Would you like to know how to run member events that keep your clients engaged and help them get great results?
Member events are a great way to…
- Offer additional value and support to your clients
- Nurture and strengthen your relationships with your clients
- Facilitate deeper connections among members
- Encourage and support clients to take action, achieve better results, and feel inspired
- Invite guests to the unique experience of being part of your community
A member event is a place where people come to take part in live activities – and a place where they go deeper into learning that goes beyond the curriculum in their program.
I started running members events for my clients in 2018 and I’ve experimented with a lot of different things over the years.
In my recent mini Masterclass, I shared things that have worked really well, and also some of the things that haven’t worked so well, so you can learn from my mistakes.
You can watch the video here
I’ve put together 10 top tips to help you run successful member events:
1. Create an event rhythm
I have tried many different things over the years, and I now run my member events every quarter.
I invite guests to get a taste of the experience – they get 1 member event for free.
You might like to start with a half day or one day event, and then progress to a two or more day event.
Decide what works for you and your business and lifestyle.
2. Create like a Coach
I always recommend that you create your content with your coaching hat on.
As coaches, we’re usually really good at helping people see things a different way, transformation and breakthroughs.
So, thoroughly thinking through what is going to lead someone to a breakthrough is so important.
Then craft the journey for them throughout the event, using structured questions and activities that stir their minds and hearts.
It’s important that we shift perspectives and get people thinking, as well as evoke emotions and get them feeling to encourage expansion and growth.
I include mindset pieces in my workshops, because I know that’s the main area where people get stuck and where they often need the most inspiration.
3. Create a Playbook
A playbook, also known as a workbook or manual, is a valuable tool designed to guide participants through the event. It provides structured activities, resources, and information to enhance their learning and engagement.
To create an effective event workbook, consider the following elements:
- Welcome Message: A brief note welcoming participants and setting the tone for the event.
- Content: An outline of the event’s key topics.
- Notes Pages: Provide ample space for participants to jot down notes, thoughts, and ideas during the sessions.
- Links to connect with you online
- Action Plans: Include sections where participants can set goals and outline steps to achieve them.
- Inspiration: Include motivational quotes to inspire participants.
The Benefits of a Well-Designed Workbook:
- Enhanced engagement: Keeps participants actively involved in the event.
- Better retention: Helps participants remember and apply what they’ve learned.
- Structured learning: Provides a clear framework for following the event.
- Personalisation: Allows participants to personalise their learning experience and take meaningful notes.
By incorporating these elements, an event workbook can serve as a comprehensive guide that enhances the participant’s experience during the event and provides a valuable resource for continued learning and application afterwards.
4. Create connection & make everyone feel welcome
Your audience is usually thinking…
(mostly unconsciously)
Is this a safe space?
Will I feel welcome and fit in?
Can I trust what is being said?
Is this going to be a good use of my time?
Make sure you open the event with a welcome that makes people feel at home, clearly and kindly explaining the guidelines and protocol, and letting people know your expectations and values, such as fairness in sharing in breakout rooms.
The clearer and more specific you are in your event promotion, the more you’ll get the right people in the room.
5. Encourage engagement
We want to make sure we use the chat box wisely and well. Right at the beginning of the event, I let people know how we use the chat box in the event so everyone is clear.
I personally like the interaction and people making comments.
However, frame it at the beginning so people know the rules and guidelines, such as, not dropping links, not posting questions, privately message the crew, etc.
Let people know if it’s ok to have their camera on or off.
We have a lot of breakout rooms in our events which people love.
Clearly explain how the breakout rooms work. In sharing activities, I explain who is to kick off, how long the time is etc.
6. Give Gifts & Prizes
We all love gifts and prizes. I award brave and vulnerable action and interaction.
I reward with my one-on-one time as well as an Oscar trophy called ‘Goldie’ that I award in every member event to someone who has been particularly interactive, taken brave action or supported others in some kind of way.
I also give a prize to the person who writes the most inspiring review and another for the most helpful feedback in the feedback form.
7. Create Mastermind breakout sessions
True masterminding is a collaborative and structured approach where people come together in a small group to share knowledge, support each other, and work towards achieving a goal.
They are super powerful and people love this part of our events.
The concept is based on the principle that collective intelligence and mutual support can lead to greater success than working alone.
The way I structure mastermind sessions is by having a set timeframe for each person, for example 8 minutes, where they have time in the hot seat to present a question to the group and get support.
I set it up by sharing some of the things that they could use the mastermind session for, give them some time to think about what they’re going to ask the group, and also give them tips for how to maximise their time. For example, keeping their explanation short, encouraging people to ask follow up questions if they need more clarity, and keep their question very clear and specific in order to get more quality answers.
A crew member broadcasts a message to the breakout room letting people know when it’s time to switch to the next person.
A mistake I’ve made is not repeating myself multiple times so that everyone fully understood. You need to say things very clearly, very simply and very step-by-step, repeatedly.
Make sure you have clear and organised guidelines and explain things very thoroughly and simply, and repeat things a number of time so everyone is on the same page.
8. Have Crew Members to assist
It’s important to have people assisting you at your events. Please don’t do events on your own! It’s important that you can focus on presenting.
Make sure you have clear crew roles and that everyone knows what they are doing – such as dropping links and page numbers, answer questions, sharing the screen, and organising breakout rooms.
Make sure you train them and have a meeting before. We usually meet the night before as well as 30 minutes before the event.
9. Choose content that people typically get stuck on, so you can help them with it
Based on your online course and the training curriculum that your clients are following, hand-pick the parts of the curriculum that do best in a group setting with discussion, and the things most people have questions about. That way I can really dive in with them, help and support them with it, and they can also get inspiration and help from others.
Think about things that are beneficial to do in a group and come alive through discussion and practice.
For example, in my group, we practice presenting skills, speaking to camera, sales conversations, and sharing content and marketing ideas.
10. Have live activities that focus on demonstration and implementation
One of the mistake I’ve made in the past is including too much teaching content. It took me a long time to learn that one. I have stripped it back a lot over the years.
Include less, and go deeper.
Ideally, demonstrate what you’re working on with someone so they have a real life example.
Make sure there’s plenty of time for people to do the activities or at least get started on them and then explain how to get it finished in their own time.
P.S.: Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 other ways I can help you grow your business:
1. Work with me to get more clients
If you’d like to work directly with me to get more clients… send me a Message with the word “Clients”… tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details.
2. Join our community and connect with like-minded Coaches & Experts
It’s our Facebook community where ambitious females entrepreneurs learn how to increase their income, influence, and impact.
3. Grab a FREE copy of my ‘Client Attraction Checklist’
This is a powerful roadmap to attracting leads, signing clients, and scaling your coaching business.
4. Check out my upcoming events and latest special offers here:
Big love
Kat xo
Leave a Reply