Help me brainstorm

[Mackay]

I'm planning on teaching other acupuncturist how to lead a diet workshop for their clients.

The question is, what can I do/offer to ensure that most of the acupuncturist clients who attend the workshop will then pay a visit to my website.

The workshop includes a few tests including respiration, pulse and some other things. One thought I had was to create an online calculator that would send them the results by e-mail.

Thoughts, comments, ideas?

Thanks

[wildsoul]

Hi there,

I'm a business coach for holistic practitioners, so I understand your audience very well.

Can you please clarify your question a bit?

1. Why do you want them to visit your website? Are you selling something there. What is the action you want people to do at your site?

2. If they won't have already seen your website, then how will you be filling your class with attendees?

Personally, I don't think having them visit your site is as important as getting opt-in permission for them to be on your outreach email list.

Also, one thing about your audience, is that they are often low-tech. We run our company virtually, so it's all telephone and email. My virtual assistant loves our clients, but sometimes their lack of computer skills really exasperates her. I'm still finding that many acupuncturists are barely up to speed on sending an email. They tend towards hating all things related to their computer. Not all of them of course, but it's a significant trend in that niche.

[Mackay]

1. Why do you want them to visit your website? Are you selling something there. What is the action you want people to do at your site?
I want to get them to opt in to my mailing list.

2. If they won't have already seen your website, then how will you be filling your class with attendees?[/QUOTE]
Two sources of participants, those who have visited the site and get referred to a workshop, and those that each acupuncturist registers.

The idea is that I will train other acupuncturists to lead this workshop. I will be in bed in Rio overlooking the Copacabana.

I need a compelling reason for the patients that the acupuncturists train to com visit my site so I can capture their info and sell to them later.

I need my client's client list.

[wildsoul]

I see, you want the patients/students on your list.

If it were me, I'd keep control over the class registrations, so that they go through my company only:
-Website registrations
-Faxable registration forms

We're very strictly anti-spam, but we exercise a clause in our privacy policy that says all new customers are automatically added to our email list.

Alternatively, if you're not the one in control of class registrations, you can try doing what I do at tradeshows.
-Have a contest of sorts, where people need to fill out a contact form.
-Have an optional box for to be added to the email list.
(So in that example, I don't automatically add, but 9 out of 10 people do opt-in.)

I think the key here is to handle as much admin as you can to retain control. If you're asking the acupuncturists to do something, that's a potential leak, as they may or may not follow protocols of handing out the email list forms.

==> One other reason why you should keep control: HIPAA. If they info goes to the acupuncturist first, they shouldn't really be forwarding it to you. It's potentially a HIPAA violation.

[Mackay]

OK, that's great advice. Send me your website. mackay@mackayrippey.com