Last
updated August, 2003
Create A Successful Event: Step by Step
A special event is a one-time occurrence focused on a specific
purpose such as an award ceremony, sales meeting, fundraiser,
grand opening or annual employee picnic. The types of special
events are endless. They are a part of our business and personal
lives and, if planned correctly, appear easy and seamless.
In addition, a well-planned special event can generate valuable
awareness for your company or organization.
Most every company has or will have the need to plan a
special event. Whether a seasoned special event planner,
volunteer or first-time event planner chosen by your company
to "head up" the next company event, here are five top tips
to get you started.
- Establish goal(s) for the event.
Create as many quantifiable goals as possible (Is
attendance important or amount of money raised?).
Review all expectations and budgets for the event.
- Know your audience(s) for the event.
How old will your guests be?
Is there a special interest for attendees?
Is this a "business" party with trendy and cutting edge people or a book
signing for a non-fictional book author?
Will the guests be seated or is networking encouraged?
What is the dress code? What has been done in the past?
Is this a kid-oriented event?
The list of basic questions are many, but key in the planning process. Know
the commonality of your audience and tailor your event for your audience
or guests.
- Know key dates for planning event.
Do you have enough time to accomplish everything?
How soon do any permits or waivers need to be signed and processed?
How far in advance do you want to generate publicity for the event?
How long will it take to produce graphic collateral?
How long will it take to produce any custom marketing materials for the event?
The first thing you should do is sit down and draw up a timeline and task
sheet. This will keep you abreast of when items need to be taken care of.
Add to the list as new items appear.
- Create a budget for the event.
Break down the budget to cover each area.
Know all contract payments needed for services and rentals.
Stay on or under budget as much as possible many times there are cost surprises.
- Locate the perfect venue for your event. Location,
Location, Location!
The location needs to enhance the theme for the event.
(Is it best to hold the event at the office, outdoors or
in a concert hall?)
Plan for anticipated attendance, format (seating, dancing, etc.) and convenience
of location.
Know fire codes and union rules.
Review all power sources (staging, lighting, water and electric) are available.
Remember items like parking, accessibility and restroom facilities.
- Create a theme or underlining element that ties the
event together.
Decide on a theme that appeals to the audience and
creates the right "feel" for the event.
Be sure the event logo and collateral materials represent the theme and are
consistent.
Coming up with a creative name for the event is a lot like naming a book...critical
for creating a feeling during your customer's initial judgement.
- Pull together a dynamic team with one overall top-notch
leader.
If at all possible, hire professionals to cover specific
areas (electricians for power, public relations firm for
publicity and any other areas needed).
Many times a marketing and public relations company can hire and assist in
integral planning of an event in addition to publicity.
The key leader must be aware of each area, share information and document
everything.
Now we've got you started in your planning process, look for
additional tips of the trade in upcoming Marketing Minutes
to help you plan a special event that meets your goals!
Presentations Make Impressions
Marketing is an everyday mission in business. Some simple
tactics work the best to get the word out about your company.
Presentations are inexpensive, provides face-to-face contact
and is a great forum to share your marketing message to a
variety of people at one time.
Presentations are a great opportunity to inform prospective
clients and colleagues about what your company offers. Think
of your target markets, what type of groups may they belong
to? Is there an opportunity for you to present to those groups?
Presentations can create awareness for your company while
teaching the audience more about your products and/or services.
Do not assume that the group you present to knows all about
your business, product or services (sometimes what we take
for granted is not known by all.) Make sure the information
is clear and easy to follow.
The following are a few things to keep in mind while
planning your presentations:
Write out your presentation, read it over, edit and refine
your script.
Make the introduction brief and include a strong memory
hook at the beginning of your presentation (the hook does
not have to be humorous yet humor does work well if presented
well).
Practice, practice and practice your presentation.
The more that people use their senses, the better they
remember; let them see, hear, feel and touch information
about your company. Help the audience to remember your information include
handouts samples, pictures. Also try to engage all senses
to make a memorable and positive impression.
Breakdown your services or products with specific information provide
specifics on products or services, target markets, unique
selling points and benefits of utilizing your product or
services.
Find New Business with Cold Calling
Prospecting for new clients can be a challenge - unless
you have a plan and positive attitude.
One critical aspect of a prospecting plan is cold calling.
Cold calling helps your company reach new businesses. If
handled correctly, a cold call can begin new working relationships,
but always remember good relationships take time.
New business is uncovered when it is sought out. Timing
can be critical.
Prior to beginning to cold calling on the telephone:
- Be prepared with an idea of what to say (be succinct)
- Be sure your contact list is targeted to your primary
market and is a clean or current list
The following are few highlights to assist you with
your cold calling:
- Begin with a formal, pleasant greeting
- Introduce yourself and your company with attention-grabbing
words
- Express your appreciation of their time (time is valuable,
so be brief)
- Know the purpose or goal for the call (it may be qualifying
the prospect and if a good prospect, schedule a meeting
or provide information about your company)
- Pose questions that pertain to the benefits of your company
- Schedule a meeting or get contact information to provide
follow up information
- If scheduling a meeting, offer 2 or 3 specific times
- Express appreciation and verify meeting time or address
information
- Follow up with a note or e-mail. Thank the prospect for
their time
- Be persistent and persevere
E-Mail Marketing: Know the Facts
Marketing via e-mail is a fairly new concept for many businesses.
Within the past five and a half years there have been many
changes in e-mail marketing. An abundance of spamming, increases
in e-mail traffic and lower overall click-through rates are
real concerns for e-mail marketers. Yet, those who understand
e-mail marketing and learn how to use it to their company's
benefit, will be the businesses that profit the most.
- Permission-Based E-Mail Is Effective
Despite the high amount of spamming, e-mail marketing
can still be effective; as long as the marketing is concentrated
on a permission-based e-mail list. A DoubleClick study
reported that 69% of American e-mail users have made purchases
online after receiving permission-based e-mail marketing.
- Customers Appreciate Appropriate
E-Mail Marketing
Spamming (unwanted e-mail that has
been sent by a company with which the
recipient has had no prior contact -
spammers usually get their e-mail list
from chat rooms, newsgroups or other
sources) is unethical and illegal. Sending
e-mails to customers or those who requested
information is something totally different.
Be sure to include clear "unsubscribe" instructions
in all e-mails to help create a clean,
healthy, permission-based e-mail list.
Customers appreciate receiving e-mails
from those businesses who follow e-mail
etiquette. According to IMT Strategies,
over 80% of the population have negative
feelings toward spamming while 78%
surveyed in a DoubleClick report said
that they wanted to receive e-mail
from preferred online businesses.
- E-mail
Is An Effective Customer-Retention
Tool
Many
marketers
express
concerns
that
customers
may
unsubscribe
shortly
after
beginning
the
e-mail
marketing
campaign.
The
easiest
way
to
avoid
an
abundance
of "unsubscribers" is
to
continually
give
your
customer
pertinent
information.
If
your
information
isn't
usable
to
the
customer,
don't
send
it!
Effective e-mail marketing keeps
your company's name in front of the
customer and helps with top of the
mind awareness. Many times, e-mail
is the only way to keep connected with
customers, making it a crucial link.
As for those recipients who unsubscribe,
they are actually helping you keep
a clean e-mail marketing list. However,
be aware that if a large number of
customers are unsubscribing, there
may be mistakes in your e-mail marketing,
list or content.
- Quality
E-Mail
Promotions
Support
Your
Company's
Credibility
As
with
any
marketing
piece,
creating
a
poorly
designed
campaign
will
hurt
your
company's
credibility.
Likewise,
developing
a
well-formatted
e-mail
promotion
that
offers
real
value
to
your
subscribers,
will
build
credibility.
Be
attentive
to
your
audience
and
create
a
quality
promotion
for
your
customers.
The
following
are
a
few
points
to
address
while
developing
a
promotion:
- Be
sure
the
promotion
or
offer
is
of
interest
to
your
customer.
- Proofread
everything
several
times
prior
to
sending
the
e-mail
out.
- Practice
sending
the
e-mail
to
your
personal
e-mail
or
others
in
the
company
to
get
an
idea
of
what
will
be
most
effective.
- E-mail
Campaigns
Are
Simple
to
Execute
E-mail
promotions
may
seem
overwhelming
but
they
are
an
effective
tool
once
you
learn
the
basics
of
creating
a
campaign.
Try
adding
a
simple
permission-based
e-mail
promotion
to
your
marketing efforts.
Start
small
to
test
effectiveness.
- Less
Is
More
-
Limit
Promotional
E-mails
to
Create
Impact
When
you
plan
e-mail
marketing
campaigns,
be
aware
of
your
timing.
Provide
a
promotion
that
fits with
the
season
or
counters
a
competitor's
promotion.
Be
sure
not
to
over
e-mail
or your
message
becomes
moot
and
ineffective.
Follow these simple "e-tiquette" rules and e-mail marketing
campaigns could become a new avenue for you to reach your customers.
The
Homerun Pitch
What your customers
are saying about you to colleagues and friends is as important
as the enthusiasm they have for your company. It is essential
to make it easy for your customers to describe what you
do. They must understand in simple terms, the essence of
your business. If people instantaneously can share the
idea and benefits of your business, it is much more likely
your business is considered "unforgetable."
Creating a simple
pitch statement that your customer can share with others
is a critical part of a successful referral marketing program.
What does your
company's current 30 second commercial sound like? What
do your employees say to friends, families and potential
customers in casual settings that allow only a few seconds
for a response? That's your 30 second commercial.
If your company
pitch or commercial does not concisely describe what you
do for your customers and how you solve your customers'
challenges, your company "commercial" may not be effective.
The key is to make it easy for customers to understand
and repeat with ease so they can share your commercial
to make it "memorable."
The following
are steps to create your company commercial:
