To attract more high-net-worth women to your practice and accelerate the flow of referrals, a financial advisor must host seminars or events. Women thrive in a community setting, crave interaction and communication, and are hungry for education. Seminars address each of these characteristics in one fell swoop. Now don’t get crazy. I’m not saying that you have to host seminars every month to attract women. I’m not even saying you have to make it a big expensive ordeal. I am saying that if you want to really provide women what they want and expand your practice at a more rapid pace, you need to incorporate some type of seminar program into your practice.
But here is the kicker; you can’t keep doing events the way you have been taught.
Most presentations available today still reflect the old boy approach, warrior style presentation, and a message which is often downright BORING for women. Like everything else in the financial services industry, men created seminars to help male advisors attract male clients, which is not exactly the perfect foundation for an effective woman’s event. While firms are trying to create a more relevant message addressing issues more conducive to women, they tend to reinforce the typical linear style of presenting, “I talk, and you listen.” As a busy woman, I find nothing more annoying than attending a presentation, and everything the person is saying is on the PowerPoint, mail me the notes and save me the time.
Seminars for women are all about an opportunity to build a relationship faster, not sell a product. A seminar must show the woman that you not only care about what is important to her, but you GET her. An investing 101, eggs in a basket, what is a mutual fund, full-on PowerPoint presentation does little to build rapport, and frankly, this approach creates way too much work for the financial advisor.
To get results in your women’s seminar program, you must focus on two essential factors in order to succeed:
1. The message must be about HER; Start with a presentation that says NOTHING about investing. Focus on issues that women experience, and they will begin bonding with you for life. When you start with their issues, you build credibility faster. When presenting a message about woman’s experiences and challenges, you will learn more about them than they learned from you. This is your best success indicator. Once they realize you care about them, they will be more inclined to attend future events and share your message with their entire Facebook network. Now that’s what we’re talking about!
2. The presentation must be interactive; How you present the message can make or break your program. It’s not about you or showing how much you know (a typical warrior approach). In a seminar for women, you want them to do most of the talking. In most cases, a PowerPoint isn’t even needed. Less power point means more interaction, which ends up creating an experience. This is what women love. When you create an environment where women feel safe, they will begin sharing information with you and with each other. They will learn from each other as you guide them. The keyword here is “GUIDE,” the women to a more holistic understanding of how their financial affairs impact their life.
I realize these two concepts may seem a bit challenging, especially for male advisors, but that’s because you have never been exposed to a different, more personable way of hosting events. I promise you this when you try it once, you will never go back to the old ways. By transforming your presentation to one that attracts and creates an experience for women, you will have more fun, spend less, and get much better results. An excellent seminar program can open the door to new relationships, a new image, and a more consistent flow of new clients and referrals.
Want to learn more? Check out our Savy Women Presentation that Wows Women. This one seminar can transform your practice overnight.
