How to Boost Event Registrations with Outbound Calling Campaigns

The way that you choose to promote events will have a direct impact on the success of each of those events. Brands that have an established online presence may not need to work as hard to promote events, and big events that occur regularly are usually well-established enough that they don’t need much attention. 

However, if you’re creating your first event or you just need to make sure that everyone knows your event is worth attending, you might need to find all the tricks and insights to help you get what you need out of your marketing efforts. Getting people to register for an event takes a little effort. Not only do you have to ensure that they understand what the event is, but you have to convince them that they can benefit from it. 

This requires creating meaningful engagement—engagement with a purpose, not just for the sake of interacting with someone. When it’s meaningful, it’s going to be more advantageous for you and more valuable to your attendees. There are several ways that you can go about promoting events, but there is one tried and true option that so many people often overlook: telephone prospecting (also known as outbound calling). 

Why outbound campaigns?

Outbound calling campaigns are a great resource for all types of business needs. They give you a chance to connect with your audience and create that personal connection. That’s what makes all the difference today. Yes, people love automation and the Internet. Yes, people feel like instant gratification should come standard. However, there is still a lot to be said for creating that human connection. There’s probably more to it today than ever before. 

When you call someone, you:

• Are reminding them that your business involves people
• Are creating a personal connection and giving people the human touch
• Remind them that you care about them (and their needs)
• Are reminding them that they are valuable to your business

There’s a lot to be said for a phone call when it is well-planned and properly executed. If you’re going to use outbound calling campaigns to help boost your event registrations, here’s what you need to know. 

Top tips and guidelines for using outreach campaigns to boost event registrations

Getting people to commit to things can prove to be a challenge. Even things that people want to do sometimes go undone because they’re busy or just don’t have time for another commitment. Fortunately, when you reach out properly, you’ll have a much better chance of getting the outcome that you deserve. 

If you’re going to succeed, keep the following tips in mind:

• Make sure that your phone calls address the caller personally and informally—know your leads. Don’t just call people and ask to speak to “the decision-maker” or “Mr. Jones”. If you’re calling for Stephen Smith, ask for Stephen or Stephen Smith to keep it a bit more familiar. 

• Have an offer or piece of information to give people. You aren’t calling to try to sell them something here. You’re helping them by informing them of your upcoming event that could be of use to them. 

• Consider the types of calls you make and when you make them. Often, getting the right answer is a matter of calling the right people at the right time. If you call your C-level decision-maker at 9 a.m. on Monday, for example, you’re not going to get the best response because they’re just getting in and getting started on their week. 

• Don’t spend too much time using fear of loss or trying to persuade people into signing up for one reason or another unless it’s legitimate. It can be tempting to try to get people interested by saying the registration is limited or seats will go fast, but that’s often seen by skeptical consumers as just a bad marketing tactic. 

• Make sure that your list of contacts is relevant to the event that you are putting on. For example, if you have different lead lists for different products that you sell, you wouldn’t want to call the leads on one list if the event is only relevant to those on the second list. 

• Have a script that people can follow to a degree and make sure that you are tracking the metrics of your efforts to ensure that each call is delivering the best information and experience for the customer. 
  

If you do it right, you might not even have to outright ask people to register for the event. You can simply inform them of what’s coming up and explain the benefits being offered to event attendees. Then, it’s up to them to take that discussion and use it to decide to attend the event and get in on the action. 

Engagement Matters More Than You Think

Your biggest goals here are to make sure that your prospects feel valued and that you’ve got their attention. You only have about seven seconds to make the best first impression on the phone. Start by using their name and creating an open space for dialogue where they can discuss their pain points or needs. 

Your call shouldn’t center around your product or service. It should focus on the needs of your audience and the ways that you can help them through your event. It also shouldn’t make big promises or suggest to people that some type of miracle will happen—just tell it like it is. 

Add a partnership with Smith.ai to boost engagement with outbound calling campaigns and more

Of course, no matter what you do, there may still be some things here and there that are missing the mark. Perhaps you just don’t have the time you feel you need to deliver the level of service that people deserve. In any case, a partnership with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai could be exactly what you need. 

Ask about our solutions for outreach campaigns, as well as how we can assist with lead intake, appointment scheduling, outbound sales and support, and so much more. We can streamline a solution to boost engagement and event registrations at the same time. Schedule your consultation now to discuss how we can help improve your outreach campaigns and more. You can also reach us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.