This week I was talking to a female financial advisor who has been in the business for many years. We’ve been talking about how she gets referrals. I asked her to “notice” what she does that helps her get referrals. Suddenly, she remembered a series of events that were a great source of referrals before the market turbulence disrupted life. She and several other women advisors planned events for women clients with an emphasis on bringing a friend. The events were varied but had these things in common:
- Intimate – always a small group of invited guests
- Interesting – varied topics from fun to informational but always of high interest for the guests
- Integrated – events highlight a connection, hobby or profession of a client
- Inclusive – include active involvement of the guests
For example, one event took place at a local museum. A small group of guests (intimate) were treated to a special tour (active/inclusive) of a high profile exhibit (interesting) using the connection one of the client’s had to this museum (integrated). Everyone involved felt special. The client who was the museum supporter got to highlight a favorite interest and felt valued for supporting the event and the museum. The other guests got a fun and interesting outing that was unique and meaningful because of the personal connection to the museum. Simply brilliant!
I mentioned that she had created events that were perfectly tuned to successfully reaching prospects and asked her how she knew to do this. She was delightfully candid saying something along the lines of “It’s not rocket science! Of course I want to create an event that includes everyone and makes them feel special” Yes – exactly, guests like to feel special and included – no big surprise there!
We finished our coaching session with both of us really pumped! My client was determined to get these events rolling again – ASAP. I was thrilled for my client’s future success and to find that my research data was once again, totally spot on.
Fact of the day:
Women clients (and I believe most people) want to be involved and engaged in events that are personal and relevant. This advisor intuitively created the absolutely perfect setting for reaching women prospects. No big surprise that these events have been highly successful in generating referrals.
Tip of the day:
Past client prospecting events have focused too much on the providing an impressive show of status or expertise. Typically, they are sizable events in a fancy setting with an expert speaker who explains “the market” with lots of charts and graphs. This often leaves guests completely mesmerized by the data dump and awed by the surroundings – but not engaged. People are way too busy to show up to something that has little personal meaning or interest. If they do show up they may leave feeling impressed – but not special. In fact, old-style events highlight the specialness of the host and speaker – not the guests. If you want to engage your prospects stop putting on a show, instead design an event that makes the guests feel included and even special. Let me know how it works out. Send me your stories. I am always eager for “live on the street” examples.
