3 Tips for Hosting a Great Workshop

By Melanie Colusci

1. Do Your Research

When I first started thinking about creating and hosting a marketing master class workshop, the idea was born out of conversations I had with other business owners and hearing about the many challenges and struggles they had with marketing. Understanding marketing is such a critical component of a successful business. The preliminary research into my workshop was important as it laid the groundwork for the plan. Here are a few components you will want to consider in your planning of your own workshop:

• Will it be live or digital?
• What problem are you helping solve for your attendees?
• How will you market your workshop?
• What is your budget for the workshop?
• Will you record it to offer it as an ongoing “evergreen” product?
• What take a-ways or freebies will you provide through the workshop?

2. Have a Plan

Once the research has been done you will now have the information you need to create your plan. I like to work backwards. What I mean by that is I start with the date the workshop will be held and then work backwards from there to determine deadlines for each part of the plan. For example, if I know my workshop will be on the 25^th of the month:

• How many days before do I cut off ticket sales?
• How many days prior to tickets sales ending do I send out my last e-mail communications regarding the event?
• If I know I have x number of days until the event how many social media posts need to go out? On what days and times do they go?
• If there is food offered when does the caterer need to have a final head count?

If you are working with a team, it is important to have regular communication and check ends. Communication is critical in ensuring nothing falls through the cracks and the plan is fully implemented.

3. The Fortune is in the Follow Up

It’s critical to have excellent follow up after your workshop. If a workshop attendee doesn’t sign up for your products or services that are offered at the workshop, it doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. It might just mean they weren’t ready to buy at that moment so continued communications or “touches” is critical.

• What communications are you going to send after the fact?
• Are you going to call the attendees?
• Will they be added to an email list or tagged on social media?

It’s important to have thought of your follow up during the planning phase for your workshop. You will want to make sure the first phase of your follow up is started within 24 hours of the workshop ending. If you wait too long everything they learned or felt as a result of your workshop will no longer be fresh in their minds.

Hosting a workshop can be a great way to demonstrate your expertise and generate new customers. They can also be great revenue generators! As your business coach when I work with my clients, I want to help ensure they have the best foundation in place for their next successful event.  If you are looking for help or guidance with your next workshop, make sure to schedule your complimentary business assessment today. Together we can create a successful workshop strategy to help you quickly grow your business!