Live events can be one the most challenging parts of a business model to get right – after all, I’m sure you’ve grimaced at the thought of standing at the front of a room full of empty chairs, wondering why no one turned up. 

The mere thought turns my stomach to knots, too!

But live events can be one of the most energising and proactive marketing activities a small business can make.

It’s hard to make a business successfull without taking some calculated risks.  And live events are one of those calculated risks that, if you have got the guts and energy to take them on, can push a business forward and make a real difference to your revenue potentials.

Here are the reasons why I love live events and recommend that they added to the business models of many of my clients.

1. It gets you right in front of your potential clients:  Whether you go for the free or paid-for event option, getting in front of your clients works.  They see the whites of your eyes.  They see how passionate you are about what is you do.  And it’s a lot easier to build that rapport and trust when your clients can “experience” you.

2. You get to experience your potential clients:  Getting instant feedback from what you are saying and demonstrating, can speed up your product development and help you create something that people love.  If your attendees are sitting back in the chairs and stiffling yawns, you know you’ve got it wrong.  But seeing them scribbling notes, asking detailed questions and leaning forward with interest, means you are getting those all important buying signals.

3. They create a sense of urgency in your own marketing:  Putting a date in the diary, sharpens your mind and clears all clutter because you know you have to get on with the marketing plan.  You have to get things done – you can’t afford to faff!

4. They create a sense of urgency with your potential clients:  Your clients have to make a decision in order to make the time to attend your event.  They can’t put in to next month’s plan or review because the event will have been and gone. Offering a live event can help swing certain people to commit to what you are offering.

5. They don’t have to cost you much to run:  Hiring a room at the nearest Holiday Inn and forking out £5 a head for coffee can make some events impractical to run.  But using one of the many web based conferencing tools makes running virtual events simple and easy.  I’ve run both physcial and virtual events over the years, and there’s something very lovely about being able to communicate live with potential clients (and paying clients) wearing my PJs and not bothering with my hair : )

6. They test your commitment to your business:  Running live events is not right for everyone, but if you want to “put yourself out there” and take charge of your future success, the risk of running live events can pay off massively.  For every “failed” event I have run, there have been 15 or 20 successful events.  And each one has taught me something new about what I should do differently and how to improve my offerings to my clients. 

Running live events or workshops can be a risk – but have the right plan and processes in place, they can sky rocket your business!

One of those processes to have in place is ensuring you can take payments online.  Confirming workshop places upon receipt of a cheque or promise of cash on the day is not only hard work for you, but makes it hard work for your clients.

"Karen Skidmore works with small business owners to show them how to build the business model, create the marketing systems and use the right web tech marketing tools to attract more of the right clients to their business. To subscribe to her free email newsletter and get access to practical advice that will move your business forward, visit www.CanDoCanBe.com"