Hosting a Forget Perfect™ workshop can be fun. And so can marketing it. Here are some tips for filling you workshop and running it with style and ease . You’ll also find an announcement template along with some suggestions for venues and formats.
- Email the Forget Perfect™ announcement to your commuity of friends, family and colleagues. Ask them to share the workshop announcement with their network! “Word of Mouse” is very powerful!
- Print off copies of the announcement and distribute them to your favorite doctors, spas, gyms, daycare and schools – all those places where you find women who might be interested in your workshop. Ask them if they will hand out your workshop announcement to their clients.
- Think about where else your perfect workshop attendees hang out? Post flyers on Bulletin Boards at coffee shops, grocery stores, spas, etc. Ask your hairdresser, nail salon, printer, favorite coffee café, or doctor to pass out your announcement.
- Use the “Partnership Approach”. Ask your doctor, a chiropractor, or spa to sponsor your program and offer it to their clients for free – as a perk! It creates a win-win situation for both of you!
- Announce your workshop or share a flyer at a monthly meeting of a professional organization that you or a friend belong to.
- Announce the workshop at your church , post it in the bulletin or on a message board. You may even be able to host the meeting at a church.
- Send a note to the events calendar editor of your local and community newspapers, and magazines. Most publications have advanced deadlines of at least two weeks so factor that into your planning.
- Consider hosting your workshop at your local bookstore. Make sure they order plenty of copies of the Forget Perfect™ book so your participants will buy their own copy. Women love this book and they always end up buying extras as presents for moms, girlfriends, and sisters! Also, ask the bookstore if they will promote it for you in their newsletters and in-store posters.
- Put a couple of lines about your workshop in your email signature so that everytime you email anyone you are also letting them know about your upcoming workshop. It’s amazing how emails get shared!
- Consider giving key influencers a special call to personally invite them to your program. Invite key influencers in your community. You know who they are…they are the ones who are always recommending a new restaurant, or a favorite movie, or telling you where they got a great deal on a new pair of shoes! Personally invite them to your workshop and ask them to help pass the word. They’ll most likely love to help spread the word about your workshop – it makes them feel good to share with others.
We can’t emphasize this enough – you can create buzz at your workshop by getting people talking about coming to it. Make it a success!
- Always provide name tags so you can see peoples names which makes it easier for you to call them by name during the workshop. It also helps establish a quick rapport among everyone at your workshop.
- Give little inexpensive prizes for sharing stories…first one to share…funniest story…first to make you laugh, etc… There are lots of ideas for inexpensive prizes – cool pens, memo pads…those purse size lotions from a bath store are ideal! And if you’ve got a log or even just stickers with your contact info on it, put it on the prizes.
- Have music playing as people walk into the room. Music makes people feel relaxed and energetic at the same time. It’s better than walking into a quiet room – you want to foster movement, conversation and aliveness so they’ll get talking and connecting with each other!
- Start off with an ice breaker so you will get to know a little more about your audience & they will meet other people. It also lets them know right away that this is going to be interactive program not some boring “sit back and take notes” kind of seminar. You might have them pair up with someone they don’t know and share their most fun vacation or most favorite birthday present.
- Instead of starting your program with a list of your credentials for being a coach - share something personal of yourself—a story or funny incident for how you “Forgot Perfect”! The participants will get that even though you are a coach you’re also a real person.
- All handouts and exercises should include your contact information. You never know when they might find it in a desk drawer some day or pass it on to a friend.
- Bring Props. A train whistle to announce a break or a magic wand when someone needs a whoosh of magic to help them find the answer! It’s great to have on hand to break the ice or just to make everyone laugh!
- Have a friend be your assistant for the night. Free yourself from all worries during the workshop so you can just focus on connecting and hosting, and being your most fabulous you! Make sure you acknowledge them for giving you help!
- Always check out your workshop space ahead of time. You don’t want to be surprised by how small it is, or how there’s a column right in the middle of the space, or maybe it’s a mess and needs cleaning. Minimize the surprises so you can be your best at the workshop!
- Get the email address of everyone who attends your workshop and send them the Forget Perfect™ newseltter. This is an easy, unobtrusive way for you to follow up after the program, provide something of value and connect with them again.
Bonus Tip:
Take Care of Yourself – Practice the Forget Perfect™ motto of moving yourself up on your own priority list by being extremely good to yourself before your workshop. We think an upcoming workshop is an excellent excuse to indulge yourself in a pedicure. If you can't do that, at least make sure you don’t run yourself ragged the days before your workshop. You’ll either be tired during your presentation and it’ll show OR you’ll be “up” for the meeting and invariably get sick right after – at that crucial time when you want to follow up with potential clients and leads for new business.
Most of all……….Enjoy yourself, have fun, do your best and “Forget Perfect™!”
Once you’ve decided to host a Forget Perfect™ Workshop, you’r ready to announce it. Answer these questions and plug the info into the Forget Perfect™ Workshop Announcement and you’re ready to go.
Who: This is you! Write up 1-2 lines about your professional experience and add a line about your passion for women living satisfied and fulfilling lives.
Where: Where are you going to host the workshop? This might be anywhere from your living room, a library, a neighborhood clubhouse, a bookstore, or a conference room
When: Select a date and time for the workshop. Plan about 2 hours so you have plenty of time. Make sure you look at the calendar so you can plan around holidays, school vacations, your vacations, etc...
How to Register: How do you want participants to let you know they are coming? Call you, email you?
Now that you’ve decided the particulars you’re ready to use the Forget Perfect™ Workshop Announcement to send an email and print copies to distribute or post.
Announcment template
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