How to Create a Workshop in 10 Easy Steps: Part Two
Welcome to part two of our guide on how to create a workshop, where we help teachers plan, market and execute a successful workshop that your audience will love, whether they are new students or your existing students, you'll have great fun hosting and will hopefully make you a little extra money!
Workshops make a nice change from teaching a standard class. They are much more interactive than classes, are a great way to gain experience in a specialty niche, and are a great way to boost your exposure and reputation in the community.
In part one of our guide to creating workshops, we covered many of the early aspects of the planning that you need to do when you are putting a workshop together.
We covered how to:
· Plan a successful workshop
· Pick a theme for your workshop
· Identify your ideal students
· Decide on the format your workshop will take
Here, in part two of our guide, we're going to look at how to:
· Design the structure of your workshop
· Create marketing, financial and logistical plans for your workshop
· Design your workshop venue
· Deliver the workshop
Whether you are hosting your first workshop, or you're an experienced workshop host and are looking for ways to hone your skills, let's dive into part two of our guide to hosting your own workshop that every teacher needs.
Design the Structure of your Workshop
Creating an outline to deliver learning objectives
A workshop aims to ensure that your audience receives a tangible, measurable benefit. Your audience need to have started the day not being able to do something, and at the end of the day, they will be able to do it with your expert teaching.
So, how do you best deliver that outcome? We need to develop your process by reverse engineering the result.
Let's say I am holding a workshop to help teachers develop a roadmap for their teaching business.
I look at my desired result - i.e., each teacher will end the day with their roadmap. So, I need to break down the roadmap into categories - it will have a to-do list, milestones, measurable targets, goals, and a schedule.
Work backward. I will need to, in order:
· Establish the ultimate goals first.
· Split goals up into milestones to reach along the way.
· Create a to-do list of tasks that need to do to achieve the milestones.
· And finally, I need to put those tasks into a schedule.
Reverse engineering the result has now given us our schedule. I will need to separate the process into working on the four different aspects of the roadmap, with a short break between each session and a break for lunch after the second session.
Your hosting methods
Next, consider how best your student will learn each portion of your topic. Engaging your students is vital to ensure the learning process is exciting, compelling, and enjoyable.
Some methods to consider: -
· Will you do tests and assessments to engage your students?
· How much theory-based learning is necessary, or can you implement more practical activities?
· Can you use breakout groups?
· Can you incorporate individual coaching?
Rigidity vs. Flexibility
While good planning is vital, unexpected things happen and you can't foresee all the nitty gritty details, so it's essential to keep an element of flexibility in your approach when hosting a workshop.
Remember, your goal is to deliver results to your students, so you must put the students' needs first.
Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
And finally, always make sure to under-promise and over-deliver.
If students sign up for my workshop because they want a completed personalized roadmap for their teaching career, they will be happy I deliver that. However, it will delight my students to receive their roadmap AND a step-by-step guide to building their own website.
Keep something back. Ensure you achieve the goal you promised, then put a cherry on top; this is the key to hosting a great workshop your customers will tell all their friends about.
Your Workshop Marketing Plan
The first step in creating a marketing plan is to look back to the goals you identified in part one of our workshop guide.
What are your goals for this workshop? Is it to drive your audience to your website so you can generate more sign-ups for your other classes or membership program? Or will you use this workshop as a stream of revenue?
Your goal will influence your marketing approach and budget. If your goal is to capture more leads for a membership, it doesn't matter if your workshop loses money or is a 'loss-leader.' Whereas if your goal is profit, then you will need to keep a closer eye on marketing spend as you'll need to earn more than you spend.
Different methods of advertising your workshop can include:
· Online advertising. This could mean Pay-per-click advertising on Google or Social Media or running ads on a related website.
· Email marketing. If you already have an existing audience and you have their email addresses, you could send an electronic newsletter to your subscribers.
· Offline marketing / Print advertising. If you are hosting an in-person workshop, consider local newspaper or magazine ads, flyers, brochures, business cards, or even direct mail postcards.
· Social network. Promote on your page and local, associated pages on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
· Press releases. Use a press release distribution service to announce your event on local news.
Consider your customer journey
Your 'customer journey' refers to every time your customer makes contact with you, otherwise known as 'Touchpoints.'
These could include: -
· The first advert that they see. Be it at a studio, as a Facebook event, or in a newspaper.
· A landing page on your website that the ad directs them to
· The first email you send them and/or an info brochure that you send with it
· The registration system you use
· The payment system you use
· The booking confirmation emails that you send (ideally automatically!)
· Any pre-learning or preparation work that you send before the workshop
· Email reminders you send to your students in the run-up to the workshop.
How you structure your touchpoints can be flexible depending on the content and structure of your workshop; however, there are some guidelines which can improve your customer experience.
Consistency
Be consistent with your tone of voice, information, colors, fonts, etc.
Feedback
Use your touchpoints to get additional information about the needs of your students so you can tailor the workshop to their requirements.
Gently Upsell
Once your students have registered for your workshop, consider whether there is anything else they might need that you can sell to make more money. For example, if you are hosting a multi-day, in-person workshop, maybe you could partner with a local hotel to provide accommodation where you take a commission,
Touchpoints after the workshop
The customer touchpoint journey doesn't end when the workshop starts. There are plenty of crucial opportunities for you to contact your students after the workshop ends, including asking for feedback, asking for your students' workshop ideas, and offering early bird discount tickets to your next workshop.
Your Workshop Financial Plan
I meet a lot of teachers who are anxious about creating financial plans for their workshops, especially those who are hosting their first workshop. However, there's nothing to fear, and it doesn't need to be complicated.
Just like with our marketing planning, the first step in creating your financial plan refers to the goals you identified in part one of our workshop guide.
If you want to generate more sign-ups for your membership program, your approach to your financial plan for this workshop will differ from if you use this workshop as a revenue stream.
A financially healthy business doesn't always make money directly, and it can make money indirectly. Or, to rephrase, if you run a workshop that makes a $500 loss on the day, but leads to 10 people signing up for your $100-per-month membership package, then it has been beneficial.
There are no right or wrong ways to approach this. Your workshop doesn't need to make money if you benefit indirectly. Just be clear on what your goals are from the outset.
Setting your pricing
Teachers, especially new teachers, often struggle when pricing workshops, so don't feel alone or bad if you don't know where to start when figuring out how much you should charge.
We have a straightforward method to help you set the price for your workshop.
First, take your best guess at how many hours you will spend on your workshop. Include everything. For example:
· The time you spend on putting the workshop together
Developing workshop ideas
Making the presentation material
Planning the group activities
Planning the workshop schedule
· The time spent teaching the workshop
· If your workshop is in-person, include your travel time.
· And it's ok if you feel you would also like to add on extra for the experience and skills you've worked so hard for. It's worth something.
Now, add all of those hours up. What do you have, 30? 40? This wouldn't be unrealistic for a one-day workshop.
Next, consider a good hourly wage for your city, your experience level, etc. $25? or $30? $50?
For this example, let's call it 30 hours x $30 per hour = $900.
Now add in all of your extra costs. The rent of the local studio. Advertising costs. Fuel. Equipment hire. Wages for your moderator. Printing costs for your posters, etc. Include everything.
Add it all up, including your $900 wages. Let's say your total is $1,500.
Now consider what the maximum occupancy for your workshop is. How many people will the space accommodate? How many people can you comfortably teach?
For our example, we'll say 15.
Divide your total costs by this number. Our example is $1,500 / 15 = $100.
Now, you need to add an extra 50% to ensure that you at least cover your costs if you don't sell all your tickets.
This calculates the total per person cost we'll charge. The per person cost, for our example, is $150 per person ($100 + 50% = $150).
We'll also set our minimum occupancy as four people because that's how many people we need to cover the financial outlay of the rental studio, advertising costs, etc.
Ensure your price is in line with other similar workshops in your area or industry. You can raise your costs if other workshops are double the price. However, if they are half the price, consider changing the venue to increase the size of attendees, renegotiating the venue's price with the studio owner, or cutting costs another way.
Discounts
It's always very tempting to offer discounts, especially if it's your first workshop; however, I'd recommend against it.
People are happy to pay for value, and offering discounts immediately can devalue your offering and make you seem desperate.
Instead of trying to attract your audience with lower prices, add value instead.
Your Workshop Logistical Plan
Minimum viable numbers
As mentioned in our previous topic of financial planning, it's a good idea to add a condition of minimum numbers to your event.
You will, however, need to add concise terms and conditions to the first people who book and ensure that they have understood them. If you don't achieve minimum numbers, but you've taken payment from a few people, the money they paid must be fully refundable, so don't spend their deposits before you're sure the event will go ahead.
Cancellations / Refunds
You need to be extremely clear about how you will handle cancellations.
This has no right or wrong answer, and different approaches have pros and cons.
If you make it easy for people to book and cancel later, you may get people booking provisionally who forget to show up. I'd recommend at least a 50% non-refundable deposit.
Terms and Conditions
As well as your cancellation policy, there are other terms and conditions you will need to prepare.
These should include important points, such as:
· Definition of what you are selling
· Detail of price and a provision to increase the price
· Payment terms
· Termination provisions
· Limit of liability
· and a dispute resolution process
If it's your first workshop, it's a good idea to get some legal advice to assist.
Contingency plans
Just like a regular class, unexpected things happen at workshops, and you must prepare for unforeseen events.
Whether it's having a spare laptop battery and an additional internet connection source if you are hosting online, or a backup parking solution if you are hosting in person, think of everything that might need a contingency, and prepare accordingly.
Equipment
If you are teaching at your event, you will probably need equipment; mats, blocks, towels, blankets, etc.
If you don't have your own, see if any local studios or equipment manufacturers are interested in 'sponsoring' the event by lending you the equipment in exchange for some exposure. It's a great way to develop partnerships with other businesses.
Transport and parking
Your audience won't mind the travel or parking situation as long as you tell them in advance. 10-minute walk from the bus stop to the studio? Limited parking? People won't mind if they know to expect it.
Try it out. Go to the studio yourself before the event and trial the different transport options, then write concise directions and instructions for all transport methods for your attendees.
Food and Drink
Food and drink is an excellent way to increase profit margins but also another opportunity for you to develop partnerships with local businesses.
Rather than simply buying some sandwiches from the local supermarket, consider developing a relationship with a local food supplier to see if they might sponsor your event in exchange for publicity.
Regular intervals between classes are crucial to ensure that your students' focus levels remain high, but it also will allow them to interact socially with the other attendees. So consider using coffee and lunch breaks as an opportunity for breakout discussion groups or networking opportunities.
The Day of your Workshop
Delivering information
A workshop should not be a borefest lecture sending the audience to sleep.
The key to a fantastic workshop is interaction, two-way communication, and engagement.
First, at the beginning of the day, get to know everyone. Share something about yourself, then encourage everyone in the group to share something about themselves and what they hope to get from the workshop.
Get them talking. And ensure they are comfortable enough to interrupt to ask questions, give feedback, and share their input.
Next, don't lecture. Tell stories. People remember stories much better than they remember facts, and stories entertain, while lectures send people to sleep.
Don't memorize and recite your content. Speak with passion. If you are passionate about the topic and speak instinctively about your experience and personal journey of learning about the subject, you will be much more engaging than if you recite facts and cold information.
Surprise your attendees
Mix your teaching methods throughout the day to keep your audience engaged and interested.
Tell stories, ask questions, get the audience working together in breakout groups and encourage them to find answers for themselves rather than bombarding them with information.
Enthusiasm / Have fun
It's natural to feel nervous before your event, especially if it is your first workshop; however, it's essential to relax. There is no better way to keep your class interested than simply enjoying yourself and having fun.
After the Event
Communicate / Follow up with the attendees
The best thing you can do to build rapport with your audience and improve your future workshops is to collect feedback to discover how you can improve and what the audience enjoyed, so make sure you send all your attendees a feedback form.
Ask open questions. Encouraging your audience to speak freely will allow them more freedom to give you feedback on aspects of the day you might not have even thought to ask about.
Ask them what other workshop topic they'd like you to host. This is a great way to ensure that your next workshop idea will probably sell tickets.
Invite to next event / upsell
While your event is fresh in your audience's mind and you are actively engaging with them, invite them to your next event, join your membership or subscription program, or invite them to your classes.
Keeping and nurturing your relationship with existing customers is much easier and cheaper than constantly finding new customers, so focus on building your relationships.
Conclusion
We hope our guide to creating a workshop has been helpful for you.
Hosting a workshop is more than just a way to earn additional income. It's a wonderful way to help you get to know your students that teaching a regular class doesn't match.
Even though you are there to teach, remember you're also there to learn. Create a great day for everyone.
Have fun. If you do, so will your audience.
Here at the Lagos Coworkers in old town Lagos, Portugal, our venue is available for private hire every weekend to host your very own workshop.
Prices start from €10 per hour, or €150 for the whole weekend.
Find out more information about hiring our venue for your workshop and start planning today!