Tip #1: Charge a Reasonable Fee
Contrary to popular belief, free seminars are not necessarily the golden-brick road of generating quality leads. In fact, the offer of a free seminar can often conjure up images of pushy salespeople and shoddy products — neither of which lead to quality relationships with clients.
Instead, consider charging a small fee to attend. In many cases, seminar leaders have found that a $15 to $25 charge dramatically increases the quality of prospects. Furthermore, consider donating the charge, or a portion of it, to a charity — an act which promotes the positive free-seminar feeling, without supporting the negative sales-pitch aura.
Tip #2: Cut down on "Plate-Lickers"
According to Kerry Johnson, 25 percent of seminar attendees are "plate-lickers"–people who are looking for a free meal and a night out. To ward off these unhelpful seat-fillers, Johnson encourages contacting the RSVPs with the following questions:
1. What about the seminar invitation attracted you?
2. What do you want to gain as a result of attending?
