SEMINAR SELLING Sales seminars are an effective way to gather many prospects at a single venue. They are an opportunity to meet with an important audience on, what must feel like neutral terrain. The lure is information about a topic of interest to your prospects. Their payment to
the seminar sponsor is to endure a short commercial about a product or service. Sales seminars advance prospects along the sales continuum by establishing trust in the marketer. Seminars turn a faceless vendor into familiar people. To be effective, seminars should have an educational intent wherein attendees learn new facets of a topic
of common interest. In many categories, including financial services, technology, industiral equipment and others, sales cannot be consummated until the trust of the prospect is earned. To establish trust, the featured speaker should be a widely known expert, author or journalist. Properly promoted, prospects will attend to learn from the expert. After the featured presentation, the speaker “passes off” his credibility to a company spokesperson who may make a brief presentation on the
sponsoring company’s offerings. Partners & Levit has often arranged for the media to cosponsor such client events—especially when the client is a frequent advertiser in a publication or on a station. Such a cosponsorship adds extra credibility to the sales seminar. And often, the media will foot part of the bill!
Ironically, a lot of effort goes into getting adequate attendance. Invitations have to go out early, follow up telephone calls must be made to encourage attendance—and reminder telephone calls have to be made the day before the seminar to remind well intentioned guests to attend. Luncheon seminars are recommended recommended when conducting seminars for senior management. And it’s a good idea to invite editors from the trade press, as well, to extend the reach and impact of your seminar. There’s a lot more to this story. Talk to an expert in effective seminar selling and other business to business marketing initiatives. [Click here] to request more information! | 
