Top Questions to Ask When Planning Your Event Strategy

So you have an idea for an event, you think you have a target audience. What are the next steps you need to follow in order to turn the event into a success? Planning is a vital part of setting up your event. To help you there are number of questions that you need to be asking in the planning process. Each question will help you to be more strategic in your planning. This in turn will help you to have a more successful event. What are the questions you should be asking?

What do you want from the Event?

This is the first question you should ask. Think of it is terms of what do you want to gain from the event. As yourself how you can structure the event so that you maximize the results you get from it. A client of mine posted these exact questions on a recent forum. I was so pleased to see them because it meant she was really thinking strategically about her upcoming event. Similarly you should establish what it is you want to achieve. Are you hosting the event so that you can generate new leads? Do you want to sell at the actual event? Or do you maybe want to try do both?

How can you maximize the Opportunity?

If you decide that you really want to get the most out of your event then you are on the right track. The next question you need to be asking yourself is: "Are there people on my list who have expressed an interest in my business and would benefit from seeing me showcase my skills in person?" Think of how you can reach out to existing customers who may be interested in more of your products or services. Are there prospective customers that you have been in touch with who may be interested in attending one of your talks? With these questions as a guideline you can start to target you audience more specifically and structure your event so that you can maximize the opportunity.

What does your Audience want?

A big part of a successful event is matching what you have to offer with what the client wants. Remember that you will only achieve your goals of increasing sales or getting more leads if you can offer your audience something that is relevant to them. Meet their need or interest and you will be on your way to welcoming them on board as clients.

Get into the Habit of asking Questions

• In the planning stage you often don't have all the answers yet. By starting to ask questions it gets you thinking in a specific direction.

• Asking questions helps you to expand your current way of thinking. It can open your eyes to opportunities that you may not have been looking out for.

• Look at customer feedback or questions that clients have asked in the past. By incorporating these questions into your planning you can ensure that your event content is relevant for your target audience.

• Asking questions gives you avenues to explore. Sometimes these can give you ideas for additional future events or training sessions.

Asking questions helps you to explore opportunities. It also helps you to find out more about your target audience. When you know what they are looking for and can match that to what you want to get from the event then you have a clearer direction for the structure of your event.