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You Asked for It!
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Many of you have expressed interest in my "Build Your Business" teleconference. I'm pleased to announce that my book, of the same title, will be coming out soon! I'll keep you informed. |
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Greetings! ,
Spring is almost upon us...and that means many of you will be asked  to display, share, or present at one of the many health fairs all across the country. Should you spend your time working these events in the hope of selling products or recruiting more business?
Over the years I've donated my time at more than a hundred events to sell my books and recruit clients (back when I did patient counseling). And, I've had both good and bad experiences. If you're not sure whether to participate in these events or not, use the list of questions below to help you decide.
Have a productive week!
Dr. Jo
407-852-9171
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Health Fairs, Freebies: To Do or Not To Do? |
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Back in 1991, when my first book came out, I schlepped copies from health fairs to (non-paid) speaking events - hundreds of them. The result? I sold my first 5000 copies in just over a year - and decided I actually LOVED speaking and wanted to become a professional speaker. But not every event was worth it - and, overtime, I learned which ones to say "yes" to, and which to politely decline.
Here's are some questions for you to ask yourself - and others - when they ask you to attend events - maybe this list will help you to decide if these events should be part of your marketing plan, or not:
- Tell me more about your event - and the other vendors who have accepted your invitation. Before you accept, make sure it's a fit for YOUR type of business. If your business is traditional, and all the other vendors will be alternative medicine...it may not be a good fit. If it's a cancer awareness event, and you do mostly weight loss...while, yes, there are people there that probably need to lose weight, but still it's probably not a good fit.
- What will the other vendors be offering? If everyone is offering free services - and you're trying to sell a book....well, good luck! In my experience, people come to a health fair for the free information and they're not willing to pull out their wallet. If you're trying to sell your services, consider offering something free. I used to give away a laminated wallet card (with book and contact info, of course) filled with tips that they'll want to hold onto.
- Where is it being held? If most of your clients are within a 15 mile radius of where you office, how likely are you to meet these people at this health fair?
- How many people will be attending? Very good question - because what we do is a numbers game. When speaking at groups, and selling my book at the back of the room, I learned that unless there were at least 50 people confirmed, it wasn't worth even the price of gas...nevermind my time...to do the event. Notice I said "confirmed". From experience I've learned that marketers are very optimistic. Unless they've done the event before, and have a track record, I would immediately cut their estimate in half when considering the event.
- Will I be speaking - or just displaying? For me, I got far better results from addressing the entire audience. But, if you're not a good speaker, then it might work against you. The event I went to the other evening was a health fair but it also had non-stop speakers. This left very little time for the attendees to come by the vendor's tables - not good for business.
- How long is the event? I learned early on, whether I was selling my book or my services, that an all day event would never pay off. My best results came from speaking at short meeting with a captive audience.
Much of marketing is a learned experience. What works for you may not work for others - and vice versa. So, take notes as you do such events - and then learn from your experience. Next week I'll share tips on how to make these freebies most productive. If you have tips that have worked for you, send them to me at drjo@drjo.com. |
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Quote of the Week
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"If you wait for inspiration to write, you're not a writer,
you're a waiter."
Dan Poynter
Author, Self Publishing Manual |
Any questions? Please send them my way and I'll try to answer them in a future newsletter! Dr Jo
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