Dear Marketing Student,

I'm Going To Try To
Sell You Something Today.

   And what I want to "sell" you on is knowledge. Knowing something so deep down in your heart, mind and soul that you'll never look at your client service... new business... or marketing efforts (like seminars, for example) the same way again.

   And here's what I want to "sell" you on. Some simple math:

   You can not multiply zero's mate.

   Period.

   In this case, the "zeros" are a series of seminars, workshops,roundtables, breakfasts, lunches, dinners... or anything else that looks, feels and smells like a seminar... that have become so limp, weak or monotonous, they're burying you.

   And in terms of real results, like new clients and more cash in your bank account... well... let's just say that's an entirely different saga you ain't figured out yet.

   Admit it: When you add up your time, energy, and effort; your creativity, thinking, delegation, proofreading, worrying; and forgetting to remember... you're spending some serious fungolas on way too little return.

   Worse, it's never really been like this before.

   The truth is, there's a lot of financial advisors in the same boat. I hear from dozens of them each month... from California to Charlotte... Minnesota to Miami. They're not getting the results they used to with their seminars.

   Sure. You might consider yourself savvier at your own seminar schtick.

   And every one else might be struggling.

   But you can't argue that the the thought hasn't at least crossed your mind that says...

'Why Aren't My Seminars Working
Like They Used To?'

   First up, it's not your fault. The public has been seminared-to-death.

   Everyone and their brother (literally) are doing seminars. And most people are doing them B-A-D... badly.

   Mispelled flyers. Cheap mailers. Rinky-dink invites. Terrible organization and followup. Slipped scheduling and sorry appointment setting from their assistants.

   Agreed?

   So the real questions you've got to ask yourself as your trying to multiply those zeros are:

   Should I keep shelling out more bucks trying to get more B.I.T.S. (butts-in-the-seats)?

• Or, should I choose a new seminar topic?
• Or, should I select a new "Seminar Company?"
• Or, should I change my seminar invitations?
• Or, should I offer to feed people?
• Or, should I hire an appointment setting company?

  Smart marketing means to only invest your money in things that will give you a "immediate" return on investment. In this case, when I say immediate, I ain't talking about "instantly."
  Seminars will --- but only if you take immediate reservations and then... set immediate appointments. Before people "run." (More below).

  Here's some quick advice---

  Point #1: Plan your seminars and book your meeting space(including meals, if you're feeding people) at least 3 months in advance. This saves money, time and organization.

   Negotiate a discounted multi-seminar package with the hotel or restaurant management; Don't forget postage, mailing and printing costs. Beat these people over the head for lower prices. The further in advance, the more you should ask for. Got it?

  Point #2: People have deep, down money concerns they won't tell you about... unless, of course, you figure them out. Then you can formulate solutions.

   Solutions put butts-in-the-seats. Not content. Not products. Content puts people to sleep. Products make people IGNORE you! Solutions create attendance.
 

Here's An Excellent Seminar Topic That
Produces Huge Attendance.
 

   Actually, I can't take the entire credit. Some were masterfully created by collaborating with a true financial seminar guru and GENIUS... Pat Gawrych.

   See if you can spot anything:

• "5 Ways to Keep the IRS Away from Your IRA Distributions, Forever!"... or...
• "7 Ways Seniors Can Save Taxes & Get More Steady Income"... or...
• "How to Use A Little Know Tactic With Blue Chip Stocks to Increase Portfolio Safety."
  
  Did you see it? Notice it? The "it" is feel and temperament.

   Obviously, Pat and I threw these together quick-like. You can come up with your own depending on your creativity, compliance, and other hooh-hah. The bottom line is...
 

Seminars of This Type, Work, WORK, WORK!!

   They kick some serious butt. They produce GIGANTIC RESULTS because of one thing: EMOTIONS.

   The emotional concerns raised in your seminar topic create a
throbbing-like curiosity and desire with vice-grip intensity that squeezes on a person's money worries. You provide an "educational solution" wrapped in a polite subtle offer.

   I'm going to let you in on a little secret from the year 1633 that is still relevant today:

   It's not high pressure. It's smart marketing. People get magically hypnotized, curious and interested in solutions... and they respond. Always have. Always will.

   Onward to...

   Point #3: Setting more appointments is in direct relation to how well you sell yourself. Not your firm. Not your strategies. Not your products. Concepts and strategies work only if they solve problems. And only if people like and trust you. Besides delivering solid content, this should be your primary goal... Numero uno... of your seminars.

   When your psyching yourself up, waiting for the B.I.T.S. to settle in... tell yourself, "My only goal here today is to have my audience view me as likeable."

 

And Here's One of the Greatest Seminar
Secrets of All Time...

  Or at least one of the top three, I'd say: You must increase your personal likeability and trustability with people in the seminar seats, before they leave. Otherwise, when your seminar ends... here's what happens:

  You'll stand at the front of the room politely chatting to a couple of seniors who have questions when... out of the corner of your eyes... you experience a a mass exodus of attendees who bolt for the door... never to be seen again.

   All the while, you'll be thinking to yourself, "I just spoke to these people for an hour... they've got a lot of frickin' nerve leaving like that!..."

   You deserve better. And yes, you can get more results.

   What are you waiting for? Put these three points to work before you EVER do another seminar.

   And quit with the shallow excuses, they're nauseating.

  If you're not gonna put the effort in to improve your seminars, save your $2,000 or $3,000 bucks and make a donation to your local Children's Home.

   We'll both feel better about it.