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Chapter 40—Executive Seminars and
Lunch and Learns

Executive seminars, as well as Lunch and Learns, are very
effective B2B marketing tactics when your company has
expertise to share. You host an informational event for a small
group of prospects at their location, yours, or a convenient
meeting venue. The events are low pressure, offer valuable
information to both sides, and create a good impression of
your company in your prospects’ minds.

Getting the right audience for your seminar is the hardest
part—you don’t want the majority of your audience to be
competitors and job-seekers. When considering if events
can work for you, think carefully about your target audience.
Are they the kind of people who will go to external or internal
events? If you are pitching CEOs, is it likely they’ll come to a
breakfast seminar that you’re offering? Is the topic that you’re
covering so hot and your expertise so compelling that they
will seek you out at 7:00am on a cold winter morning? I find
companies can be overly optimistic about prospects’ interest
levels.

If you decide you can make seminars work, here are some tips
to success:

Choose a convenient venue and date. Think about your target
audience—what is a convenient location for them? They’re not
going to drive an hour to attend your breakfast seminar. They
probably won’t drive downtown if their office is in the suburbs.
Your venue doesn’t need to be fancy; it needs to convey an

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd