minutes flat. That's been my experience and the experience of the many hundreds of my students over the last nine years. Once you do a seminar or two and discover this for yourself, you'll never be afraid of public speaking ever again, and in fact, you'll actually become addicted to doing seminars.

With stage fright and fear of public speaking out of the way, here's what you really need to be afraid of: The fallout due to the whole "sub-prime" mortgage mess. Everyone knows that the housing and construction business has already been hard-hit, and some experts are warning that the worst may be yet to come. With less business to go around, what are you going to do to survive, much less thrive? Unless you're one of the lucky few with more business than you can handle, you're going to have to scramble just to stay afloat. Lucky for you, doing seminars is the fastest, easiest, least expensive and most effective form of marketing that exists.

Why Are Seminars so Effective?

First, doing seminars is effective because it's "pull" marketing, as opposed to "push" marketing like advertising. In other words, it's when your seminar attendees are there because they're actually interested in your topic. You've got a room full of people eager to hear what you have to say. Those are highly qualified, hot prospects-they've already qualified themselves because if they didn't want to hear what you have to say, they wouldn't be at your seminar in the first place.

As you speak to that room full of hot prospects, they see you as an expert. After all, there you are up in front of the room speaking. On top of that, during the time that you speak, they "get a feel" for you and start to like you, believe you and trust you. People want to do business with people they like, believe and trust-especially in contracting.

Think about it: Do you want to do business with people you don't like or trust? Since people at your seminar are going to see you as the expert and as someone they like, believe and trust, who do you think they're going to call when they need a contractor? Who do you think they're going to refer to their friends, neighbors and relatives? That's right-you, the likable, believable, trustworthy contractor they met at your seminar! Doing seminars is the fastest, easiest and most fun way to pull in a huge number of qualified leads, period. Plus, why would those people show up to your seminar at all unless they're planning on hiring a contractor soon? These people are going to be very hot prospects, and they're going to want to do business with you.

But, with time and money as tight as it is, how are you going to set up and promote a seminar? Use the following blueprint to learn exactly how to do your own seminars for little or no money.

Title Your Seminar

First, you need an irresistible seminar title to pull in people like bees to honey. It has to be what I call a "grabber"-it has to get people's attention and practically force them to want to know more.

So, what would make an irresistible "grabber" for a seminar title? Stop and think about it-what kind of impression do a lot of people have about contractors and the contracting industry in general? The general public views contractors as dishonest. Use that to your advantage. Simply hold a seminar with a title like

• "7 Secrets to Avoid Being Scammed by a Contractor"
• "Top 10 Tips to Hiring a Contractor-Without Getting Burned"
• "How to Remodel Your Home without Losing Your Mind or Your Money"

Seminar titles like that are going to grab people's attention, and they're going to want to know your seven secrets or ten tips. You have instant credibility because you're in the industry.

 

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