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How I Use Seminars

Written by: Donald F. Pooley

Article Overview: We do much of our business with law firms, specializing in dealing with the needs of both the partners, and the their employees. This distinguishes us from many other benefit consultants, and also requires that we provide explanations, when requested, to both the partners and employee groups.

How I Use Seminars

We do much of our business with law firms, specializing in dealing with the needs of both the partners, and the their employees. This distinguishes us from many other benefit consultants, and also requires that we provide explanations, when requested, to both the partners and employee groups.
We do this with seminars.
No matter what their style, all seminar presentations must contain certain attributes to allow the members of a group, hearing a presentation on one single occasion, to understand why a decision was made and to feel that the result will be the best of the available choices.
The consultant or advisor must always give the bottom line.
The order I use is:
1. Here's the problem.
2. Here's where you were before.
3. Here's what we looked at as options.
4. Here are the choices for improvement, and what they will cost at various income levels.
5. Here's the solution that we decided on.
6. Here's what it will cost you.
Missing any of these elements can mean a delay, or worse, a refusal, of a recommendation that might otherwise be found acceptable. In a seminar there is only one chance to get the attention of the participants.
Our one hour seminars create an educational environment that results in improved relationships with members of the firm.
So my presentation on partial disability coverage, to a law firm that has only total disability, would go like this:
"Here's the problem:"
"You are all in great health and you exercise regularly."
"But what happens if you are disabled for six months?"
"You have 14 sick days and 30 vacation days."
"What happens after you use them up?"
"Do you have enough savings to bridge the gap?"
"Here's where you were before:"
"Your current disability plan pays for total disability."
"But most disabilities are partial and progressive. Half never become total disability."
"Here's what we looked at as options."
"We can leave things as they are."
"Or we can alter the plan to cover partial disability."
"Here are the choices for improvement, and their cost at various income levels."
(For this we would show a chart comparing the options.)
"Here's the solution that we decided on."
"And here's what it will cost you."
This pattern is then adapted for each group in the firm. The partners' seminar focuses on productivity and profitability.
For the employees, the focus is job, and income stability.
In the executive committee, business continuity is stressed.
There is no difference in the facts presented.
We often work long and hard with the finance and HR people to get to a point where these seminars were approved.
And it pays off!
Lawrence Ian Geller is internationally known as an expert on disability insurance, and seminar selling. He has addressed audiences in Canada and the U.S., and his articles have appeared in professional and financial journals in both countries and the U.K. We are lucky to have him contribute to TIP.

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Related Forum Posts
Re: Making Money with Teleseminars - Hi, Any new free Seminars in the future on the same subject? Myself, and a couple employees from our company would like learn more. Jeff
Free Commercial Lending Seminar - Holding Seminars is also a great way to get people into your sales funnel. It's establishes yourself as an expert in the field and builds trust. You can use direct mail or advertising to get the word out about your seminar. A Listing with the local Chamber is also good as you'll benefit from the trust they have built with their members. Offer the seminar for free and remember to hold some sort of door prize to capture peoples contact information. This method will require some creativity from you as your dealing with the Commercial Lending market but take an angle where you will show decision makers (maybe over lunch) how they can save thousands of Dollars on their current loans.
New Business Start-up Club - I am launching a new start-up club in November 07. This club will be dedicated to the needs of start-up businesses and is absolutely FREE to join. You can sign up for this now by emailing me at helen.dowling@exceptionalthinking.co.uk. This club will give you access to: • Dedicated newsletter which answers all your start-up questions • An ‘Ask the Expert’ area for those questions that just can’t wait. • Seminars over the phone, from the comfort of your home • Download my monthly podcast that addresses your main issues • Get access to discounts / special offers from our products and services • Get advice from your peers at the Start-up Club Forum • Read my blog to find out what it’s really like running a business • Get access to top resources that stop you having to search around Interested? Simply email me at helen.dowling@exceptionalthinking.co.uk and I’ll email you more details. Thanks Helen Dowling
Boosting Seminar Attendance - I would suggest putting yourself in the shoes of your ideal client/attendee. Ask yourself what you would want if you were the attendee. In my area of the country, I rely mostly on teleseminars. When I sign up for a teleseminar, I find it VERY helpful to have a reminder email with the particulars sent to me the day before AND on the day of the seminar so that it's on my mind again and in my daytimer. If I signed up 2 months ahead, it would be beneficial to be reminded a week in advance as well. I think it's also great to be reminded of WHY I SIMPLY CAN'T MISS THIS EVENT. This is because most of us tend to be very busy so that the seminar competes with current events. Therefore, [u:2iv2fw0h]we must see the seminar as a priority at the time it arrives[/u:2iv2fw0h]. Try to find a way of tugging at the attendee's emotions. (A FREE event still has to have value to the attendee). As far as getting more people to preregister for the seminar: I would seriously consider joint ventures with other people so that the information gets sent to their emailing lists as well as my own. I would also post information about the seminar on Free Seminar information sites and any related forums that would permit sharing about Free Seminars (not spamming, but in the interest of sharing information which could greatly benefit the reader). In your presentation, make sure you offer a positive reason as to why you are offering this seminar for free. Many people are suspicious and may avoid the event if they feel there could be high pressure sales or strings attached. As well, when you are asking for their email address and information, assure them that their information is safe with you. Great business relationships are built on trust. Because they don't know you yet, they need to be reminded they can trust you. I also agree with the others. The free gifts should be a requirement of attendance, not simply signing up. Through all of this, it's important to feel passionate about your event. If you aren't excited about your event, how can you encourage your attendees to get excited about it? Why should they bother going to an event that could be boring when so many other things press at them?


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