10 Tips to a Successful Client Event

1. Vision

Everything you do should always start with a vision. A vision is a guarantee and the definable intention from which preparation is formed. Prior to planning your event, you should sit in a quiet place and chart your vision on paper, as well as your definable intention and desired outcome for the event. Ask yourself these questions:

• Who is your ideal client, and who are you attracting?

• How many clients and prospects would you like at your event?

• What number of those would you like to schedule an appointment?

• Out of your appointments, how many clients would you like to recruit?

• What is your ideal AUM to retain from your event?

2. Budget

After you have a well-defined vision, now you must plan out your budget. Remember to account for these costs:

• Direct Mail Campaign

a. Demographics List
b. Invitation Design
c. Printing and Postage

• Venue

a. Restaurant -What type of meal will you be serving?
b. Hotel - What is the cost to reserve a meeting room?
c. Valet- Will you pay to validate your guest's parking?

• Presentation

a. Audio/Visual Rentals: Flip charts, projection screen, microphones, power cords
b. Photographer
c. Gift s- Show your appreciation for their attendance with a small memento

• Quality Thank You Cards

a. Express your thanks with a personalized, handwritten card

Tip: Remember, events don't have to cost a fortune. Some of the most well-received seminars have been held at affordable, familiar restaurants such as the Olive Garden.

3. Logistics

What is the best day of the week to host a seminar?

• We have found that seminars held on Tuesday and Thursday nights result in the greatest turn out.

To feed or not to feed?

• Provide a light meal, at the very least. If you gain at least one client from your seminar, then your dinner investment has paid for itself.

How do I weed out plate-lickers?

• Every seminar attracts these individuals, but once they walk through the door, you have the opportunity to change them into a client. The ......

What is your theme or financial topic?

• Select a topic pertinent to the current economy and your age group. If you are speaking to retirees

Do you have a wholesaler sponsor and present, or do you hire an outside speaker

4. What type of invitation are you going to send to invite prospects and clients to your event?

• Wedding style Invitation with Admission Tickets Inserted

• Tri-fold Invitation

• Postcard

Personalization is a must. Add credibility by including a photo of yourself, and be sure to highlight your successes and accomplishments. Guests are going to show up to hear what John Doe has to say. They come to hear what Elite Advisor, John Doe, CFP® can teach them, that they can't get anywhere else.

Your invitations need to be mailed out four weeks prior to your event to allow adequate lead time. To maximize your attendance, guests should receive their invite two to three weeks before the event. To generate greater publicity, think out:

• Issuing a press release regarding your educational workshop

• Contacting local papers and associations and ask to advertise in their columns

• Adding the event to your "Upcoming Events" tab of your website

• Sending a blast email to everyone in your contact management system and highlight the nature of the event in the subject line

• Talk, and talk it up!

5. Reservation and Confirmation Calls

For maximum results, and for an accurate count of what to expect, reach out to each individual who registered one or two days prior to the event.

6. Hosting the Event

You are the host. Entertain and education your guests. Make it your goal to find out one thing about each attendee that connects them to you.

7. Getting the Appointment

Intrigue and engage your audience, without revealing all of your "secrets." They should be interested enough to come in for an appointment, so leave them wanting more. When your special guests arrive, present them with a kit that includes a pen, padfolio and business card. Inside the padfolio should be a pre-filled out card with a consultation time arranged. Tell them, "I don't want to be presumptuous, but we have pre-scheduled a complimentary time for you to meet with us, and review your situation. Please return the card to my assistant, if you are interested. If you need to change your time, my assistant has my calendar and we can give you a date that is convenient for you." This results in 50% more appointments, and that is why you are having the seminar - to GET appointments.

8. Follow-Up

This critical step is cannot be emphasized enough. When is the last time you received a handwritten note? When was the last time the note card had a photo of your client event included? Now, think about how many emails you receive each day. Hundred's right? Set yourself apart from the competition and write each attendee a special handwritten note thanking them for attending. Connect with them on a personal level by writing something you learned about them. Yes, it takes time, but this special touch will cause you to stick out in their mind.

Building a relationship with your clients starts with a great first impression, and continues with constant communication. Add all prospects to your CRM system and continue to drip on them. Industry statistics say that financial advisors should reach out to their clients over 20 times per year, in order to maintain a trusted relationship, and even more during an economic downturn. Be creative! Send them copies of your newsletter, birthday and anniversary cards, and invite them to calls about the latest financial information that could affect them and their families.

Since your website is central to your marketing plan, be sure to always refer clients and prospects to it. There they can listen to podcasts of radio shows, sign up for your next event, read the latest articles you have posted, and find valuable information. As an added incentive have a, "Click Here for a Give-Away," button on your site. There you can feature new products each month ranging from educational books, brochures, and pamphlets on new tax laws, or seasonal marketing tips.

9. Tracking Your Vision

It is important to always track your success. We firmly believe that no one is perfect and that you can learn from every event how to make your subsequent one more successful. You should start with understanding the ROI of your event. Did you reach your vision?

10. Tweaking

Planning an event can seem overwhelming for some advisors. Are you in the zone and operating at the top of your game? Elite advisors do what works, and continue with it, while many advisors do something once or twice and move on to something else. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can ame. we believe you learn from every event and can always incorporate tweaks to make each subsequent event better and more powerful = producing more results.

 

Contact us today at 888-224-3324 or to make us your personal marketing team.