When planning a program, most seminar /conference providers extensive needs analysis to determine content, conduct presentation dates, and location. Registration service Providers also research competitors and complete financial scenarios to determine the registration fee While doing the needs analysis and financial planning, providers develop databases and promotional literature to sell the course



Having thoroughly planned their marketing mix, Seminar /conference providers begin their sales campaigns expecting high enrollments and a lucrative return on the venture. Unfortunately, these "best laid plans" often go awry because the provider has not made the seminar /conference registration offer irresistible.

By combining an irresistible offer with a well-planned seminar registration/conference registration marketing plan, a provider can increase registrations. What are some of the characteristics providers should include in an irresistible offer?

Irresistible Registration and Payment Options

Give the prospective attendee both registration and payment options. A provider can give registration options by permitting prospective attendees to register by toll-free phone, by FAX, or by mail. Other response options include online, voice mail and E-mail. Payment options should include (a) check, (b) VISA, MasterCard and American Express payment choices, (c) bill me, (d) letter of intent/purchase order enclosed, or (e) pay at the door.

Irresistible Follow-up

Spell out on promotional literature and at the web site what registrants will receive after enrolling in a particular seminar registration /conference registration. For example, state that registrants will receive a confirmation letter/e-mail. "Continue selling after the sale" by noting in promotional sites that immediately after registering, a prospective attendee will receive a questionnaire to supply questions to the speaker(s).

Consider mailing registrants (a) copies of recent articles by the speaker(s), (b) a list of registrants by name/organizational affiliation, (c) detailed information on seminar starting and stopping times, breaks, and social functions, (d) alternative transportation choices, along with corresponding costs and (e) a reminder notice about one week ahead of the seminar/conference start date. By continuing to sell after the sale has been made, a provider reduces the likelihood that "buyer's regret" will cause the registrant to cancel or to become a no-show.

Irresistible Cancellation Policies

Have an irresistible cancellation policy. Instead of being friendly, some providers charge $100 to registrants who change plans and cannot attend. In other cases, providers impound a registrant's total registration fee if he/she cancels within five days of the program. Other providers state that registrants are liable for the registration fee if they fail to cancel and have not paid.

Oftentimes, these same providers note in their promotion that they reserve the right to cancel the seminar/conference and that they are liable for refunding only the registration fee. Registrants who have purchased non-refundable airline tickets to attend the seminar/conference absorb the cost when the provider cancels the course.

What are some ways to turn the cancellation policy into an irresistible offer? One choice is to drop all cancellation profit-per-participant seminar/conferences should consider taking this course of action. Capitalize on a "no risk" cancellation policy, encouraging tioned above to convert the tentative registrant to a firm sale provider can begin the "selling after sale" campaign men cancellation penalties. Once a prospect has registered, a unsure registrants to register simply because there are no Providers with low-price seminar registrations/conferences registration with small profit margins per attendee should impose cancellation charges no greater than the actual transactions cost of handling a change. Ideally, a provider should convince the canceling registrant to leave the monies with the provider in a "hold on account" file for future use on other upcoming meetings. If the canceling attendee agrees to the transfer, no cancellation charge should be imposed. Of course, in all cases, participants should have the option of having a substitute attend a meeting in his/her place.

One result of the uncertainty is that prospective attendees will postpone their decision to register until it's certain that the seminar/conference will make. As prospective attendees

collectively wait, the seminar/conference provider may lack enough enrollments at the go/no-go date and have to cancel the course.

Of course, a provider would like to market only programs that have a high likelihood of making. In instances where enrollment is only a little lower than expected, a provider should go ahead with the meeting to avoid a "cancellation reputation." If the provider must cancel because to hold the session with such a small audience would be embarrassing and/or the incremental costs of presenting a course exceed the actual or anticipated revenue, the provider should stand prepared to reimburse attendees who have purchased non-refundable

airline tickets plus take what other steps are necessary to maintain good customer relations. The seminar attendee should not bear a cost as a result of the provider's decision to cancel a meeting.

Irresistible Guarantees

Use money-back guarantees to create an irresistible offer. With a money-back guarantee, a provider offers to refund the registration fee if an attendee is dissatisfied for any reason with the program.By including a money-back guarantee in the offer, a provider builds credibility with the prospective attendee. Knowing that the provider will give a refund helps convince the attendee that a quality program is being offered.

A provider can structure a money-back guarantee in several ways. In some cases, providers guarantee participant satisfaction by the mid-morning break on the first day. In other instances, providers offer participants a lifetime money-back guarantee. Most providers offer a refund at the conclusion of the program.

Irresistible Discounts

Use pricing discounts to create an irresistible offer. By offering a price discount, a seminar/conference provider gives a prospective attendee an opportunity to save on the

registration fee. Pricing discounts are typically based upon timing, volume, and/or type of organization.

In the case of timing, providers offer a discount to prospective registrants who enroll before an established deadline. The reduced price is sometimes called "an early-bird registration fee." Providers who present annual conferences often use early-bird registration fees to encourage prospective participants to take immediate registration action.

Participants who prefer to register just prior to a meeting may feel the provider's timing discount is a penalty. These registrants may feel that the provider is taxing their decision

making style. As a result, they may call the provider after the price reduction deadline, ask for the discount, and threaten not to attend if they do not receive the discount.

A provider's early-bird discount also has implications for marketing lead time. Once a provider establishes a pricing discount deadline, he/she should make sure that prospective

attendees receive promotional invitations well in advance of the deadline.

In many cases, original recipients forward promotional invitations along to colleagues/friends. If the provider does not use an adequate lead time, some prospective attendees will receive an invitation after the pricing deadline has expired. These recipients will be upset to learn that they do not qualify for the reduced price. They will not perceive the provider's offer as being irresistible, but instead resistible.Because a provider may lose registrations with a price discount based upon timing, some may want to offer a price discount based upon volume or type of organization.

With a volume discount, a provider typically offers a reduced registration fee to additional individuals from the same organization who is registering for a given program. Typically, the second or third participant pays ten to fifteen percent less than the first registrant. In some instances, providers charge the full price for the first three registrants, and then the fourth registrant is free.

When offering volume discounts, most providers require that all registrants from a particular organization enroll at the same time for the same course to qualify for the discount. Requiring all to register at the same time simplifies bookkeeping. Volume discounts based upon group registrations are sometimes called "team" discounts.

When giving a volume/team discount, note in the promotion that team attendance is encouraged. A special section in the brochure and/or web site should discuss the merits of team attendance and encourage multiple registrations from an organization.

At the same time, design the brochure and on line registration form so that multiple attendees from the same organization can easily reserve space at the seminar/conference. In other words, the price discount, the team attendance statement, and the registration form should all complement one another.

To create an irresistible offer, give price discounts across multiple sessions of a seminar. For example, a provider may present four sessions of a seminar at different locations and dates. Price discounts could then be given to organizations that send attendees to several sessions. In this case, the provider gives a "package" discount. When offering a lower price to participants from certain kinds of organizations, a provider must make sure that participants who pay the full price will not object. A provider does not want his/her full-paying customers to feel cheated because some participants are attending at a reduced price. A provider might call these discount "tuition scholarships" By calling the price discount a scholarship in the promotion, a provider can reduce the registration fee for participants from selected market segments without alienating participants who are paying the full price.

A provider may want to offer a reduced price to association members. Perhaps, a provider has an association as a co-sponsor. All participants who are members of the association receive a price discount.

Or, association providers may give a price discount to their members. In other words, a non-member pays more than a member. Sometimes the "spread" between member-nonmember fee is almost equal to the cost of membership. By illustrating the benefits of membership, an association provider encourages non-members to become members.

During an annual conference, a provider may have concurrent sessions, numerous social functions, seminars within the conference, partner's tours, and field trips. With menu pricing, the provider lets the prospective attendee select and pay for the areas of interest.

In other words, each event is priced separately. So the provider lets the prospective attendee choose a selection of activities that best fits his/her needs. At the same time, most providers offer a "best deal package" price to participants who buy all of the scheduled activities.

Irresistible Scarcity

Make judicious use of a "limited enrollment" statement. Often promotional brochures/e-mails state that "enrollment is limited so register now." Providers use the statement as a technique to encourage prospective attendees to take immediate registration action.

Unfortunately, providers mislead prospective attendees if enrollment is not truly limited. Prospective attendees may infer from the limited enrollment statement that class size will be small - typically in the twenty to thirty attendee range. When the attendee arrives at the program and finds a relatively large class (perhaps over 100 participants), he/she may feel deceived.

A provider can use a limited enrollment statement several ways. First, the provider can list in the promotion the limited enrollment number. For example, a provider might say that

enrollment is limited to thirty attendees. By spelling out the actual enrollment number, a provider adds credibility to his/her limited enrollment statement. By putting a cap on enrollment, a provider clearly demonstrates that the seminar/conference is exclusive and that only a select few will attend.

Use a limited enrollment number that is credible. If a provider says that enrollment is limited to 150 attendees, he/she may lose the credibility established by the exclusivity of limited enrollment. In other words, a provider needs to have congruence between the limited enrollment statement and the number of participants allowed in the course.

Sometimes, a prospective attendee will purchase a nonrefundable airline ticket prior to registering in a limited enrollment program. Later, the individual attempts to register

and is told the class is full. The prospective attendee will plea to be admitted to the course. When refused admission because the class is full, the prospective attendee becomes

very upset. To head off this problem, a provider should state in the promotion that prospective attendees should register before purchasing non-refundable tickets.

Irresistibly Personable

Create an irresistible offer by humanizing the registration process. By humanizing the process, a provider makes the potential registrant feel comfortable with the entire registration process. What are some ways to humanize the registration process?

In some cases, anxiety arises because a prospective attendee may feel the provider's organization is an impersonal entity. This is especially true if the seminar/conference

provider is a large organization. The provider can help to reduce this anxiety by listing a staff member's name for the prospective attendee to call to register

A Final Thought on Irresistibility

As a rule, a provider will find that an irresistible offer will produce more registrations than an unfriendly offer. Registrations at seminars/conferences will be higher, attendance will increase, and the bottom line will improve.

In some instances, a provider may feel that a less friendly or harder offer will give the best return. These providers may feel that a hard offer gives their seminar registration/conference registration credibility. For example, a provider may feel that a tough cancellation policy ensures that only highly committed prospects will register.