Online Event Registration – ePly Services Newsletter

From talking with these event planners, meeting managers and
admin assistants we often hear that they have to sell the
idea of online registration to their clients, boards and
bosses and all too often they hear things like it�s not in
the budget, it worked fine last year or we aren�t ready for
it.

These types of reactions are usually the result of a lack of
understanding about how online registration works and its
many benefits.

To help you sell online registration to your clients, boards
and bosses, we have outlined seven helpful ideas for you to
consider.

1. Compare costs.

Comparing all of the costs associated with different
registration methods will be a big help when working with
people focused on the bottom line. To do this you will have
to make some assumptions and estimates, but you should be
able to come up with a reasonably accurate list of costs.

One of the biggest costs is labour. Start by brainstorming a
list of all of the tasks involving labour, then estimate how
much time is spent on each task.
Here
is a sample list of tasks.

Next, consider how much your labour costs are per hour. This
is a little more difficult as the real labour rate is always
much higher than what an employee takes home. For some costs
to consider,
see
our list. Now, with some multiplication you should have
a reasonable estimate of your labour costs.

Next, consider material costs. Here is a

partial list to get you started.

At the very least, the price comparison sheet you generate
will help you realize that many of the costs associated with
event registration are often just absorbed by an
organization.

Also, don�t forget to factor in

intangible costs such as errors in registration. These
can be very difficult to estimate, but are very real cost to
business. Here are some intangible costs and benefits to
consider.

2. Do a pro/con comparison.

Brainstorming the pros and cons of anything can be a useful
decision making tool.

We have started a
sample
pro/con chart on our website to get you started. The
pros and cons will be different for every event and
organization, so adapt what we have started to your
situation. Try to include examples from past events as well
as anticipated pros and cons of continuing with manual
registration.

3. Show examples of online forms.

Showing an example of an online form similar to the one your
event requires can be all that it takes to convince someone
that online registration is a good thing to do. Many people
may not be able to visualize how it will look and work so an
image really is worth a thousand words.

The ePly website has several examples of different online
forms for different events. You can find on the
portfolio page.

Besides visual examples, examples of how other organizations
have successfully used online registration will help support
your case. Ask your potential online registration supplier
for
testimonial letters or for past clients that you can
speak with.

4. Get a formal proposal from an online registration
supplier.

Having something in writing detailing exactly what an online
registration supplier will do, what you have to do and how
much it will cost will help. With a good proposal, you will
be able to confidently give prices and details and
confidently answer questions.

5. Make online registration a part of a larger online
strategy.

Many organizations spend a lot of money developing a
website. Even more is spent trying to get people to visit.
Online registration is a perfect way to get people familiar
with your site. While they are there to register, you will
have the opportunity to show them what other information is
available.

Another strategy is to use online registration to build a
database of email addresses. This list can be used for
future marketing efforts or other online initiatives.

6. Look at the competition.

If someone isn�t convinced that online registration is the
way to go, look at what competing organizations are doing.
You are certain to find people using online registration in
nearly all industries and this may be enough to convince
skeptics to try it for their next event rather than be out
done by a competitor.

7. Have someone from the online registration company talk
to the decision maker.

If you know that the people you are working with are going
to have a lot of questions about online registration, it
might be best that you involve a sales person from the
online registration company you want to use. They will know
the intricacies of their system and will be able to offer
extra advice and ideas.