[quote=deekay]

So, when you show up for your free meal at one of these things, how do the advisors tell you to eff off?

[/quote]

"Hey you!  You asking all the questions about TIPS.  Yeah you!  Get the hell out of here...and take your textbooks with you". 

That's my guess...

[quote=snaggletooth][quote=deekay]

So, when you show up for your free meal at one of these things, how do the advisors tell you to eff off?

[/quote]

"Hey you!  You asking all the questions about TIPS.  Yeah you!  Get the hell out of here...and take your textbooks with you". 

That's my guess...

Hey, Bobby Hull, I probably missed it, how do you get your new prospects?

[quote=AllREIT] [quote=snaggletooth][quote=deekay]

So, when you show up for your free meal at one of these things, how do the advisors tell you to eff off?

[/quote]

"Hey you!  You asking all the questions about TIPS.  Yeah you!  Get the hell out of here...and take your textbooks with you". 

That's my guess...

[/quote]

LOL,

I'm usually the only person paying attention to the talk, taking good notes, and I usually go along with my business partner so we can compare notes.

I've found that attened a bunch of other people's seminars has improved mine immensely. For example I took to video taping myself, keeping track of good/bad Q&A's, seminar practices, topics, themes etc.

E.g I've seen presentations thrown when someone asked why the presenter wasn't a CFP. Also bad was when I saw a bus from the local Jewish Senior Living center show up since so many residents decided to attend .

I see seminars as basicly two things. A "dinner theatre test" where prospects want to see that you are smart (not stupid) enough to screw up a public talk and then an attempt to get in touch for followup meetings.

The really bad seminars have failed at both.
[/quote]

If Allreit showed up, I'd just respectfully crack a joke about there's always a know it all that shows up for the free food, and say that the CFP is one of many possible licenses, and a good one,  but some CFPs are criminals, so it always comes down to knowing, liking and trusting the person who is handling your money, so congratulations for attending tonight to get some ideas and a better sense of who I am. (I am a CFP, but I make people figure that out for themselves.)

Allreit, at what kinds of venues do you run your seminars, sorry if I missed an earlier post?

[quote=coolshoos]Hey, Bobby Hull, I probably missed it, how do you get your new prospects?[/quote]

I drag dollar bills through the trailer park. That's how I met your mom.

It was a real climax.

[quote=coolshoos]

Allreit, at what kinds of venues do you run your seminars, sorry if I missed an earlier post?

I just nutted up an went with www.seminarinnovations.com for my next sem. I will keep you posted. . .

brandnew, I sent you a pm.



By the way, I just got an e-mail today from another Larry Klein floozy at Javelin Marketing.



You’ve got to admit, Larry Klein just will not stop!!!

The results are in for the seminar I did using seminarinnovations.com. I did Tues & Thurssday dinners and sent out 7,500 invites which cost me $2700 and got 87 people so about 1.1% response rate. Plenty of platelickers were there but I was still able to set 22 appointments for the next 2 weeks.

[quote=bumble1]

The results are in for the seminar I did using
seminarinnovations.com. I did Tues & Thurssday dinners and
sent out 7,500 invites which cost me $2700 and got 87 people so about
1.1% response rate. Plenty of platelickers were there but I was still
able to set 22 appointments for the next 2 weeks.

I did a general retirement seminar talking about the usual: asset allocation, inflation,  longevity, thinking for the long term, how cd's won't cut it, the + and - about annuities and the importance of working with an advisor.

As I mentioned I definitely had some platelickers (it seems thereally old folks are exclusively platelickers) but I had enough interested folks who made appointments right at the seminar who were in the 60-70 age range.

Q&A was fine. I have heard horror stories from other reps but I always seem to get the typical, "What do you charge." "Why did you blast Vanguard/Fidelity?" "Where is your office" 

[quote=bumble1]

I did a general retirement seminar talking about the
usual: asset allocation, inflation,  longevity, thinking for
the long term, how cd’s won’t cut it, the + and - about annuities and
the importance of working with an advisor.

As I mentioned I definitely had some platelickers (it seems thereally old folks are exclusively platelickers) but I had enough interested folks who made appointments right at the seminar who were in the 60-70 age range.

Q&A was fine. I have heard horror stories from other reps but I always seem to get the typical, "What do you charge." "Why did you blast Vanguard/Fidelity?" "Where is your office" 

The presentation is something that I developed myself using about 20 different presentations from fund and VA companies. I basically just cherry picked the best slides and ideas from their presentation then packaged it up. I will say that it took a lot of time but dare I say well worth it considering the positive feedback from almost all of the attendees.

Regarding minimizing the platelickers, I am pretty sure it was an option to have the list scrubbed by age. This may sound mean, but as I was calling all of the attendees the night before to remind them about the seminar there was 2 people that when I got them on the phone and heard their voice I told them the seminar was cancelled. THe first guy barely spoke English and the second sounded like he was 134 y/o!

good info bumble and you sound very honest.  let us know what you close.  this is the kind of information this board was created for.

I’m curious to see what you closed.  I did something similar, 5,000 invites, 65 seminar attendees, 3 appointments, 1 will close so far.  I got hosed by platelickers.  Like serious, professional platelickers.

[quote=AllREIT]

I wonder if there is a good way to screen out really old people when
you do the mailing. Was there anything else the plate lickers had in
common?




[/quote]

Several ways to accomplish that…

Don’t serve food, or at least serve snack but not a full meal…say desserts and coffee for an evening program.
Have the seminar in an upstairs room that requires attendees to climb at least 1/2 flight of stairs.
Set the meeting time so that it ends after sunset.

or qualify EVERY prospect before you give them reservation.  Qualified investors only.  Tell them its full, and can they meet in the office.

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=AllREIT]
I wonder if there is a good way to screen out really old people when you do the mailing. Was there anything else the plate lickers had in common?


[/quote]

Several ways to accomplish that....

Don't serve food, or at least serve snack but not a full meal...say desserts and coffee for an evening program.
Have the seminar in an upstairs room that requires attendees to climb at least 1/2 flight of stairs.
Set the meeting time so that it ends after sunset.
[/quote]

How do you include that  in invitation though?

"A financial seminar for the physically fit only, no geezers! no fatties!"

“Guests are welcome, but seating is limited to qualified investors only.”