How to Get More Appointments From Seminars

Too many financial advisors don't know how to get appointments from their seminars and workshops.  Today, let's look at how to overcome this issue and improve the number of appointments you set at your public speaking events.

You've just finished giving a great workshop or seminar. You presented interesting material that encouraged a shift in thinking and attitude about money, financial goals, and the future. You made jokes, got some laughs, and really connected with the audience.  NOW WHAT?

Presenting seminars and workshops is one of the most effective marketing tactics to grow the number of prospects in your pipeline and spread the word about your practice. Public speaking enhances reputation, positions the speaker as an expert in their field, and improves exposure to new prospects. The problem is that too many financial advisors do not know how to get appointments from their seminars.

A few things need to happen in order to perfect your seminar appointment rate. Here are a few pointers and shifts that need to happen:

*Make a time-limited offer. Let your audience know that you are available in the next week to meet with them. You could say something like "Thank you everyone for attending. For those who have questions, I'd like to offer one complimentary hour of my time if you come in to see me in the next week." Ask prospects to indicate their interest on the evaluation form and point them toward your assistant who has your appointment calendar in hand.

*Be OK with asking for the business. Yes, you are a nice guy and it's not easy to put yourself out there and ask for the business, but the prospects in your audience need your help. It's OK to ask for the appointment.

*No pressure. Tell attendees that there is absolutely no pressure and no selling will be done during the appointment. This will alleviate any anxiety participants may feel in committing to meet with you. Put yourself in their shoes – they don't want to feel obligated to hire you or be forced into a high pressure close.

*Be likeable and be yourself. I've seen too many speakers become a robo-presenter and fail to infuse their presentation with personality, humor, and likeability. If this sounds like you, please consider joining Toastmasters so that you can practice in a safe environment and learn how to be a good speaker. You will grow personally and professionally through Toastmasters and you'll make great friends.

Put these pointers to work in your own practice. Get out of your comfort zone and get out of your own way. Grow your practice in 2011!

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for Financial Advisors

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone with Your Marketing

Have you allowed yourself to get too comfortable with your marketing? We all do it. We get used to being the Technician in our businesses which makes us relaxed, plump and happy.  It's nice to sit at your desk and wait for the phone to ring. When people call us it means they want something. If we have to make the calls, we are pushing ourselves on our prospects and clients.

In Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote about how to make more progress with your goals. Point number four "Not willing to step outside comfort zone – you don't want to leave your comfy chair" speaks to our propensity to do what's safe.  But to build a financially successful business we must learn to take risks and to do the scary things.

That’s what I help my clients do, but I also have to force myself to do the intimidating actions too. What kind of coach would I be if I didn't push myself?

Fear Rears its Ugly Head

A few weeks back I started coaching a new client. I could tell he was intimidated about coaching, perhaps because he didn't really understand how it works.  I had told him that I would ask him to "do more and be more" while working with me.  In our first official session I asked if he did much public speaking.  He said "No, I don't find it to be worthwhile."  I pressed further and here's what he told me. "By the time you put all the work into creating the presentation, setting up the venue, confirming the attendees, and having the wholesalers show up, it's just not worth it." 

Of course it's not worth it if you have others do the speaking. Prospects are there to hear YOU speak, not a nameless, unknown representative of a product-driven company. Your job is to connect with your prospects and let them experience who YOU are and what you're about.  Your job is to create a talk explaining the BENEFITS of working with you. You must show them your VALUE and AUTHENTICITY.  

So how can you step outside your comfort zone?

Do what's scary. Do what intimidates you. If you're comfortable you're not growing. When you're not growing personally it's doubtful you'll be growing professionally either.  Try new things. Speak up. Talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to. Volunteer for something. Take more risks. You'll find that you will grow into new skills and you'll be a better person for it!

Grow Your Business and Prosper!

Suzanne Muusers

Coach for Financial Advisors and Entrepreneurs

Using Toastmasters to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

I had the privilege of being the Toastmaster last Thursday at Airpark Toastmasters. If you’ve ever attended Toastmasters, you know that it’s a great venue for testing your willingness to step outside your comfort zone. Toastmasters allows participants to improve speaking and leadership skills in a supportive learning environment. I challenge myself weekly by attending Toastmasters and I use this as a way to stay sharp. I also use it as a networking opportunity.

As Toastmaster, you select the Theme of the Day, prepare opening and closing comments, and generally run the meeting. The theme I selected was “Personal Responsibility – Have We Become a Nation of Whiners?”

I believe we determine our own destiny by our attitude. To put it simply, if you are a positive person who takes responsibility for your own actions, you will create the life you deserve. If you are a negative person, who makes negative comments and focuses on what’s wrong with a situation, you will create a destiny of negativity.

The best part of being the Toastmaster is that you get to use the role as a platform for your ideology. And since I lean more to the right than the left, that’s what I did on Thursday.

Personal Responsibility – Have We Become a Nation of Whiners? What do you think?

This is a great country. It’s the best country I’ve lived in and The United States is my third country! Over the years, however, governments, both national and local, businesses and other institutions have made a name for themselves by helping others reduce the need for individual responsibility.

Didn’t save for retirement? No problem. Here’s a government program to help you. Have at it. Can’t take the pressures of providing a living for yourself? No problem. Here’s another program.

Love to eat but don’t like to work out? No problem. Here’s a surgery to take the weight off the easy way.

My philosophy is that "You are responsible for your own life. Being responsible is not a choice. It's a requirement for a strong society."

I want to give you an example.

For four years of my life I earned a paycheck from a business that was not my own. I worked for the largest and most respected mutual fund company in the nation. I loved my job, but I was astonished that most of my coworkers complained constantly about the company.

Health insurance costs went up each year and people complained. Health insurance is not a right it is a benefit. A 401k plan company match is not a right, it is a benefit. Vacation is not a right, it is a benefit.

If you don’t like your job – take responsibility for your own happiness and get a new job.

Don’t want to work for “the man?” Great. Start your own business. But please don’t poison your coworkers with your negativity.

Taking responsibility can transform your life from one of being a victim to having power over your own life. The stronger your attitude of responsibility, the more success you'll have in your life.

Please take responsibility for your life. Don’t look to the government, your employer, or your significant other to take care of you.

If you find yourself being particularly comfortable in your safe office, and you realize that you need a challenge, find a Toastmasters club and try it on for size. You’ll find that it will give you a competitive advantage in your industry.

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for Entrepreneurs and Financial Advisors

http://www.prosperitycoaching.biz