Introduction to Conversational Frenchcdn3.reincanada.com/files/REIN-Speak-Real-Estate-Seminar Guide.pdf · Throughout this guide, youʼll ﬁnd valuable tips and insights on how to

Introduction to Conversational French

PLANLIFE

RICH

RICHARD DOLAN

EXECUTING PERFECT

SEMINARS

2012

The benefits of holding a seminar Financial seminars are a great way for Professionals to garner new prospects and build business. By gathering a group of sought-after prospects and clients in a friendly, relaxed setting, you can create a unique opportunity to educate and inspire them on the new realm of real estate ownership and a new conversation about money.

Position yourself for success Presenting a successful seminar positions you as a valuable source of useful and objective insight. It also underscores your commitment to both educating your clients and building a relationship with them. Your knowledge and expertise can also be reassuring and help make potential clients feel more at ease with new ownership concepts and opportunities.

Invest in your practice A seminar or series of seminars can be a very effective marketing tactic, providing you with the opportunity to communicate with your clients and prospects. But successful seminars require an investment of time, money, and human resources. That’s because it takes an infusion of resources to thoroughly plan an event and ensure that it runs smoothly.

A proven formula for results Throughout this guide, you’ll find valuable tips and insights on how to plan, host, and follow-up on a successful seminar. You will learn how to choose a topic that draws and holds an audience, how to target the right audience and implement the logistics, and how to employ successful follow-up techniques that may increase your client base. So, review these steps and start planning your perfect seminar today.

REIN Speak Real Estate Seminar Guidethe perfect strategy

The Perfect Strategy. 1

2012

The Perfect Start Setting your objectives The more focused you are from the start, the more effective your seminar will be. Make sure to first identify a measurable primary seminar objective, and then identify secondary qualitative ones. Some solid objectives might include: • Selling additional products/services to existing clients • Attracting and educating qualified or new prospects • Enhancing the firm’s image within the community and promoting its investment enterprise • Retaining current clients and educating them about a specific topic

Selling a topic One of the key elements in planning a successful seminar is choosing a relevant topic ‒ one that is of value to your audience. Some topic suggestions include: • Real Estate • Fractional Ownership • Multiple Vacation Property Ownership • Lifestyle centric Investments • Multi-generational investments made to last

Empowering your team By using a team approach and getting colleagues to help with mailings, phone calls, and all other contact efforts, you will be well on your way to hosting a seminar to remember.

Assign tasks to your team members well in advance. Make sure the entire team understands the seminar’s objectives and topics and can comfortably share that information with invitees.



2012

Considering your speakers You should always consider yourself, the host of the event, the emcee. Your role is to introduce in a thorough and effective manner your featured speaker. Participants at the event will have their listening set up according to the introduction. The more powerful an introduction, the more credibility and authority the featured speaker will capture from the start.

Contact The Land Treasury for featured speakers on the topics listed earlier.

Preparing a budget Create a list of all possible expenses and make sure that your figures are comprehensive and accurate. For example, the hotel or other venue may not have included all of the appropriate taxes and service fees in its initial estimate. To prevent oversights, be sure to ask suppliers detailed questions, and review contracts carefully. Also, be sure to get competitive bids from suppliers, with all costs specified in writing. These contracts will prove valuable in controlling costs and negotiating prices.

Pre-seminar packages If you’re going to send out pre-seminar packages, make the effort to do it well. A comprehensive, orderly package will go a long way toward re-affirming your professionalism. And we all know what happens to those packages that are unprofessional or too complicated to deal with. This is your one chance to make a good first impression. A pre-seminar package will set expectations for what will be covered at the seminar so that your audience can better prepare for questions and comments. Be sure to include information listing your credentials, the products and services you offer, as well as the history of your firm.

Determining your format Laptop or slide projector? Video or flip chart? Whiteboard or chalkboard? Document camera or overhead projector? Among your first presentation decisions is the choice of medium for delivering visual aids. What you use will depend on: 1) your comfort level with technology 2) the venue for the presentation 3) the audience size.

Do a little research beforehand and find what works best for you. Often the location’s facility manager can offer insight into which medium works best for a particular room.



2012

The Perfect Audience Matching your topic to your audience Any audience is wary of being “sold to” and will need assurances that the seminar will be worthwhile. That’s why selecting the right topic for the right audience is critical to the success of your seminar.

For example, a seminar on fractional real estate ownership targeting high net-worth, sophisticated, mature investors might focus on specific areas their demographic is known to vacation to, rather than provide a general introduction to the importance of owning fractional real estate. Targeting your audience By bringing together individuals according to similar characteristics, you can develop an invitation list that is focused ‒ and more likely to achieve your desired results. To do this, start with a profile of your target audience, and then categorize potential attendees by demographics such as: • Age • Income • Level of investment sophistication • Net worth • Profession • Geographic area

Many groups and associations have regular meetings and welcome the opportunity to have topical presentations given by an experienced speaker. Examples of groups that would be good candidates include:

• Real Estate agents, Mortgage Brokers • Accountants, Tax Preparers • Insurance Agents and Financial Planners • Corporate retirees at large corporations (e.g. RRIF owners) • Fraternal associations (e.g. Rotarians) • Professional practices (e.g. doctors, lawyers, teachers)



2012

Invite your best clients Always invite clients to any seminar that you are offering. You’ll be most comfortable speaking with them, and they may learn about services of which they weren’t aware. Satisfied clients may also promote you to prospects in the course of small talk at the event.

Set attendance levels Set attendance targets after carefully qualifying invitees. Remember that the more specialized and complex the topic, the fewer guests you may attract. Fewer attendees can give you more time to build relationships one-on-one, so keep your audience close to 40 participants to allow for a more intimate, relaxed setting.

The 40 Percent Rule A good rule of thumb to remember is the 40 percent rule. If you have 100 registered attendees; typically 40 will actually attend the seminar.



2012

The Perfect Time Timing is everything The time, date, and location of your seminar can have a powerful impact on attendance. Some things to consider when planning a time to hold your seminar include: • National, religious, or ethnic holidays • Television programming • Sporting events • Weather

Unless you’re specifically targeting resort communities, it’s a good idea to avoid the summer months and most of December when personal schedules tend to be at their fullest. The best times to schedule your seminar are: • Mid-week evenings ‒ the most convenient overall • Luncheons • Early mornings (i.e. breakfast seminars) are most effective with professionals



2012

The Perfect Location Choosing a location Identify the needs of your audience and locate a few different sites that can handle your requirements. The facility should have a greeting area for attendees as well as comfortable seating.

Naturally, the meeting room should be located in a safe and accessible area. Restaurants and libraries often make ideal, and reasonably priced, locations. Other possible sites include: • Hotel meeting rooms • Civic centers • Corporate conference centers • Country or social clubs • Professional associates’ offices • Meeting halls • Universities or colleges

Other considerations when choosing a location include: • Location is easy to find and safely accessible at night • Available parking • The room will comfortably seat your group • The room can accommodate audio-visual equipment

(slide projectors, screen, microphone, etc.) • The room is quiet, clean, and comfortable • Public or house telephones are in good repair and are close by • Washrooms are close by • Coat check for winter months



2012

Catering If you plan on serving food or beverages, work with a caterer or the catering department of your meeting facility to plan every detail. As soon as you have committed to the event’s date, time, and location, ask for a written confirmation of your order and call to double-check on the details the day before the event.

As a final precaution, review your schedule with the venue’s food and beverage service one hour or so before the meeting begins. This will ensure that the food quality and service won’t suffer during your event. At the end of the event, carefully review all charges with the catering department. If you are responsible for giving the seminar presentation, you probably have enough on your mind so you might want to delegate this task to one of your team members.

Murphy’s Law If something can go wrong, it will. That’s why it makes sense to have a contingency plan in case the speakers fail to show up or equipment does not function. Also, make sure you know how to contact the facility manager in case of an emergency before, during, and after the seminar.



2012

The Perfect Promotion 8 Points of Contact Works Eight points of contact driven in various ways reminds, pierces through and gets to your prospect/client. We are all busy and bombarded with opportunities. To cut through the clutter, and to communicate how important their attendance is; invite, invite, invite and invite some more.

Make your first personal phone call to all prospects four weeks prior to the seminar. Send out a confirmation mailing announcing your seminar following the first phone call. Two weeks later, call all prospects again to talk about your featured topic and discuss the upcoming seminar. Encourage them to bring family members or friends. Make your final reminder call the day of the seminar.

Invitations If you’re sending out invitations with an RSVP, you’ll want to make sure they reach your clients approximately four weeks prior to your event. Invitations should clearly communicate the benefits of attending the seminar. When you personalize invitations with a short note or greeting, the client will appreciate the extra time you took to encourage their attendance.

Advertising To effectively advertise your event, make sure you run your announcement several weeks prior to the event. When placing advertising, turn to local newspapers, trade papers, company or organization newsletters, or any other publications that might be read by your target audience. Include the time, location, and a phone number for reservations and information.

Premiums Consider giving away a premium or gift. It will help keep you and your services top-of-mind with your guests long after the seminar is over.

Collateral materials Collateral materials such as tapes, books, and brochures always add that extra bit of value for your audience. Hard copy hand-outs of the presentation also allow clients to read along with the seminar, make important notes, and re-read information later. For additional resources that may be available to you, talk to The Land Treasury.



2012

The Perfect Preparation Practice makes perfect Practice your presentation so it comes naturally. Your presentation will run more smoothly the more familiar you are with your material.

Readability counts Audio-visual materials are so important to a seminar’s success. In fact, research shows that visual aids can increase retention by as much as 50%. Make sure that the equipment is working and that you know how to use it through practice before the meeting begins. Also, make sure that the screen size is proportionate to the room size. You know you’ve lost your audience when you say, “You can’t read this slide. But trust me, there’s some good information here.” Make sure your audience can see exactly what you’re presenting on screen. Do some pre-testing by standing at the back of the room.

Setting up the meeting room Meeting rooms come in all shapes and sizes. Make sure that you carefully look over the room that you are considering for any obstacles such as posts, low ceilings, or odd shapes. You want everyone attending to have a great view, so consider non-traditional seating configurations like a horseshoe. This will increase the attendee’s comfort and ability to view the presentation.

Also, be aware during your room check of any possible distractions, such as heating or air conditioning noises. If you’re using a hotel meeting room, know how to contact the appropriate maintenance personnel to correct any problems immediately.

Have guest speakers arrive early Plan to have guest speakers arrive 45 minutes early so that you have more time to make last minute program changes should someone decide to cancel. Now is also a good time to make sure your introduction for your guest speaker is appropriate and accurate.



2012

The Perfect Host Meet and greet your guests Ask guests to sign in and give them pre-printed name tags so you can address them by name. They will appreciate the personal approach and be more receptive to your presentation. Ask them to put their business cards in a drum for a door prize ‒ this will provide names for follow-up.

Allow for some mingling time Give guests adequate time to mingle and have some refreshments. It’s a great way to foster conversation and share ideas. Keep in mind that you don’t want guests to wait too long, or they’ll become impatient.

Make sure everyone is comfortable You’ll lose your audience’s attention quickly if they’re too hot, too cold, or fidgeting in uncomfortable chairs. If needed, make arrangements for someone to collect attendees’ coats, hats, umbrellas, and other personal items.

Look for common ground When mingling, look for similarities between your life and the lives of your prospects. The more you have in common, the better chance you’ll have of building trust, confidence, and a long-term relationship. Be open Invite your prospects to inquire and come to know as much about you as possible. Trust, confidence, and comfort make up 60 percent of the prospect’s decision.



2012

The Perfect Presentation Start on time When you begin your seminar on time, your guests will be impressed with your professionalism. They will also realize that you respect their time.

Presentation length Forty-five minutes to an hour is an appropriate amount of time to cover most topics. Then allow for another 15-minutes or so for your Q&A. And don’t be afraid to keep your speakers on track in your role as moderator.

Open with impact Involve your audience and grab their attention with a creative opening or thought-provoking question. Engaging your audience within the first few seconds sets the tone and generates interest. Outline professional experience Don’t assume your prospects know the extent of your credentials. Clearly state your professional experience, designations, and work ethic. The same holds true when introducing your guest speakers. When talking about your company’s profile, emphasize size and scope, infrastructure and resources available to clients, and other positive aspects of your firm.

Audience participation Involve your audience in your presentation. Ask rhetorical questions to get them thinking; e.g. “Do you realize that you may have twenty-years or more of retirement to plan for? How will you fund it?”

Talk to your audience, not your visuals Always turn to your audience when speaking. This basic premise can be put into practice by remembering the phrase, “Touch-Turn-Talk.” First, touch. Write or point to a reference on your visual. Next, turn. Move your body so you’re facing the audience. Then talk about the point being made.



2012

Keep the energy level high Speak emphatically. Move around. Use your hands. Use pauses to emphasize points. Keep your audience interested, mildly entertained, and speak confidently. If your presentation is monotone, and you look as though you rather be home in bed, be prepared to watch your audience adopt the same energy level.

Don’t lecture and don’t sell There’s nothing worse than going through an important presentation as though it were a lecture instead of an interactive discussion. You want to interact with your prospects, not just pitch them. They are there to get perspective. Don’t cheat them by reciting a commercial.

Keep it simple Don’t make your presentation overly complicated. You might lose your audience. And whatever you do, never assume knowledge. If you give an acronym, follow up with a definition. If you mention the name of a person, give their title and affiliation. And keep inside jokes to a minimum.

When someone interrupts At the start of the seminar, establish whether or not you will take questions. If someone interrupts to ask a question during the presentation, don’t go off on a tangent to answer it. Instead, answer it by working it into your presentation or politely defer it to the Q&A after the presentation.

Use analogies, anecdotes, statistics, and real world examples Tell a story and, if possible, personalize the information to your audience. Good seminars are a series of problems and solutions that keep your audience on the edge of their seats.

Try clarifying and explaining key points with examples, statistics, or a creative and simple analogy. This technique creates mental pictures that will have an impact on your audience and help them relate and remember your point.



2012

The Perfect Q&A Opening up the floor To get things going, you might want to plant team members or a few clients with five or six questions. You should also repeat a question before giving your answer, so that the entire audience can hear it.

Question Cards It’s sometimes a good idea to provide and have guests fill out question cards before the seminar begins. This way, questions can be screened, ensuring that only the questions that appeal to the general audience are answered.

Avoid giving specific advice If a client or prospect asks a question relating specifically to their portfolio or situation, you may want to suggest meeting after the seminar. This will avoid a Q&A session that is just a discussion on tactics.

Respect your audience If someone has a different viewpoint from yours, disagree without becoming disagreeable. Diplomacy is essential. Never ridicule a questioner, even under extreme provocation ‒ this will only turn the audience against you.

That’s a wrap Conclude your presentation by telling your audience that you will call them after the seminar, then ask them if they would be kind enough to fill out the evaluation form. Also, have the appropriate educational/promotional literature ‒ as well as business cards, including website and email addresses ‒ available for guests as they leave.



2012

The Perfect Follow-Up Don’t lose them Numerous studies have shown that if there is no post-seminar contact within 48 hours, the impact of the program is lost. Remember that you have invested time and money in the seminar in order to attract new prospects or target existing customers to promote additional services. To achieve these objectives, it’s important to follow up.

Contact all attendees Call or write a day or two after the seminar. Thank them for coming and, if possible, schedule an appointment to cover your topic in greater detail and on a personal level.

Call no-shows Since they had shown interest in attending, offer to meet them to provide a summary of the seminar. Or offer to send them a copy of the materials distributed during the presentation.

Contact prospects who were unable to attend Call or write to schedule an appointment for a free one on one presentation, or news of an upcoming seminar.

Ask for referrals from attendees You can do this without appearing too aggressive because you are offering the friends or associates of your attendee’s valuable information by inviting them to your next event. Simply ask clients and prospects who attend your seminar if they know of anyone else who would benefit from another program like it. In other words, ask and you’ll probably receive.

Review, review, review Review evaluations forms. Use recommendations to hone your skills for future seminars.

A Final Word Seminars are an excellent way to build, solidify, and grow client relationships. But relationships take time. Therefore, be persistent, but be patient. Prospects may attend a number of seminars before they become clients. Remember that future seminars will offer you additional opportunities to meet each prospect’s individual needs, and keep you and your services top-of-mind.



Documents

Introduction to Conversational Frenchcdn3.reincanada.com/files/REIN-Speak-Real-Estate-Seminar Guide.pdf · Throughout this guide, youʼll ﬁnd valuable tips and insights on how to