Financial Seminar Optimization Tips

1. Contact Your Financial Advisor Marketing Consultant

Your Marketing Consultant will be your guide throughout this whole process. They will help you start curating your prospect pool and invitation for your financial seminar or financial workshop. If you are affiliated with a broker-dealer or have a compliance approval process, work with your marketing consultant to ensure approval of your campaign. If your broker dealer’s compliance department takes time for approvals/revisions, plan on adding a few days of cushion to your timeline to ensure the campaign is on time.

2. Pick the Perfect Venue

First, decide whether or not a meal event is right for you. Second, choose a time that best suits your prospects. Earlier times work better for prospects 64 and up, and later times work better for prospects 55 to 64. Then, select which days of the week will work best for you. If possible, use two different dates and times for your events. If you have multiple event days, spread them between two weeks. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be the most successful days for events.  You should also consider local events such as sporting events, Churches, or other gatherings for traffic and venue availability. If you are hosting a financial seminar meal event, evaluate your prospect pool and select a category of restaurant that best suits them. The majority of prospects will appreciate a dinner event at a well-known steakhouse in the area. Think about it as, “If these prospects were to go to dinner tonight where would they go?”. This is a good approach to assessing venue suitability. If you decide to host an educational financial workshop, first look at the material you are presenting. Social Security, Medicare, Retirement, and Estate Planning non-meal events will be best in libraries, community centers, and museums. Once the venue is secure, see what technology they have available. To learn more about finding the perfect venue click here!

3. The Week Before Your Financial Seminar

It is important to research your respondents before your financial seminar or financial workshop event. This allows you to identify the highest-value prospects and build rapport,  assuring they get the most attention at your event. However, prospects are not the only people you should be giving attention to before your event. It is also crucial to keep in consistent contact with your event coordinator. Always be in the know, so that if any last-minute hiccups appear you can handle them with ease. After you feel confident in your event it’s time to practice your presentation!!

4. Prep for Your Presentation

Practice your presentation consistently leading up to your financial seminar. A great way to identify areas for improvement is by recording yourself and watching it back. Add your personality to the presentation when you feel confident in the content. This makes you more personable to your prospects. Prospects need to trust you, so talking about your family is a great way to gain more trust. Avoid boring attendees, keep it entertaining. One way to accomplish this is by changing the inflection in your voice throughout the presentation. Another great way to keep attention is by telling jokes. However, if you know jokes are not your strong suit, leave them out.

5. 45 Minutes Before Your Financial Seminar

Before guests arrive, set up a sign-in table, ensure every seat has all the necessary materials and appointment cards, and test your AV equipment! It’s also a good idea to introduce yourself to the staff and review the night’s expectations. Make sure the waitstaff understands when you’d like them to come into the presentation room to serve guests while avoiding disruption.