Q & A Forum
- I have used your power opening with the dollar bill with great success, but think that a different opening is necessary given the last two month's negative market action. Should I just launch into some opening comments about bear markets or have you heard of some powerful openings that would be especially effective in this environment.
I think you're right about the opening. Even though you could modify the "dollar bill" opening to fit the moment by saving the last rip for "the recent market collapse" I would recommend a more exciting approach in these confusing times.
The opening of the seminar should be dramatic and stimulating, but it must also resonate with your core message. If I were doing a seminar today I might try using a few scary headlines from recent newspaper and magazine articles on the severity of the economy. Flash the visuals across the screen and then...just when the audience has had enough...I would reveal the truth. The headlines would be from the Crash of 1987 or from the 1970's recession. My point in this opening is to reinforce the message that we've been frightened many times before and we've survived intact. We will survive this downturn as we have done all others.
Seminar attendees today are looking for inspiration and leadership. They want their financial professional to be calm and in control amidst this confusion. I think that has to be the core emotional theme of the event and the opening can set the tone in a fun and intelligent way.
Now...where do you get those kinds of headlines. Well obviously I would search the web. Google as a huge list of newspaper archives that spans over 200 years. There are many other websites that will come up in a search as well. What you are likely to find is the headline itself...not a picture of a newspaper, so this is where a little artistic creativity comes into play. You can create a graphic in PowerPoint or in a drawing program like PhotoShop or CorelDraw that would look like a headline torn from the actual pages of the paper. I have done these for major magazine covers as well. It takes a little skill but the effect is powerful and fun.
Another fun way to open is also a visual treat...cartoons. You can select from thousands of money-related funnies at www.cartoonbank.com. Again, choose the ones that fit your theme.
You might consider a brief video. If I were doing a seminar I might use Michael Douglas' "Greed is good" speech from Wall Street as a way of suggesting that's how we got into this mess and here's what I'm going to do to change that.
There is always the shocking statistic opening. I heard on TV the other day that had some impact. I can't verify it, but it seems to make sense. We've lost more investment wealth in the last six weeks of market volatility than the entire country possessed in 1965. That is the value of the markets have declined so much in terms of capitalization...that it surpassed the total cap of the entire stock market 43 years ago. That not only speaks to the severity of the crisis but of the amazing growth and resilience of the economy. I think those ultimately have to be the core messages in any seminar today.
Frank- Any thoughts on seminar in November & December. I am on pace to do 4 seminars a month, but I'm concerned about the distractions of the election, Thanksgiving & Christmas. I've heard that this could be a difficult time to schedule appointments and worry this might not be the best bang for my buck. Thanks.
The traditional wisdom in seminars would say to avoid the holiday season. But that’s exactly what I want my competition thinking because I use this time to gain major market share.
People are worried about their money every day of the year. That concern does not go away during the holidays. In fact, if anything, it gets more acute! I would try to tap into those emotions in my messaging. For example, I might address the issue right in my invitation like this:
“Some folks may think we are crazy to hold a seminar during the holiday season. But we truly believe the greatest gift you can give your family and yourself is financial peace of mind. So take an hour out of your holiday shopping frenzy to learn some critical ideas and strategies that could make 2009 a truly Happy New Year!”
A secondary, subliminal message I would build in is that my team and I work extra hard for our clients all year long. Sure, we take time to enjoy the holidays and family…but we always have our eye on the ball.
You could also piggyback shopping and seminars to make it easy and fun to attend your seminar. Why not do them at a nice restaurant attached to a local mall. And offer valet parking for attendees. That alone would get me to come!
For something really unique…you could host an event at an upscale specialty store. I knew an advisor in San Francisco who worked a deal with the Gumps store. They opened up early for a Sunday brunch seminar and they packed the house. Yes, that’s different, but a little creativity goes a long way with certain demographic groups.
There are always distractions and there are always a dozen reasons why you shouldn’t do seminars. In the summer, everyone is on vacation. In the fall, it’s back to school. In winter, it’s the holidays or the weather…and in the spring, it’s tax time.
There is no such thing as a perfect time…thus there is never a bad time! People come to seminars for their own reasons and right now they are more scared, confused and more eager for some quality advice and guidance than I have ever seen in my career. Money and clients are in motion. I would definitely not be slowing down my seminar efforts…I’d be speeding up!
Frank
- Hi Frank, Should I charge money for my seminars? Thanks! Laura
Hi Laura,
I would generally not charge money for seminar attendees. The only exception might be an adult-ed class at a local college where there is typically a small fee built-into the program itself.
Any money you might make by "selling tickets" pales in comparison to the business you would earn by doing a great seminar and truly helping people. The goal of seminars is to get your story and brand identity out into the marketplace. Don't cloud the issue by charging a fee.
Some folks have said that charging money makes people more likely to show up. That's never a problem if you are doing intelligent marketing and offering a high-quality event. So keep your events exciting and free!
Frank
- Hi Frank, I really enjoyed your book and use seminars to build my business. My seminars focus mainly on retirement income and tax planning. I use inviations to generate attendance. My question is, in this day and age, is cold calling residential lists (that are not on the DNC) and business owners still an effective use of time to generate additional attendance, or would you stay soley with the invitation approach? Thank you, Brian
Hi Brian,
I'm glad you've enjoyed the book...thanks!
Cold calling has never been my favorite activity but it does work...especially to increase interest in your seminars and help drive attendance. And in today's environment, where millions of investors are looking for a new financial advisor, I would say that anything you can do to get in front of more people is worth trying!
My own cold calling efforts were slacking badly until I started doing seminars. Then for some reason, I actually started to enjoy calling more...or maybe just hate it less. It was a low pressure conversation for both parties. "I'm calling to invite you to an event." is a very friendly gesture and was usually greeted with far less hostility than the typical cold call.
When calling, it's important to "sell" the seminar with enthusiasm and passion. You need to craft a basic script that gets people excited and discusses the benefits of attending in addition to giving all the key details of date, time, and location. People buy benefits, not features.
FEATURE: "The seminar is at Bob's Steakhouse."
BENEFIT: "It's a great restaurant and the food is fantastic."
FEATURE: "The seminar is next Tuesday at 6:30."
BENEFIT: "We want to start early so that everyone can get home at a reasonable hour. And we want to leave plenty of time for folks to ask questions."
FEATURE: "The topic is Securing Your Retirement."
BENEFIT: "You will learn five great ways to protect yourself from the tremendous volatility in the stock market we;'ve seen in recent months."
I would often add, "I know you've probably been to a lot of seminars, and a lot of them a pretty dry, boring product pitches. This one is different. I think you will find the ideas we discuss to be af tremendous value to you and your family. Plus we are going to have some fun."
The idea that an evening can be both informative and entertaining is appealing to people. People want to have funa and walk away with great information. That kind of evening is worth my time.
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