Hitting the books
by Elizabeth Millard Getting client attention is a tricky endeavor. Not only do clients have their own work to juggle, which is taxing enough, but they also have other companies vying for their time.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get their ear. Some companies are finding a way to capture client interest, reinforce business relationships, and spark future revenue, all at the same time. They do so with workshops and seminars, offering customers education and information that they can shoehorn into their busy days.
Embarking on the tactic requires effort, not to mention some upfront costs, but many local companies that do regular workshops are convinced that they’re worth the time and expense.
“In general, people just appreciate information they can use,” says Michael Allen, training expert and founder of Allen Interactions, a Minneapolis-based developer of interactive learning software. “They like feeling empowered, and learning something new gives them that. They’re instinctively attracted to ways to get useful information.”
There are many companies happy to provide just that. M&I Bank, for example, has been putting together formal and informal networking and education get-togethers for years. They range in format from roundtables and lectures to client-led discussions on topics such as managing cash, running a small business, and preventing fraud.
The Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) has teamed with law firm Rider Bennett of Minneapolis for a legal seminar series that encompasses subjects such as business formation, employment law and workers’ compensation.
Smaller companies, too, have found success with the tactic, often by focusing on their areas of expertise. Spoken Impact, a communications-related firm in St. Louis Park, does regular “lunch and learn” seminars to teach people how to make better presentations.
Helping clients to learn new research skills is often the focus of classes at Minneapolis-based Game Plan Consulting. HR software firm Predictable-Performance Systems, also in Minneapolis, runs seminars that are led by human resources pros, so clients can learn about different aspects of the field.
The range of seminars and workshops available is broad, but the companies that host the events have one thing in common: they aim for educating their customers now, and hoping for payoff from new business and loyalty later.
Why hold a workshop?
One of the best reasons for seizing client attention is that there’s a potential for revenue down the line. Clients that appreciate a company’s educational efforts are more likely to use them for future business, and to buy more of their services, says Cheryl Leitschuh, a training expert and leadership development consultant for RSM McGladrey. The difficulty is that companies expecting a quick return on their investment usually end up disappointed, and let their workshop materials gather dust after awhile.
“It takes time and investment to create seminars,” Leitschuh notes. “Sometimes, when there’s no immediate revenue generated, a company may stop putting them together.”
One way to prevent this disappointing cycle is for a company to understand the purpose of holding the workshops. Although it may boost future business, that’s not the reason to crank up an educational effort. Rather, Leitschuh says companies that succeed with the tactic understand that building stronger client relationships and acting as a valuable information resource can sometimes be its own reward.
Margrette Newhouse, who was M&I’s senior vice president and group leader for business banking but has since taken a leave, notes that the workshops put together by the bank buff up the firm’s reputation as a business partner. They also emphasize that M&I cares about customers enough to give them, essentially, free strategy consulting and networking services for a day. That sure beats a giveaway golf umbrella.
“It’s a way for us to demonstrate that their business is important to us,” Newhouse says. “They can see that we’re interested in having their business be successful.”
The bank usually brings together a group of clients based on what they have in common, with around 50 to 70 clients attending each event. For a recent series of roundtable discussions, it focused on family-owned businesses and invited clients that owned and operated such companies, in order to spark discussion about the issues they faced in accounting, management and communication. “The idea is to give them ideas that they can apply,” says Newhouse.
The events also help clients connect with each other, with informal networking facilitated by M&I. Newhouse says, “That’s a greater benefit, that they can draw on these connections if they need help.”
At Predictable-Performance, the company not only puts on seminars for its clients, but also has an annual open house that functions as an educational event for clients as well. “The key thing is crafting a good, compelling message,” says Roger Hokanson, a principal at the company. “You have to give them a darn good reason to invest at least a couple hours of their day to come over to your facility. Everything flows from that.”
Clients are happy to be able to meet with experts who can chat about executive skills, competency development, and employee background checking, and Predictable-Performance is thrilled to be able to demonstrate its prowess at gathering experts and being a resource. “It’s important to get clients excited about what you’re doing, and seminars are such a good way to do that,” Hokanson says.
Although there are opportunities for clients at many companies to get expert knowledge at no cost, some firms have decided that you really can put a price tag on education.
Cynthia Barber, founder of Game Plan Consulting, does a seminar the second Tuesday of every month, and charges $70 per hour for it. She limits the class size to 10 people, and so far, she has no complaints about not being able to fill the seats. “It’s going fabulously,” she says. “It gives clients a taste of how my business can help them, and mainly, how they can do it themselves.” Barber shows clients how to do research for their business development efforts, primarily through Internet-based resources.
Some might think that teaching her clients to do their own work would cut down on demand for Barber’s consulting expertise, but the opposite is true. Seminar participants have referred friends and colleagues to Game Plan, and hired Barber for other projects. “My goal is to have clients walk away with ideas and tools,” she says. “People tell me all the time how they’ve implemented what they’ve learned.”
Pitfalls and rewards
When creating an event that will draw clients and spark appreciation, there are some potholes in the educational road that any company considering the strategy will need to see.
With any seminar or workshop, some clients may see the seminar room with coffee, doughnuts and nicely arranged chairs and think: “Uh oh…sales pitch ahead.” It’s a common misperception that most companies doing these type of seminars have to think about when creating educational materials or drafting a speaker. If the material is given for free, the risks of pitch aversion are even greater.
Training expert Allen says, “People don’t like being fooled, so if you trick them and go against their expectations, like making a sales presentation instead of providing training, it will hurt your relationship with clients.”
Although no one wants to land in a sales pitch unaware, Allen notes that seminar attendees don’t actually mind a few moments of company advertising, as long as it’s obvious. He notes that something as simple as drawing a line down a PowerPoint screen, with company advertising on one side and educational information on the other side, is enough to assuage an audience’s fears.
“People aren’t opposed to biased information,” he says. “In fact, they usually want to know why your product is better than the others. They just want to know when you’re promoting products, and when you’re giving unbiased information. Confusing those two is a dangerous mistake.”
Another pitfall is in trying to give listeners too much in a short time frame. Even with an excellent seminar speaker, there’s always the danger that eventually, after a few hours, eyes will glaze over and watches will be checked. Todd Dawson, director of research at Lexington, Massachusetts-based training firm Circadian Technologies, says, “People can only handle so much. Limiting the information to four hours works well. If people are there for the day, then add in interaction like discussion to break it up. Include a question-and-answer period, too, to make sure that they’re leaving satisfied.”
Dawson also advises giving clients a takeaway, kind of the intellectual equivalent to that free golf umbrella. He notes that information in printed form with bullet points, or even a copy of the presentation, can be valuable to them later.
Joan Moser, founder of Spoken Impact, favors this approach when she gives her “lunch and learn” seminars. She says that some companies spend a great deal of effort just trying to get clients in the door, and then when they’ve got an eager audience, they flub it with sales pitches or irrelevant information. “You have to create content that makes an impact, and makes it immediately,” she says. “You can’t afford to have people walk away and forget the experience.”
Like Game Plan, Moser charges for her seminars, which can run from $32 to $800 per person. The more expensive seminars are longer than her lunchtime servings of education, and more involved and personalized. But at every level of seminar training, she’s keen to make sure that clients walk away with information they can use.
“We put an incredible amount of time into making sure our content has something new, with a big idea at the center of it,” she notes. “It’s so important for them to be able to apply what they’ve learned. If they can’t, you won’t be seeing them again at your seminars.”
Don’t forget the food
Last, but most certainly not least, is one of the great secrets to giving an impressive seminar and winning the hearts (and eventually the wallets) of clients. Beyond the lively speakers, impressive experts, valuable information, and vital networking opportunities, there is…the food.
With all the other planning that goes into seminars and workshops, it seems that ordering the day’s bagels and coffee is an unimportant detail. But don’t dismiss it so quickly, says Hokanson. “The better your food, the better the rating of your presenter,” he notes. “There is an absolute correlation.”
Dawson adds that just the promise of food is sometimes enough to fill some seminar seats. “Provide refreshment, and let people know that there will be some. You’d be surprised at what a draw that can be.”
With reputable speakers, good takeaway information, and yes, delicious cookies, seminars can boost goodwill between a company and its clients. And even if there isn’t immediate revenue, training expert Leitschuh says the long-term effects can be invigorating. “Clients begin to see you in a new way,” she says. “You’re not just another vendor. You become a valuable resource.”
[contact]
Cynthia Barber, Game Plan Consulting: 612.486.5666; cbarber@GamePlanConsulting.com; www.GamePlanConsulting.com. Todd Dawson, Circadian Technologies: 781.676.6907; www.circadian.com. Roger Hokanson, Predictable-Performance: 612.728.0550; Roger@Predictable-Performance.com; www.Predictable-Performance.com. Cheryl Leitschuh, RSM McGladrey: 800.274.3978; www.rsmmcgladrey.com. Joan Moser, Spoken Impact: 952.697.3560; joan.moser@spokenimpact.com; www.spokenimpact.com. Bill Klein, M&I Bank: 612.904.8194; www.mibank.com. Michael Allen, Allen Interactions: 952.947.4055; mallen@alleni.com; www.alleni.com.
