Q: I was scheduled to teach an adult
education class related to my homebased business. I thought it
would be a good way to get visibility and possibly new customers,
but no one showed up for the class. I don't want to wash out
again. Short of not giving any more classes, what should I do?
A: Many factors go into determining
if you'll get good attendance for an adult education program.
Some you may have little control over, like the weather, other
events being held at the same time, or the location of the
sponsoring organization. But others you can influence, like the
topic you choose, the title and write-up used to promote the
program, as well as the type and amount of publicity done
beforehand. Here are some steps you can take to make your next
offering a success:
1. If you haven't given the program before, test interest
in the topic, title and write-up beforehand with prospective
attendees. Try to get a few commitments from people yourself
before actually scheduling the workshop, so you know at least three
to four people who are interested in attending. You might even
check what days or nights of the week would be best for your cadre
of recruits before you negotiate scheduling your programs.
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2. Do publicity yourself. Don't leave your success
100 percent in the hands of the organization sponsoring your class,
as they usually have many other programs to promote. See if you can
get a media interview, send postcards about the workshop to your
mailing list, post it on your Web site, and so on.
3. Arrange with the sponsoring organization to take
reservations so you know beforehand how many people have signed
up. Set a minimum enrollment. If there are fewer enrollees than
your minimum, start calling colleagues and contacts, and make
personal invitations. If you don't get enough preregistrants,
cancel and try a different time, topic or title.
4. Arrange to invite a few "complimentary
guests." If you get just enough sign-ups but are worried
about having too small a group should a couple of people not show,
as inevitably happens, have a few complimentary guests as your
backup. This can assure that you'll have a critical mass even
if some preregistrants don't show. Complimentary guests should
be people whom you know would love to see what you do.
5. To help prevent no-shows, arrange for the sponsoring
organization to require payment upfront. Another option for
encouraging commitment is to offer multiple prices-a low price for
early registration, a somewhat higher price for a later
preregistration date, and an even higher price for signing up at
the door.
If you've taken steps like these and find that your workshop
is still not filling up, it's time to go back to the drawing
board. First, rethink your topic and title to be sure that
you're addressing a strongly felt need. Have you actually heard
your target audience asking for or complaining about needing the
kind of information or assistance you'll be offering? What are
the needs they're expressing? What words do they use when they
describe what they need? Refocus your workshop on these needs, and
use their words in your title and promotion.
Next, rethink where you're offering the program, through
what means, and how you are promoting it. Are you actually reaching
the people who most need the information you will be providing in
your workshop? Are you offering it in a way that is attractive and
feasible for them? Do they have time for a workshop, or would they
prefer another vehicle, like a teleconference or an online
workshop?
Finally, reevaluate whether a workshop is the best medium for
connecting with your potential clients. Explore how they usually go
about deciding on services like yours, and consider reaching out to
them in other ways.
Authors and career coaches Paul and Sarah Edwards have
written 15 books, including Working From Homeand Finding Your Perfect Work. Send them your
start-up business questions at www.workingfromhome.com or in care of
Entrepreneur.