Knowing your Tribe is the single greatest factor when hosting a seminar.  Understanding who your tribal market is can be the single greatest factor in generating the results you want from your seminar. To develop a powerful seminar program you must commit to and totally embrace the concept of Tribal Marketing.

No, that wasn’t a typo. I have always been a big believer in “target” marketing and have always applied it in my many sales positions. In my coaching and training, however I have found most Financial Advisors highly resistant to the concept. Although intellectually they seem to recognize the value, agreeing to the concept and actually applying it seems to be a huge leap and a difficult stretch for most.

I was introduced to the concept of tribal marketing by Dave Logan and John King in their book Tribal Leadership. Where target marketing has evolved into an over-taught redundant concept, tribal marketing helps to bring the concept home. Tribal marketing helps us to embrace the importance of the “niche” concept and validates the need for its application.

So, what is tribal marketing?

Think of a tribe as a group of people who naturally gravitate to one another based on a commonality. It could be your status in life, your religion or beliefs. A tribe is a group of people with whom you feel comfortable, at ease, and accepted. This is the same feeling we are trying to create in your business.

If you prospect individuals that would naturally be a part of your tribe, the process becomes easier, almost effortless. The clients become more loyal than those you struggled to accept. When you can identify your tribe and your tribal market, you will naturally have a better understanding of the challenges they experience, the things that are important to them and the solutions that appeal to them.

So, why is this concept of tribal marketing so important when talking about seminars?

Probably the most common mistake of all seminars is they are not driven by the needs and interests of a tribal market. So much of the time, we focus on what we think our clients and prospects should be interested in, and not what they actually are interested in. Because of this attitude, many financial advisors have had less than successful events. If we can communicate our understanding of what is important to our market, we are better able to attract their attention and interest.

Before you host your next event be certain you have clearly defined your tribal market and that your topic, venue even invitations reflect the style and interests of your tribal market. Stay focused on your tribal market, their issues and concerns and you will naturally begin to attract more of your ideal clients.