how to get students for a WSD seminar?

[treelizard]

Okay, so I'm hosting a seminar in a month and a half. I've already sent out press releases to all the local newspapers, tried to arrange some radio slots/public service announcements, sent fliers and brochures to local gyms (with an emphasis on the women-only gyms) offering to help organize demos and to give group discounts to their members, and I've talked to all of my female friends and coworkers and neighbors and folks I volunteer with as well as all the guys I know to see if they know any women who need to get trained.

Tomorrow I'm going to flier the !@#$ out of this town and will do so weekly until the class ends or it fills up, whichever comes first. I'm also going to call sororities and church groups and victim groups and college women's groups to see if they want demos or talks, and I'm going to post on more listservs. Oh yeah and this dude I know promised me he'd put up fliers in all the local strip clubs. I will get the cafes and libraries and such. I have two big meetings and one big party to flier at in the next month and a half... Am kind of running out of advertising ideas, though...

We are requesting deposits because so many women who need to be at WSD seminars bail at the last minute and thought that this would prevent it. But so far I have fifteen tentative people, and not one has given me their deposit money, and nobody has asked for a demo or talk or anything. I guess it's just a waiting game? How else do you get people in your class? Btw I am not teaching this or making any money off of it so my incentive really is to make sure women who really need to be there, get there, for obvious reasons. What sucks is that the women who really need to be there are least likely to show up...

[Tom Yum]

Great work, treeliz!

If a woman can't convince other women to attend, I'm not sure what else you could do?

This isn't meant to denigrate the program, but have you considered offering aerobic kickboxing as a side attraction?

Good luck. Keep us updated.

[blitz]

Show them small footage of what they would learn.. Include a link on the fliers. Nothing interested me more in martial arts than videos. The real thing was better but most people wont take the time to pay for a lesson/seminar.

[treelizard]

LOL!! Yes, I should tell women it's cardio kickboxing!! Then they will come!!

Thanks for the tip.

[kwai chang pain]

I'm biased because I work in radio, but there are a couple of routes you can take there:

1. You can shoot for the free community calendar announcements.

2. You can try to get yourself booked as a guest on a talk segment.

If that happens, do some preparation. If you don't like public speaking, bring one of your talkative students with you. They won't expect perfection, but a "deer in the headlights" doesn't sound too great either. Good luck.

[treelizard]

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately, the community radio station that I sort of have connections with has declined to promote it, probably because they are way too liberal and were scared off by the qualifications of the instructor and founder of this course, who teach CQC. I need to find other radio station connections and figure out who to contact--any ideas?

I've made PSAs before and I love that voice editing software that takes out all the "ums" and "uhs".

I did send the press releases to the community calendar sections of the local papers.

Video...not sure I can swing that this time around, maybe in the future...

Thanks, y'all! Keep the suggestions coming!

[Tant01]

Have someone hang out around the courthouse and hand out your flyers to victims of domestic violence? Rape counselors or other victims groups?

Pick up a phone book and start a telemarketing program? Just a thought?

[treelizard]

One of the local advocacy groups who I wanted to sponsor the event way back when it was in it's planning stages asked me to make it a co-ed and free event, which I couldn't do, and now it's not up on their calendar even though I sent the press release out way in advance. I've made some appropriate phone calls. I am working on two other advocacy groups. Some of them have some weird ideas about self-defense, like a place I read about where one of the ADVOCATES told someone not to get a gun because it might be used against her, and to instead take up aikido.

Great ideas! Thanks guys!! I will decline telemarketing though. Been there, done that.

[treelizard]

Quick update. So far I have deposits from three women (plus I'll be attending, so four) and have gotten phone calls from two women who received fliers.

I hear four is good since we're still three weeks away, but since my goal is to get 20-30 women there, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Still trying to get a PSA but at least it's listed on some webpages...

Also this is before the listing in the weekly paper (which will come out on April 20th and possibly also be listed on the 13th) and it may go out on the e-news of a local group.

I know e-mails are circulating and people are asking for fliers.

I of course am still worried that everyone will cancel and nobody will be there but me...

I am all done until a week before the event, when I will contact everyone who has expressed an iota of interest with a reminder call.

[BoarSpear]

Good luck liz but you cant get people to accept things they arent ready to see, most people dont really believe "it" can happen to them...society reinforces that fighting back is bad....every time someone fights off an attacker the police say "we dont recommend this"

Who is putting on the demo that turned off the radio people?

whats the course teaching that might be unusual or objectionable?

[Tom Yum]

Quick update. So far I have deposits from three women (plus I'll be attending, so four) and have gotten phone calls from two women who received fliers.

I hear four is good since we're still three weeks away, but since my goal is to get 20-30 women there, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Still trying to get a PSA but at least it's listed on some webpages...

Also this is before the listing in the weekly paper (which will come out on April 20th and possibly also be listed on the 13th) and it may go out on the e-news of a local group.

I know e-mails are circulating and people are asking for fliers.

I of course am still worried that everyone will cancel and nobody will be there but me...

I am all done until a week before the event, when I will contact everyone who has expressed an iota of interest with a reminder call.

Treeliz, have you considered avertising to women's shelters? or other women's organizations that might be open to defense through action (i.e. MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

Women who have actually been a target would probably be interested.

Thought it might be helpfull....what do you think?

[treelizard]

Thanks--I put up a flier at the women's shelter slash drop-in center that I volunteer at... There are two or three women's shelters for victims of domestic violence, but they are in hidden locations... I did contact the Center Against Sexual Assault to put up a flier, but it looks like they're in the process of moving. I also contacted the Centers for Women and Children, and they gave me an e-mail address. There is a local GLBT space that I'm trying to get it listed in their e-news, they have an anti-violence project going...

I just got back from the pottery studio and was talking to some women there, in fact one lives in my neighborhood and has a ton of stories of things that she's seen or have happened to her here (we're both moving, btw) and seemed really shaken up by it, and I gave her a flier and I think she's going to come. It felt really good to be able to help... And there's a board member at a different non-profit I can be found at who asked me to bring a flier to a meeting I'll be attending.....

[treelizard]

Sorry Boar I didn't see this response yesterday.

The radio station is really liberal and the original press release I sent to them said, "Derived from Close Quarter Combat system" something or other. They are allergic to the military. But I sent them another press release with that sentence deleted and they are using it.

I just keep hoping (okay I won't use the p-word Boar) that I'll be put in situations where I am interacting with women who DO realize the need and value for this training. The gal who lives in my neighborhood was a good example... she feels so victimized and helpless... and I know a TON of women who feel this way, the sort of underlying fear and no idea how to respond effectively. This class is a start...

The four women or however many that are gonna be there, from my phone conversations with them, REALLY need to be there. Maybe I should focus on that instead of getting all sad that there's not higher numbers (yet, that could turn around as well.)

[treelizard]

Got it--someone promised to announce it on the radio, rock! Also kept running into people at the Bike 2 Work fair this mornin' that took fliers and were saying very encouraging things like, "Wow, five women I work with were asking about WSD classes, can I get some more fliers so I can hang these up at work, give them out, and take them to my church and my women's group?"

Also there are now ads for a different WSD series which is much more expensive, so that could work in my favor as well. Of course the important thing is that women get the training they need, not that they come to my specific class, but they might be less likely to use $$ as an excuse now.

I should probably just relax, lol. I thought nobody would show up to my birthday gig because almost all of my friends were out of town, but then lots of people showed up anyway.

[Tant01]

Getting close?

Okay, so I'm hosting a seminar in a month and a half. I've already sent out press releases to all the local newspapers, tried to arrange some radio slots/public service announcements, sent fliers and brochures to local gyms (with an emphasis on the women-only gyms) offering to help organize demos and to give group discounts to their members, and I've talked to all of my female friends and coworkers and neighbors and folks I volunteer with as well as all the guys I know to see if they know any women who need to get trained.

..............

.

Time is getting short> Care to fill in a where and when?

Sorry if I overlooked it in here? Thanks Tree Lizard.


Just to bump it TTT.