In-person training events can be a powerful marketing tool for software and automation developers and providers. They can help you reach both customers and leads, either reducing your overhead costs or allowing you to pool them for an improved sales experience. Before getting started with in-person training there are a few things that must be considered.

Users vs Decision-Makers?

Sometimes users are decision-makers, but more often than not, these are distinct groups. You can host an in-person training event for users, and decision-makers may or may not accompany them. You can attempt to entice decision-makers, but they may not see the value if they do not have regular interactions with the product. Depending on your resources, you can provide sessions for each group to try and entice both. The key is being intentional about who you invite to your training, why, and how you build your event around them.

How Often?

How often you use training depends on a lot of factors:

• Your Resources
  Unless events are your main marketing strategy, it's likely your employees have other responsibilities. Typically, in-person events are done annually or semi-annually and are supplemented in between by online events. You can host them more or less often depending on your resources, the locations, and the size of the group.
• Size of Your Customer Base
  If you have a large spread-out customer base you can host large events annually or conduct a series of regional events. You can also put on small events with a fixed agenda at or near your office for select groups.
• Rate of Product Change
  The younger the product, the more significant and swifter the product developments tend to be. Products that are undergoing rapid change require more customer communication and training to ensure long-term satisfaction. If you have a more mature product in an industry with little turnover, recognize that companies do not want to invest in in-person training if the training content doesn't change.
• Industry Turnover
  If there is a lot of turnover happening in the industry, your customers may desire more training. However, depending on the cost of in-person training, they may not want to invest in resources that may not stick around. It's important to recognize how turnover might affect demand for your event.
• Customer Busy Seasons
  If your customers have busy seasons, it is unlikely you'll be able to host events during this time, unless you're targeting decision-makers and they're unaffected by seasonal changes. You may wish to offer quarterly training, but can only conduct it semi-annually due to customer constraints. Busy seasons can change based on geography. You may opt for smaller, more frequent events to adjust to regional busy seasons.
• Other Industry Events
  Unless you plan to host your training in conjunction with an industry trade show or event, you'll want to make sure you plan your event around big industry meetings. It's important to provide time between events for catching up on work, family life, and travel. While sales may be used to being on the road, many decision-makers and users are not.

Where?

Here are some possibilities starting from small to big:

• Your office (If you have the space)
• Nearby hotel or event center
• At a room or nearby hotel event room before, after, or during an industry event
• Event center at a regional hub - typically a central capital city
• Desirable destination with easy airport access - Disney property, Las Vegas, Nashville, large city, beach town, mountain retreat, all-inclusive resort

Unless your attendees are local, you must ensure the area hotels have sufficient capacity. Even large cities can experience price hikes or worse, room shortages depending on what other events or conventions the city might be hosting. Before marketing your event, check the calendar and talk with local hotels about room blocks.

The larger the event, the longer the necessary lead time. A small in-office event can be put together in a couple of weeks to a month. Large out-of-town events can take 6 months to a year of planning.

Agenda?

After considering who, how often, and where, it's time to put together a training agenda. Recognize that customers will incur a cost to attend your training. Even if you pay for everything (which is not advisable), they still have an opportunity cost. Make sure your training agenda will not only entice them to attend but also make sure they feel they got the value from their investment in your event. 

Be sure to have an evening program for attendees. Unless you are riding the coattails of another industry event, don't forget to plan dinner and entertainment activities for the extent of your event.

Finally, don't overlook the fact that in-person events are a great time to develop marketing materials. Customers that attend your training are likely to be satisfied. Filming testimonials, grabbing quotes, and setting up times to conduct onsite case studies can all be done at in-person training events.

How Can Stratimar Help?

While we do not offer event planning, we are happy to help market your event as well as consult on decisions you make. If you want to begin or expand in-person training, contact Stratimar today.