I spent £1,500 on a 'MAT speed networking' event last term and it's been on my mind for some time.
I won't name the company publicly (I'll tell you in a private convo if you really want to know) but I've known the founders of this company for years. I've given them free advice and guidance as they look to get into the SaaS world.
They talk a strong game, focusing on delivering 'qualified pipeline' for school suppliers.
So when a MAT event came up in which they advertised 10 minute meetings with qualified decision makers who had been matched to the solution we sell, I trusted that it would be a worth a shot.
However, the reality couldn't have been further from the truth. 2 of the 10 attendees were actual buyers (C level titles or Directors of HR), the rest held titles such as 'procurement manager' which in reality means research assistant or admin member of staff - the have no influence or control over the procurement decision.
I walked away with 5 'leads,' an amazing result this company told me, but that's £300 per lead. I generate leads via Facebook for £3, but different channels have different dynamics so it's not apples and pears. 3 months on and I've worked these leads to death - every one of them has come back and said something to the effect of "This isn't a priority for our Head of HR at this time"
Yet I never got the chance to meet or demo to the Head of HR, so what did I pay £1,500 for?
It's hard to describe the setup and event as anything short of a con, and it would've been more efficient if I'd gone to the bank, taken out £1,500 in notes, and thrown these into the River Mersey one at a time.
Because that would've saved me time spent driving to Yorkshire and back, overnighting in a hotel, and all the associated costs with that.
Now I want to do something about this because the costs associated with marketing to schools are only increasing and most companies out there can't afford to just waste money on activities that are bogus.
So I'm invited you to share your own experiences, anonymously in the survey below.
Collectively we've all got experience of what works (and what doesn't), and if we share that knowledge here, we can all benefit together.
It takes 5 minutes to complete, it's most checkboxes, nothing too difficult, and once I've got enough data, I'll write up the responses.
Marketing to schools survey - click here
I'm looking forward to having virtual coffees with those of you who booked off my last email. It's always great to meet and chat - so don't be shy, book a video chat with me here.
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As always, thanks for reading. All the best, Jay
