You've just delivered a successful workshop and received positive feedback from your attendees. Congratulations! But your work is not done yet. You still need to provide effective follow-up support and resources to help them apply what they learned and achieve their goals. In this article, you'll learn how to do that in six steps.
The first step is to send a thank-you email to your attendees within 24 hours of the workshop. This email should express your appreciation, summarize the main takeaways, and remind them of the next steps. You can also include a link to a feedback survey, a certificate of completion, or a special offer for your products or services.
When developing your workshop, consider the ways to respectfully appreciate your host and audience. Depending upon host or event, collecting emails for digital and physical content should be created ahead of time. Often, certificates or presentation slides/notes are key to audience success. Consider an easy access app, scannable QR code, or simple website page for your audience to use immediately after the workshop for feedback and additional questions. Add specific “extras” or free additional resources to encourage people to not only complete a survey but also find more next steps. Share with the host. Most importantly, follow up on any and all questions or requests that you may receive both immediately after & the next few weeks.
The second step is to share relevant resources that can help your attendees deepen their knowledge and skills. These resources can be articles, videos, podcasts, books, or tools that relate to the workshop topic. You can either attach them to your thank-you email or create a landing page where they can access them. Make sure to explain how each resource can benefit them and how they can use it.
Often overlooked, research and resources are key to successful presentations and workshops. When you design your event, build a library of resources, including videos, podcasts, articles, books, and your own website/blog that links to a community that shares your area of expertise knowledge. This can be done with a simple link in a “thank you” email or as a point of contact to help build their next step to their success in developing skills and knowledge. I have found QR codes and simple Apps work well for employers workshops or any size conference. By creating individual apps or QR codes, you can customize to funnel your business offers, additional services, future workshops, or premium programs to highly interested people too.
The third step is to create a community where your attendees can connect with you and each other, ask questions, share insights, and get support. You can use a platform like Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, or Discord to create a group or a channel for your workshop. You can also invite them to join your existing community if you have one. Encourage them to participate, share their progress, and celebrate their achievements.
The fourth step is to offer follow-up coaching to your attendees who want more personalized guidance and feedback. You can either do this one-on-one or in small groups, depending on your preference and availability. You can use a tool like Calendly, Acuity, or Zoom to schedule and conduct your coaching sessions. You can also charge a fee for your coaching or offer it as a bonus or an upsell.
The fifth step is to provide additional learning opportunities to your attendees who want to continue their education and development. You can do this by creating or recommending courses, workshops, webinars, or events that cover more advanced or related topics. You can also create or join affiliate programs, partnerships, or collaborations with other experts or organizations that offer valuable learning opportunities.
The sixth and final step is to measure and improve your impact as a workshop facilitator. You can do this by collecting and analyzing data from your feedback surveys, testimonials, case studies, or success stories. You can also ask for referrals, reviews, or ratings from your attendees. Use this data to identify what worked well, what needs improvement, and what you can do differently in your future workshops.