Archive for the ‘Seminars’ Category

If you’re looking to enhance your prospecting efforts, generate more referrals, and get new introductions from your existing clients – consistently and repeatedly – it’s time to consider a seminar program to grow your business.

In today’s environment, seminars have proven to be one of the most effective methods to build a successful practice.

There are many different kinds of seminars, or EVENTS as I prefer to call them, and each type serves a very specific business-building function:

·         Large events, marketed through a marketing company, are very effective in building brand recognition and a database full of prospects

·         Smaller, more interactive workshops are ideal for relationship building and closing business

·         Specialty events are tailored to enhance client loyalty, and generate new introductions and referrals

No matter what your business objective is, strategic events can help you accomplish it – as long as you:

1.      Know your objective:  Be clear and specific about your immediate objective – more specific than just, “I want to open accounts.” Do you want to close business, generate more introductions, enhance client loyalty, or just get your name out there and generate leads? The more specific your objective is, the more effective you can be.

2.      Have a plan:  Based on your objective, be clear on the steps it takes to achieve that goal. How will you  call people to action at the end of your event? How will you encourage your audience to actually do what you are recommending? How can you entice the audience to provide the information you need in order to follow up?

3.      Prepare, prepare, prepare:  Before your event, rehearse your presentation. Clarify the call to action. Determine the steps you will take immediately after the event to follow up with participants. Identify possible objections and challenges, and craft your responses before they arise. Do what it takes to make sure your event is a seamless experience for everyone there.

A little support goes a long way in creating a truly effective event, and you might be surprised at just how easy it can be to develop and deliver a program that fuels your business for years to come.

If you’d like to learn more about how to create and implement a seminar program that suits your objectives, raises your public profile, and delivers serious results, click here http://yourpinkoffice.com/Event.Detail.asp?id=1283098029

If you are still doing business as usual you may want to consider changing it up.  While seminars continue to be a viable source of new business you must stay fresh and rethink how you can attract more qualified prospects to your events to get new business.

Many advisors use RME (Response Mail Express) a direct marketing company to promote their seminars and events.  While this is an effortless way of filling the room it can also be costly if not managed properly.  The biggest frustration to this process is buying lunch for someone who is only there  for the meal.  But there are two strategic methods to get the benefits of a direct marketing process without the unnecessary expense. The key is making sure your guests are all qualified.

The first most common method of qualifying your guests is to put a qualifier right on the invitation.  While this may screen out most unqualified prospects (at least the honest ones) there is no guarantee that everyone is adhering to your guidelines.  What I do like about this is that with a qualifier on the invitation about 80%+ who attend your event will have the necessary assets.  The only negative is that while they may have the assets they may have little to no need much less commitment to doing business with you.

The second option is to qualify the leads yourself, this not only allows you to identify those with money but learn their status and potential commitment to making a change to do business with you. Instead of  placing a qualifier on the invitation you can have the RSVP company tell all those that RSVP that the event is already full BUT they would take their name and contact information and have the advisor call them in case there was a cancellation. This is where you step in.

That same day you as the Advisor would call the prospects reconfirming that the event is full but also giving yourself the opportunity to engage in conversation and screen or qualify the prospect.  If after a brief phone conversation (which is already building the relationship) they did qualify the advisor would call back the next day to say a spot had opened up.  If the prospect did NOT qualify she would maintain that the event was full.

The benefit to option 2 is that you are able to maintain more leads and contact information thereby continue dripping on these prospects even if they are not currently qualified or truly interested. The value of this is that at some point they may become interested, inherit money or change jobs giving them the liquid assets.  In addition by continuing to drip on these prospects there is the possibility that they will forward your information to another qualified party.  The second option, while providing you with fewer leads you are automatically dealing with a smaller number of potential qualified prospects without the additional commitment of time to call each one.

Seminars are alive and well you just have to keep rethinking how to make them work BETTER.

OMG she did such a fabulous job.  Watching Haly a female financial advisor give a presentation to about 20 guests was amazing.  Haly is very comfortable speaking in front of groups but as I watched and listened to her presentation I saw all of my coaching come to life.

Haly set up the room in a U shape format which allowed her to get close to every guest.  She sprinkled fake $ all over the tables creating a festive fun environment. She had pink buckets positioned randomly on the tables; while acting as centerpieces she planned to incorporate these buckets into her presentation.

Haly opened up the presentation using her introductory script (which we created) to introduce herself. You knew what she did, who she did it for and why, all of this was accomplished by sharing stories and her personal history.  She then proceeded to tie her mission and focus to her business to why she is hosting this presentation, very smooth. It was what came next was a pleasant surprise.

Haly’s event was titled “The Everyday Philanthropist, she had two presenters and estate planning attorney and an insurance specialist.  Before introducing her guests Haly set the stage by hosting a mini Savvy Women seminar presentation (for those that don’t know this is a seminar I created and sell on my website.) This was the first time I have actually seen the presentation in action and I loved it.  Haly talked about women, how they are driven by a purpose. She had the entire group (even the men) list the three things they want our money to do for us (assuming our lifestyle needs are being met). They wrote those items on the back of the fake dollars and then proceeded to share.

To get the audience sharing Haly used three pink buckets to emphasize the point.  In each of her buckets she had a picture that represented what she wanted to do with her money (always alluding to our Purpose for our money) She even used a toy to represent her philanthropic interest. She then asked the audience what they had written, it was REALLY fun listening to what others put on their dollars.  This exercise accomplished two things, it engaged the audience in the topic of the presentation but it also created a more personal setting.

It’s not just the message that creates a great presentation it’s how you set the stage and incorporate creative ways to engage the audience.  After seeing Haly present there is no doubt that her focus must be to get in front of more groups to share her story and present her message, this is where her business will come from.