Registration

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TRANSCRIPT:
Avish: Let’s talk now about the process registering people for your seminar.

Fred: Yup.

Avish: And you need to have multiple ways in doing it so we already talk a little bit about online on the website. So that’s kind of a critical one, correct?

Fred: Yup. That is certainly, these days, I mean used to be we wouldn’t talked about this, we would talk about over the phone or fax or whatever. That’s primary means. You’ll probably find 85 – 90%, depending on who your audience is, will use your online registration.

Avish: Okay, so for the rest of the people that don’t fall into that, do we still need to take phone registrations?

Fred: Yeah, you do. I mean it’s a good idea to provide people with every single option. Actually, fax included – fax, phone, online. Those are the major ways and so you still need to provide people with those options, even if they don’t take up on it.

Avish: Okay, do you think you need a toll-free number for people to call you for the seminar?

Fred: You know, probably you don’t anymore because most people have plans, but it sort of looks good like I have 1-800-FGleek. That, from just a perception standpoint, people are actually – I’m still spending money probably I don’t need to spend. But I think it’s actually, from a perception standpoint, necessary to do to appear to be a legitimate entity.

Avish: Okay and you got some important tips when starting out the gate or is that kind of down the road thing?

Fred: You know what, I think that now you can get toll-free numbers so incredibly cheap. Then it’s probably a good idea to set this up but I think that most places now would set this. I know for mine, my minimum fee monthly is like 20 bucks and so, it’s a good idea to have the “800” number, I think set up. And again, an “800” better than an “877” or better than any “888”, better than any “866” if you can get it.

Avish: Okay, let’s say you’re talking with someone, either you met someone, or someone is e-mailing you, or you’re talking to them on the phone, it’s important to create a sense of urgency, correct?

Fred: Absolutely yeah, you have to make people – you want them to buy now.

Avish: Okay, how do you go about doing that?

Fred: Well, I mean, the thing about it is that first off, you got incentives for early registration. Also, people will frequently call you or contact you to say well, “How many people have signed up?” and just say “I don’t keep the registration numbers, that is kept by someone else but, I know that we are filling up quickly.” That’s a very vague line that you can’t really tell people what it is.

Avish: Okay, so what if you got like, two people registered so far but you’re still telling them you’re filling up quickly?

Fred: Yeah, because accordingly to whose schedule?

Avish: Yeah (Laughing), I like it.

Fred: You know, it’s quickly – quickly compared to what, quickly compared to last time when we had no one showed up.

Avish: Well, that’s true. (Laughing) So what is the heart attack registration curve?

Fred: You, what happens is, in the seminar business, people always get freaked out because it always very difficult to get people to register right away. And usually you see an exponential curve that occurs 8 weeks out, triple in – a few registrations, a few registrations. But as you get closer and closer to the date within the last 2 weeks, there’s this huge spike where people do the registering so the seminar business tend to freak out if they don’t know this is going to happen. Again, this is most of the time.

Most of the time, registrations – the bulk of the registration will occur sometime within, now again this would be different if it’s an overseas event requires travel, et cetera. But if it’s a domestic event, and many of your registrations are coming locally, within the last 10 – 14 days, over 50% of your registrations will occur. And thus, the term heart attack curve, because people are freaking out, then no one is registering. Again, these are general rules.

Avish: Right, and that all the reasons you offer some of the early birds discounts, bonuses, correct?

Fred: Absolutely.

Avish: Great! Anything else we need to know about registering people for the seminar?

Fred: Well, I mean, registering people there’s onsite registration, I think we’re going to talk about it later. And there is registration in advance. So, as it relates to advance registration, I think that’s all we need.

Avish: Super.