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In this issue:
Marketing Article: Make Your Own Luck: Find your Ideal Targets
Marketing Article: Will Seminars Get You Clients?

Directory of Associatoins

The Directory of Associations is a comprehensive source of information on professional, business, and trade associations, 501c non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and other charity and community institutions.

Businesses of all types can benefit from the powerful niche market of associations and non-profit organizations.

Through March 15th, Save $100 off our Annual Subscription.

Anyone can put a direct mail piece together and drop it at the post office. But without knowing who your target market is, you won’t score many sales.

The first consideration in any marketing campaign is to define your audience. Precisely who is your market? The more clearly you can see your target audience, the better you’ll be able to aim your mailing, and the better your response will be. The goal is to maximize response per thousand—to make that one extra person in 1,000 stop, look, pick up the phone and call.

Anyone can put a direct mail piece together and drop it at the post office. But without knowing who your target market is, you won’t score many sales.

Direct mail is like shooting fish in a barrel.

* First, you’ve got to find the right barrel: this is selecting the right lists.
* Then, you’ve got to figure out which barrel has the most fish: that’s buying the list with the most prospects.
* Narrowing the size of the list further with proper list selection overlays—such as recency, frequency, and monetary purchase criteria—is like reducing the size of the barrel, thus making sure the fish are big.
* Now you have a better chance at shooting the most fish with each shot—that is, getting the most response from each mailing.

The more clearly you can see your target audience, the better you’ll be able to aim your mailing, and the better your response will be.

Defining Your Market
The more precisely you identify your perfect prospect (the more tightly you specify your list), the better your response.

For example, suppose you’re selling a pilot’s bag to airplane pilots. You mail to a list of small airplane owners compiled from plane registrations. Your response is one percent, and you break even. All that work and you made zero profit.

Now let’s say you mail to a list of flying instructors. These pilots are airplane enthusiasts. Since your bag has a cool picture of a plane on it, they love it. Your mailing draws two percent and you make a little money.

Now you try a different tack: You mail to a list of mail order buyers who have recently made a purchase from an airplane specialty catalog. This time your mailing brings a six percent response. Old friends start dropping by to swim in your new pool.

Now you’re getting smart. You buy a list of flying instructors who own planes and who recently made a purchase from an airplane specialty catalog. Your mailing draws nine percent, the size of your pool doubles and you’ve learned the value of purchasing the correct mailing list.

Granted, list research and selection is not glamorous work. It’s the behind-the-scenes grind to figure out and specify the best list parameters. It’s not like creating a slick brochure. But you can see your mailing go from no response to profitable in a hurry, just in the extra attention to and correct selection of your mailing list.

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Jeffrey Dobkin, the author of the books "How To Market A Product For Under $500!" and "Uncommon Marketing Techniques," is a specialist in direct response copywriting. He analyzes and tunes-up clients' letters; writes powerful, response-driven sales letters, TV commercials and scripts; crafts persuasive catalog copy; and creates exceptionally hard-hitting direct mail packages. He also analyzes direct marketing packages, ads, catalogs, and campaigns. Mr. Dobkin is an acclaimed fun and funny speaker and a direct marketing consultant. Call him directly at 610-642-1000 or visit www.jeffreydobkin.com for free samples of his work. Or fax your letter to (610-642-6832) for a free evaluation.

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I often suggest public speaking as a powerful way to show prospective clients what you can do. Many professionals and consultants have built successful practices by giving free presentations to associations, businesses, and educational institutions. But what about producing your own seminar, where you arrange the logistics and invite the guests? Does this work as a strategy for landing clients?

Offering a seminar can be an effective means to become more visible to your target market. If you are a good (or even fair) presenter, and the right people come to your seminar, you will definitely get new customers. But to use seminar marketing successfully, you need to be very clear on your goals, and plan each seminar carefully.

If the purpose of your seminar is primarily to get clients, you shouldn't be expecting to make money on the seminar itself. You may wish merely to cover your expenses, or maybe even spend a little extra. For this type of seminar, the key to making it pay off is to attract people who are good prospects for your business in the first place, rather than just filling the room.

Instead of making your seminar free, it's a good idea to charge a small fee. That way, your prospective clients will perceive you as offering something of value. The fee will also discourage attendance by people who can't afford your product or service. It's the quality of the participants that matters, not the quantity.

If what you really want is for your seminar to turn a profit, you must recognize that by offering full-fee seminars, you are adding another line of business to your company. Operating as a seminar producer will require the same kind of planning and ongoing management as your existing business does.

It can be as difficult to make a profit on your first seminar as it was to originally launch your business. Many people won't sign up for a seminar the first time they see it; others would like to come but can't make the date. You'll have a better chance of making money if you plan at the outset to offer your seminar on a regular basis. You may find, though, that this takes away too much time from your core business.

Whether the seminar you are planning is promotional or for profit, estimate your projected income and expenses before making a commitment to proceed. Base the income you project solely on the fee you will charge per person multiplied by the number of attendees you expect. Don't include any projected spinoff business in your income estimate. If you land new business, you will still have to work additional hours to earn that compensation.

Typical expenses include design and printing of a flyer or brochure, postage, posting a notice on your website, purchase of mailing lists (if you don't have your own), print and Internet media ads (including calendar listings), facility rent, audiovisuals, handouts, and refreshments. You should also consider the cost of your own time to design promotional materials, compile lists, compose e-mails, and make phone calls, as noted below.

In designing a snail mail or e-mail campaign for your seminar, keep in mind that it is quite typical to get only one registration for every 100 pieces you mail, even with a pre-qualified list.

Subtract your projected expenses from your income, then make a rational decision on whether to proceed. If the purpose of your seminar is to get business, estimate how much spinoff business is likely. Before going ahead, ask yourself if there might be an easier or cheaper way to get that many new clients or contracts.

If your purpose is to make money, divide your expected profit by the number of hours it will take you to design, market, and deliver your seminar. Is that amount a reasonable level of compensation for you?

If your best guess at the numbers tells you that producing a seminar makes good business sense for you, go for it! Because people do business with those they know, like, and trust, seminars can help you build a solid client base. And because repeat contacts raise awareness, mailings and ads about your seminar will generate more visibility for your core business.

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C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients NOW! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at http://www.getclientsnow.com