Getting the Word Out

Speak Their Language

The printed brochure is not the only method of communication Berg uses. Why? Because different audiences gravitate toward different formats.

“Some people prefer e-mail, some people prefer a printed brochure, some would like to get it by fax,” she says. “So we use all different media to try to get the message across.”

Larson says she has learned that in general, it’s hard to get people to respond to direct mail. But the Restaurant Association is a notable exception. “They’re unique in that they are not on line a lot,” she explains. “They are always in the restaurant working, so direct mail works for them. But they’re the odd man out; for the rest of the people that we communicate with, we put pretty much everything on the Internet.”

Jan Nelson, executive director of the Certified Trade Show Marketer program for the Exhibitor Magazine Group in Rochester, warns that e-mail has its own downfalls. “Sometimes an eye-catching direct-mail piece reaches people better because they have spam blockers on their computers, and e-mailed invitations get filed in their junk mail folders,” she says.

As conference manager for Tastefully Simple, a direct-sales specialty food company based in Alexandria, Jan Sahli organizes regional meetings that offer training, recognition, and motivation for the company’s 21,000 consultants. She varies her communications, switching as needed among newsletters, animated e-greetings, e-mails, and a consultants-only Web site. She creates excitement by unveiling the locations for regional meetings on stage at the company’s annual conference.

Understanding the attendees’ needs and wants is critical if you’re going to speak to them effectively. That’s why you should never pass up an opportunity to collect evaluations or surveys after conference events. With the information you gain, you can update your databases and (if the event is an annual one) improve next year’s offerings.