Many advisors are doing brilliant work in their financial advising practice. I speak with advisors all the time and am astounded by their level of knowledge and their resourcefulness in these unique times. The challenge I find is they are not educating their clients and potential clients about their expertise, nor are they keeping them abreast of changing trends. This is because their main method of communication is individual phone conversations and client meetings.

• Schedule the appointments at the seminar.
  This may seem like a no-brainer but so many advisors conduct a fabulous seminar where people are emotionally engaged and then they wait a week to call and schedule (this is if they are organized…most never follow-up). I spoke to a talented speaker just last week who told me about her riveting seminar about protection planning. Her description of the seminar almost had me in tears as she described the activities she did with the attendees. I said "WOW! What a brilliant seminar. How many people scheduled appointments?" She looked at me surprised and said, "none … we don't set appointments at the seminar." Yikes! What a missed opportunity. I teach advisors to schedule appointments with at least 80% of the attendees the day of the seminar. Once you have connected with this room hopefully filled with a nice balance of clients, referrals and other prospects why not schedule appointments? People are busy. We can't seem to make plans for dinner with a best friend with the craziness of our lives…why leave this promising connection up to the phone tag game of voicemail and missed calls?
  
  
• Address possible objections to an appointment before they arise
  Again, this seems so obvious but I rarely see advisors do this when they are closing the seminar and explaining their services. There are at least 5 top objections that come up over and over. Since you know what they are why not overcome them before they happen. One of my favorites, is "I already have a financial advisor." Perfect! Most advisors sulk away and figure this prospect is now off limits. No, the opposite is true. If they have an advisor, they value the client-advisor relationship already so they could be an ideal client. Also, the numbers are staggering out there of how many clients are unhappy with their advisors. Now is the time. I remind these prospective clients that it is always a good idea to get a second opinion, just like going to a doctor. When you are talking about your physical health you are willing to get a second opinion. Why not for your financial health? This makes perfect sense. Many clients are so loyal they feel badly about meeting with another advisor. Explain that they deserve a second opinion and soon they are excited to determine whether what they are doing still works for their needs.
  
  
• Make the seminar entertaining and interactive
  It always amazes me how boring advisors can be. They love to hear themselves talk and particularly when they are pointing to charts and graphs in a Power Point presentation. Ugh!!! How boring…I am in the financial industry and I have a tough time not falling asleep during these presentations. Instead, I teach advisors to focus on what is called "edutainment." This means people are involved and having fun. When people are laughing and talking to each other they are much more likely to connect with you, too. I accomplish this by having opportunities for interaction with partners or small groups, writing exercises, group brainstorming, utilizing the whiteboard, case studies and so much more. My background as a teacher in elementary school taught me how to deal with the short attention span of today's adults to keep them engaged.

1. Secrets of a Successful Seminar: A "How to" Guide for Financial Advisors
   This manual outlines every step of the way to a successful seminar: Marketing and Planning the seminar, Setting up and Conducting the seminar and Following up to ensure prospects show up for their appointments.
   
   
2. Seminar in Action DVD:
   This full seminar includes footage with clients and prospects in the room so that you can see it being presented by the person who created it. You can also see how I deal with questions and awkward situations. This DVD is a great companion to the Powerpoint presentation included on the CD.
   
   
3. Secrets of a Successful Seminar DVD:
   This video integrates seminar tips with the live seminar. For example, I explain how to do an effective introduction, seminar close and how to handle objections during the scheduling process. Then the video switches to the actual seminar so you can see the strategies in action.
   
   
4. Seminar Success Documents on CD:
   This CD contains customizable documents ranging from the Powerpoint presentation with full notes to the marketing ads and handouts for the seminar. There are scripts and documents to support every step in your success that can be used by you or given directly to your assistant.