The prospecting seminar

"It’s ten times more difficult to get customers as it was 5 years ago," exclaimed the marketing director of a major electrical equipment manufacturer. "Our sales reps are working harder than ever before and complaining more." He’s not alone. The chorus is getting louder.

Those waiting for conditions to change may be in for a big surprise. The reconfiguration of the business environment may not diminish overall selling opportunities, but making the sale will not get any easier.

Hundreds of books have been written on how to overcome the basic protagonistic-antagonistic tension that exists between seller and buyer. The "salesperson as consultant" and "relationship selling" are two popular themes.

In between these two approaches are numerous variations. But they all have the same goal; to make the sale. With their unavoidable transparency of purpose, they fail. This is where the prospecting seminar can play an important role in overcoming the problem of a customer feeling manipulated, used and "sold."

However the prospecting seminar is not simply a variation of "seminar selling." The objective is not to bait the hook or to get the customer caught in some cleverly woven web.

The goal of the prospecting seminar is to share knowledge and information with customers and prospects. Specifically, the task is to demonstrate you and your company posses an understanding of the customer's business, and that you have the necessary expertise and experience to make significant and lasting difference to the customer.

In the seminar setting, prospects are given a chance to evaluate the company and its products in a way that makes sound business sense. If, as a result of the seminar experience, prospects are convinced that the ideas and concepts expressed will enhance their business, the environment has been established for making a sale.

Following are 10 guidelines for developing, implementing and benefiting from prospecting seminars.

1. Make the topic timely: Get inside the heads of customers and figure out what they are interested in. For example, a safety light curtain company has developed an excellent seminar on "OSHA-Proofing Machinery" a pertinent topic for both executives and safety personnel.

2. Never run more than 3 hours: Of course, no topic can be fully developed in such a short period. But a prospecting seminar is not a graduate-level course. Its purpose is to share important, vital information in a way that demonstrates a company’s competence, and to do it in a brief, concise way.

3. Make the information entertaining: Businesslike does not mean dull. If anyone gets bored, you have lost the prospect as a potential customer. A prospecting seminar should be an upbeat, enjoyable experience.

4. Leave participants wanting more: If too much material is presented, participants feel overwhelmed. An effective seminar should stimulate questions and request for additional information. When this happens, the participants are in fact, announcing that they regard you as a valuable resource.

5. Give them something to talk about: A company that publishes help-desk software has participants build a working model that they can take with them. Invariably the prospect shows others at their office, which stimulates conversation around the publisher’s products.

6. Keep sessions small: There should be enough participants so that no one is uncomfortable, yet small enough that everyone feels important. Depending on the topic, anywhere from 10 to 30 people can be appropriate.

7. Avoid anything that sounds like a sales pitch: Yes, there is one sale that needs to be made at the prospecting seminar, the goal is for the participants to come away believing that you know what you’re talking about and that the message has validity for them.

8. Allow no one to leave empty-handed: Handouts are always valuable as long as they are helpful. Prepare packets and have them ready at the end of the session.

9. Ask their opinion: Have an information form for everyone to fill out before leaving. The questions might include:

How would you rate this seminar?
What did you find most or least helpful to you?
What can we do to improve the seminar?
If you would like additional information, what is of particular interest?
Would you like to be on our mailing list?
What specific need do you have at this time that you think we could help with?

Be sure to collect the forms before your participants leave the room.

10. Work hard on follow-up: Every participant should receive an appreciation letter within 2 days of the session. This letter should refer to the individual’s specific comments on the information form. The letter should also set forth how you are going to work with the prospect in the weeks and months ahead.

The prospecting seminar is an efficient way to demonstrate the company’s ability to create and build meaningful relationships. More than many other activities, it is an effective, even essential technique for identifying prospects, building a prospect database and creating a positive selling environment.

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