20 registrations. 14 days to go.

14 days before Underdog AI Con, we had only 20 or so people registered.

Oh oh.

Like a data-driven marketer, I quickly counted the number in my head. Our goal was 130 people. We have 14 days left. We need to sell 9 tickets per day. OK, easy peasy. How hard could it be?

I'll be honest.

Sitting at 15% registrations just 14 days before showtime is nerve-wracking. Your mind starts imagining the worst possible outcomes. And if you don't manage your thoughts, the negativity can start crippling you.

I've seen it in the marketing team. A marketing campaign isn't going well mid-campaign. Instead of pivoting or working harder, the marketers freeze up and begin over-analyzing the situation. There's even a word for this: analysis paralysis.

Unfortunately, most event organizers would crack at 2 weeks before showtime.

They start giving away free tickets. Inviting randos just to fill seats. Quietly drop the price, extend early bird prices because of "popular demand". Running ads that say "limited seats left!" when the hall is really three-quarters empty.

Saving face. That's all it is.

I get it. Your ego takes a hit if you run an event and half of the seats are empty. But everything you do to put away that discomfort – the free tickets, the fake urgency, the discounts will send a signal. To your audience, and to yourself.

Lucky for us, we've run Underdog Con so many times that we know it's normal. We kept posting content. Kept running the ads. Kept sending the emails. Did more work. Acted like the event was happening.

Then, in the final 1-2 weeks, 110 more people registered. We ended at 130+ attendees. Take a look at the sales report below:

Here's what I've noticed after running Underdog Con 10+ times: most people are last-minute. Have always been. They see your event. Mean to register. Then they get distracted, only to finally come back when the deadline is near.

It's human behaviour

The best advice I can share with a business is to keep doing the work, even when the numbers aren't there yet. You cannot control how the market responds. But you can certainly control your work ethic.

And for marketers, keep posting, keep following up, and showing up for your audience. I've done marketing long enough to know that your best customers aren't the ones liking and commenting on your every post. But they're there, watching.

Fix your WhatsApp sales process

WhatsApp is the #1 sales channel in Malaysia. When I added WhatsApp automation into our marketing stack, things changed.

• Webinar attendance rate went up to 65%
• 95% attendance rate at Underdog AI Con
• Open rate near 100% (compared to email)

I'm teaching a WhatsApp Sales System workshop together with automation expert, Azlan, to help you plan and build your entire WhatsApp sales system – for both inbound and outbound marketing.

You'll set up a proper WhatsApp sales & marketing system, with AI agents & autamations that qualify your leads, follow up, and close sales for your business.

This will be a small, focused, in-person workshop at CommonGround Bangsar South.

21st May 2026
9AM - 5PM

Learn more and get your seat (pre-sale open till the end of Friday)