Meetings for a purpose?

[Watchdog]

I'm contemplating the idea of holding random meetings for small businesses to join us, focusing on how our product can be used to help them with their promotions.

I would have an hour long presentation and overhead projector hooked up to our laptop to show them what they can expect from our service.

Do any of you do this or have you attended meeting like this? Were they successful?

[Steve B]

Define "Random". It's sound like you might be planning on inviting businesses to come and listen to an hour long sales presentation. What would be their reason for doing this? You would need to offer something of value to them (not just your ideas for how your company can help them).

[Watchdog]

Here was the question Steve.



Do any of you do this or have you attended meeting like this? Were they successful?

Those questions you asked might be better answered if anyone has done this before or not. Just seeing if it's been done to self promote your business. We have venders all the time that offer training - 75 percent is about their products and the 25 percent is actually good stuff.

[krymson]

The hard part i see for you because I am wanting to do the same for my company in the near future is getting the DECISION MAKER motivated to come to your presentation. You don't wanna get some "rep" to see your presentation you want someone that's going to make the decision to use your company without that person you're talking to a tape recorder. On top of that getting enough of those types to come out to your presentation to make it worth while. Sure if you pick up one client good for you but if you're presenting to 150 people you didn't make that much of an impact... So now you have to figure out how to get the decision makers motivated enough to come out to you and then sway them to use your company... Those are atleast my 2 biggest hurdles right now with the exception of finding a time and place to hold such a meeting and sending the invites out to the right people.

[Steve B]

I have been to lots of meetings and lots of sales presentations. If I was invited to a an hour long sales presentation I wouldn't go. Business owners are very busy and don't usually feel they need to sit through an hour long meeting to evaluate an idea. If I were tricked into going to a meeting that ended up being an hour long sales pitch, I would be very angry and be sure to never buy anything from that company.

[Watchdog]

Thank you the response!

Yes you're right it would have to be those that can make the decision or at least have a great influence in the process. I have been to a couple of "bucket works" meeting that the crowd is typically 15 to 30 community professionals that listen to your 2 minute presentation and they then get to ask you questions.

But for the most part I have no idea how any of those folks in the audience were actually able to help the new start up.

[Watchdog]

I have been to lots of meetings and lots of sales presentations. If I was invited to a an hour long sales presentation I wouldn't go. Business owners are very busy and don't usually feel they need to sit through an hour long meeting to evaluate an idea. If I were tricked into going to a meeting that ended up being an hour long sales pitch, I would be very angry and be sure to never buy anything from that company.

First of all no one said anything about being tricked - second of all "you" don't seem too busy to me :)

[MyITGuy]

First of all no one said anything about being tricked - second of all "you" don't seem too busy to me :)

Regardless if Steve (Or anyone else) is busy or not...our time is money.
Why would I want to spend an hour or more of my time to attend your sales pitch when I could be out selling to my own clients instead?

In my industry, the "Lunch & Learn" seems to be popular. The business owners (Or staff) who attend get a good meal (I'm not talking about McDonalds or such, but a nice steak or seafood house) and a chance to network with other people in the industry and in the meantime they get to learn some information that they may be interested in. If they decide to purchase the product/service/solution from you then so be it...but they may also decide to take this knowledge and look elsewhere.

[Watchdog]

Regardless if Steve (Or anyone else) is busy or not...our time is money.
Why would I want to spend an hour or more of my time to attend your sales pitch when I could be out selling to my own clients instead?

In my industry, the "Lunch & Learn" seems to be popular. The business owners (Or staff) who attend get a good meal (I'm not talking about McDonalds or such, but a nice steak or seafood house) and a chance to network with other people in the industry and in the meantime they get to learn some information that they may be interested in. If they decide to purchase the product/service/solution from you then so be it...but they may also decide to take this knowledge and look elsewhere.
I
I hear your first response loud and clear. My day starts at 3:30 am (thats not the time i get up) its the time im at my desk. My work day ends about 7 pm so i can have some.kind of life before i turn in at 10 pm. And no ones whinning about time and money. Why do you spend time on the forum. Because if we can maybe pick up one thing that might help.our business its worth the time.

Thank you for the second part of your response.