Let's look at how we helped Boris use email to sell out his intermediate dance workshop 2 weeks in advance.
I've put on lots of dance workshops and I've never had one sell out. The very first workshop that I organized with Andrew's help sold out 2 weeks before the workshop! It is so nice to know that the workshop will be filled well beforehand instead of worrying if people will show up or not on the day of the event. If you get the chance to work with Andrew, do it!
Boris Naumann
Lindy Hop Teacher, Germany
Btw, he also sold $3,715.00 in dance lessons (3,300.00€) from this 2-hour workshop (read to the end of this post for details on that)!
Below are two of the key steps we took to help him sell out the workshop.
The 2 Key Steps We Took
We separated his contacts into 3 groups:
Group A = All contacts that have NOT requested information about the workshop
Group B = All contacts that HAVE requested information but have NOT purchased the workshop yet
Group C = All contacts that have purchased the workshop
Warning! Avoid This Mistake
Many people make the mistake of sending the same emails to ALL of their contacts. There are two main problems with this approach:
- If you send too many emails, you will likely annoy people who aren’t interested in this specific workshop. This causes unsubscribes, spam complaints, and upset customers.
- If you send too few emails, you likely won’t get many signups.
To solve this, let's look at step 2...
We sent different emails to each group based on their current interest level:
Group A = These emails are designed to inspire them to request more information about the workshop...NOT to try and sell the workshop! Once they request more information (by clicking a link in an email), we then put them in Group B.
Key Takeaway - Get Permission!
Trying to sell a workshop to people who have not expressed interest is jumping the gun. Get their permission first!
Btw, ActiveCampaign can automate this process for you (FYI: that is an affiliate link).
Group B = These emails are designed to inspire them to purchase the workshop. Once they've purchased the workshop, we move them to Group C.
Key Takeaway - Send More To Those Who Want More!
Since this group has requested more information about the workshop, you can now confidently send them more emails without annoying them.
Again, ActiveCampaign can automate this process for you.
Group C = These emails are designed to excite them for the workshop they just purchased & inspire them to bring a friend.
Key Takeaway - Excite & Inspire Your Attendees
Now that they have committed to attending, they are much more likely to tell others about the workshop, especially if you get them excited about it and give them a little encouragement.
Separation = Relevance = Happy Contacts
By separating your contacts into these groups, you can tailor your messages to them based on their current desires, instead of spamming everyone with messages that aren’t relevant for most of them.
This means you no longer have to choose between annoying people with loads of emails or having low attendance in your workshops.
Smart Tip: Spread Out The Details
In all the groups above, don't tell them everything in the first email and then just keep sending them the same information in future emails.
Spread out the workshop details amongst multiple emails. One email can have the basic date, time &/or location, another can share the main goal of the workshop, you can explain the details of one class in more depth, or even give them some sneak peeks of what they will learn. Think of it like a movie launch and use the emails to build excitement for your workshop.
Let Software Do The Hard Work
If you want software that automates this entire process so all you have to do is write the emails, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Here are a few we've used:
- ActiveCampaign (any plan will work, even Lite)
- Infusionsoft by Keap (Keap Pro might also work)
- MailChimp Premium (not sure if Standard will work or not)
We have tried all of these and we highly recommend ActiveCampaign. It is our absolute favorite CRM for startups that don’t want to invest several hundred dollars a month (as it costs as little as $9/month).
Want More Help?
If you want help creating all the emails so you can be confident you are using a proven strategy to sell out your next workshop, or you want help making sure your email system is setup to automatically send each email to the correct people at the correct times so you can set it and forget it, book a 15 minute Discovery Call with Andrew Sutton to learn how we might be able to help you.
Selling $3,715.00 In Dance Lessons From A 2-Hour Workshop
Lastly, how did Boris sell $3,715.00 of dance lessons from a single 2-hour workshop?
...I just sold two programs for a total of 7.260€ and the process Andrew teaches to learn how to do this was very clear and simple to do.
Boris Naumann
Lindy Hop Teacher, Germany
He followed our Premium Dance Strategy. To learn more, register for our Premium Dance Strategy Webinar here.
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