A question came up on one of the coaching networks recently as to whether or not coaches should do health/wellness fairs.
Well, in my opinion, YES!
I do mind-body-spirit, wellness, complementary health fairs quite regularly and straight “health” fairs a bit less regularly. Here are a few compelling reasons why you should, and a few tips that could make them work for you.
Why you should display at wellness fairs
- Your primary aim at a fair is to get people’s names onto your list. Be sure you have a proper email list for them to sign (not just a blank sheet of paper) so it looks official and you capture the information you require. The challenge then becomes GETTING people to part with their information. One way I have done this is to buy about 50-100 cheap and cheerful gift bags at a £1 shop (or dollar shop in US). Buy ones that are 3-4 in a package for £1 (or $1). Fill them up with leaflets and articles, and put a sticker of your company (with your website URL) on the front of the bag. Line up all these nice “goodie bags” on your table. Tell people they can have one if they give you their email address. I use this method all the time to promote my Global Wellness Circle, so it means the bag is filled with flyers from lots of other practitioners as well as myself. However, you can find things to fill it with that are just from you. This strategy works like a charm… people simply want that bag, even though it is filled with promo materials! I routinely get about 50 new names on my list at every event I do.
- Your secondary aim is to get people to agree to a free consultation or sample coaching session. At such events, the best way to do that is to offer a 10 minute micro session. Be careful, however, and only offer it to someone who is already engaging with you and who seems like a likely client. If you simply have a sign up that says “free sample sessions” you are likely to have a queue of people who are looking at you like some sort of free psychic or tarot card reader, and they are only doing it for entertainment. This is a waste of your time. If you do a micro session, stick to the 10 minute limit, and leave them with an enquiry. Get their contact info and see if they are willing to set up a full consultation with you. Put it in the diary, and make sure to drop them an email that says, “I look forward to our consultation on X date.”
Things you should have in place for the show:
- Get yourself a speaker slot. This is ESSENTIAL! Most of these fairs will give you the opportunity to do a 20 – 40 minute talk. Many of them do not charge an extra fee for this, but some might. If you do a talk, make sure that you have a clear call to action built into it (i.e., to sign up for a course, telecourse, workshop, purchase a book, etc). If you give a talk, and have no call to action, you are wasting a golden opportunity. Be SURE you get people to sign in and provide their email address when they attend your talk (ask them to tick a box giving you permission to send them info on your upcoming workshops).
- Be SURE you have at least one other person at your table with you. Choose that person should know all about what you do and should be comfortable and genuine with helping to promote your services. Sometimes I give someone a portion of the table to display their own products, in exchange for supporting me. How do they help? Well, you are going to need time of here and there for “bio” breaks, a walk about, lunch, etc., No one can go all day without some relief! Also, if you are giving a talk, you don’t want your table unmanned, or you will lose potential clients/sales. When you do walk about, don’t be away for more than 15 minutes at a time and make sure that you are making use of the time by establishing valuable contacts with other vendors at the event.
- Give attention to your display. This doesn’t have to be an expensive investment. A lot of people think you need an expensive banner or sign. While flashy signs/banners are nice, they cost a lot and are inflexible (i.e., once you have them, you can’t change them). A cheaper and more adaptable option is to have felt/Velcro display boards. I have a 3-panel tabletop board that is very lightweight and fits in a carrier bag. I take it everywhere with me (even on trains). I use one side to promote my coaching/Wellness Circle, and I have the other side JUST for my book if I am at a book event. I can change it around and add new things as they come in (ex: a new book review, a radio show I want to promote, a new course I am offering, etc).
- Create a few attractive things people can take away for free … NOT just flyers and business materials! Write an article or a whole newsletter they can have (making sure your photo, bio and contact details are on the bottom). Free articles are some of the best and easiest freebies you can offer. Make sure it is on a topic that is immediately relevant to your niche and the kinds of clients you want to attract.
- Create a few things you can SELL. Don’t have any ideas? Try recording some visualisations on an audio CD, for instance. Slap a label on it with your contact details. Sell if for what anyone would charge for a CD. Even better, make an audio course and workbook, and put it all on a CDR. Try to make your money back for the table fees.
The last mind-body-spirit fair I did, I made back every penny of my rent from book sales, I made a new client (who is still with me) and I collected 60 new names for my Wellness Circle, which turned into revenue as pretty much all of them have since started attending my Wellness Circle events. PLUS, these folks are now receiving regular updates about my workshops, books, etc., and many of them are buying them now that they have gotten to “know” me.
So all in all, wellness fairs are a great way for coaches to be seen, increase your list, and establish long-term clients/customers.
If you are planning an upcoming fair, drop me a line and let me know if I can help in any way.
Author of Amazon best-seller
The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self
Founder/Leader of the
Global Wellness Circle: the holistic HEART of Planet Earth!
