Seminars are, undoubtedly, the most powerful method of bringing in potential clients to any business…if done right.
Many in the elder law profession are making the huge mistake of assuming that the most important part of the seminar is getting people there. Their focus is on promoting their event so the room is full. And because of this, attorneys lose out on potential clients – all because their focus was on the wrong detail.
True, filling a room is important, after all, nobody can give a seminar to an empty room.
But let’s say that you do fill the room. Then what? A full room does not guarantee more sign-ups at the end of the day. And that is precisely what the purpose is of any seminar: people signing up afterward and ultimately becoming a paying client.
The Most Important Details
It is how you close your seminar that will make all the difference from getting zero leads to generating a multitude.
Everyone who comes to your seminar came there with the intent. They intentionally signed up for your seminar. They intentionally put your seminar in their schedule so they would be able to attend. Every single person sitting in front of you in the room is there with intention. What, then, is their intention?
They intend to have their questions turned into answers and their answers into results.
And they are there because they believe you can turn their questions into results. But they do not know how to go about getting those results.
This is where most seminar speakers miss the home run, so to speak.
The speakers believe their job is to provide the information they know people in the crowd came there for, and then the seminar is over with a simple “thank you for coming.” They put their hopes in that their seminar and information alone will encourage people to sign up.
Unfortunately, then the people go home with answers but without the results. Without an action, or a next step. Not only do the people go home disappointed and confused on what to do next, but the attorney also goes home with minimal prospects.
Which statement below do you think would result in more consultations:
“Thank you for coming. Contact me for more information.”
Or
“And now, if you DO want help, this is the time to engage me to work with you. I’ll be in the back of the room, setting up appointments with those who are interested.”
The potential client has already done their part of the job in attending your seminar. Your job is not only to give them the knowledge they initially came there for, but to take it a step further and give them the “call-to-action” that will take what they just learned into the next step
Close with a Call To Action
A “call to action” statement is a clear one that will tell your attendees precisely what to do next after they have received answers to their questions.
Make sure your call to action is to happen immediately. This is important because the potential clients in your crowd will never be more enthusiastic or interested as they will be at the finishing point of your seminar.
If your call to action statement required to take action within a week, or if you offered to follow up with them within a week, then you are gambling on the risk that they will still be interested one week from your seminar. By then, the excitement will most likely be gone.
Be direct and ask for the appointments
You may feel this will put your attendees on the spot, but it won’t. In fact, they need direction after all of the information you gave them. Avoid the temptation to give them the open-ended option of telling them to contact you when they are ready.
The fact of the matter is, they are ready right now. If they took the time out of their busy schedules to see you, then that means they are ready for the next step.
Instead, go the direct route and tell them exactly what the next step is: setting up an appointment with you. Tell them what they need to do, and where they can find you immediately following the seminar so they can sign up with you.
Actions before your Call To Action
Naturally, a call to action closing statement is only going to be effective if your seminar was effective. There are strategies you can implement throughout your seminar, making your closing statement that much more effective:
#1. Ask questions
Ten minutes is all it takes for an audience’s attention to drop to zero. Bring them back to life by interacting with them. Ask questions and incorporate them into your presentation. This also lets the crowd know that you are not on auto-pilot.
#2. Include stories
As important as facts and figures are, nothing gets a crowds attention more than a juicy story, particularly one from your very own life. Stories captivate people, and it also makes you more authentic in their eyes. Your story gets them to see what is behind the attorney suit and title, and it helps them connect with you on a more emotional level.
#3. Use humor
Laughter may be the best medicine, but it can also be a great attention-grabber. Think back to a time when you were trying to concentrate on a speaker, but got lost in your own thoughts, only to be brought back to attention by the mere sound of laughter. Not only does the actual sound of laughter perk the ears, but it also makes the attendees more interested in what you have to say next.
Anything from a funny story from your own life, to something funny that is happening in the world that can tie into your presentation, will do.
The day after your seminar
Clear time out from your schedule the day after your seminar to send all of your attendees a thank-you note, whether through email or by regular mail. It will tell them that they were noticed and it may land you more consultations from people who were “on-the-fence” after your seminar.
Besides sending thank-you notes to everyone who attended, you also need to be setting up appointments with those who were interested but did not sign up immediately. The longer you wait, the less interested a potential client will be down the road, thus ending up with fewer appointments.
In Conclusion
After all is said and done, don’t make getting people to your seminar as your main focus.
Instead, shift that energy to your closing, how you will hook those in your audience. Let go of the concern of filling the room by hiring a reputable and dependable marketing team – like Bambiz. By hiring a marketing team, you are free to focus on the most important part of all: your closing.
These tips will help you continue to grow your practice during the holiday season, and beyond!
At Bambiz, we work with elder law and estate planning firms and have extensive experience in developing social media marketing strategies unique to your firm, location, and potential client base.
To learn more about how we can help grow your business using online marketing, schedule a free 15-minute call with us.
