Because perception is everything, you need to fill the space. Start your Safe Money Seminar without any chairs or tables in the room. Those who show up will be hesitant to ask if they were right. It is important to use RSVPs to gauge attendance. You will get 30 people to show up if you have 40 RSVPs. Set the room up for 20-25 people. You will send a better message if you need to set up additional tables or chairs to accommodate the excess. Your perception of standing room only is “Standing Room Only”. However, empty seats in a meeting are just plain stupid.
The right restaurant can help you fill your seminar space with retirement planning information. An Olive Garden-style restaurant is a safe choice. Avoid Chinese and Mexican food as well as pizza joints. Limit your dinner options to one: a salad and a single main dish. A pasta and chicken plate is a great choice. At each place setting, add a glass of icewater. This is it. No iced tea, Coca Cola or iced coffee. Do not give out menus and limit the involvement of waitresses to serving the food.
Consider stopping by many options around 4:30 in the afternoon when you are looking for a restaurant. It is a sign that Seniors like the restaurant and are familiar with it. Make sure you get a higher-quality entree than the usual early bird special.
Remember that Safe Money Seminars are not teaching events. They are not sales events. It’s a social event! Once you have filled the room, don’t put it up as a classroom or horseshoe. The room should be set up in the same way as people would in a restaurant: 2 to 4 tables at most. Don’t assume they are coming to see you. They’re looking for your food. You’re not the dinner show. If you want people to make that important appointment, they must (a) like and (b) respect your personality. You’ve spent so much effort setting the stage. Now, get out there and demonstrate your star power to them!
Direct mail invitations are the most effective way to advertise in a room. Direct mail can be used to target specific demographics. There are many ways to sort your mailing list, but the most important factors are age (60+) and address (within 5 mile of your restaurant or your office). The wedding invitations are elegant and only 75C each. Simple post card invitations are available for around 30C/ each. They often end up in refrigerator magnets as a future reference. Surprisingly both post card and wedding invitations work the same. Post cards can be sent in approximately two-thirds of the amount for the same amount.
Your mailings will get a response rate of between 0.7% and 1.5%. You can expect 75 to 100 RSVPs if you mail 10,000 pieces. Of these, 50 to 70 people will attend your seminars. The room will be filled with between 25 and 35 people per night. This keeps the space intimate and allows you to get up close and personal.
You can also increase your response rate by adding emotional appeal to the invitation’s title. Which headline grabs your attention more? You’re invited to our safe money seminar. (a) Or, (b). “Five serious mistakes that wipe out retirement savings, and simple ways to avoid them.” Answer: A few people will attend a Safe Money Seminar. Because it isn’t an emotional draw, we don’t include the seminar’s name on the invitation. Once the people have settled in, we stop trying to tease them and instead reward them. “Ladies, gentlemen, welcome at our Safe Money Seminar,” will now be music to their ears. People act on emotion and justify their actions using logic.
Seminar business is about setting up enough appointments and working the numbers so that, if any of your prospects cancel (which is likely), you will get an unexpected but necessary break between pre-sold prospects. Keep your eyes on what’s important: This is a career goal that can lead to seven figures each year. Set the stage, fill the room, and make a million.
