Financial Seminars: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Letter or Postcard Invitation

    Allow us to offer some insight into the debate about which is a more effective for bringing prospects to financial seminars. Let us agree that it is of utmost importance to get your prospects to read your offer, and that both letters and postcards both work for seminar marketing. Letters may have an edge when it comes to overall sophistication of the delivery medium, but their disadvantage is that they must stimulate the prospect to open them and read further. Seminar postcards do not have this problem. An effective postcard will have an eye catching phrase written in large print which the holder can easily read and evaluate. Since both media have their respective advantages, let cost be the deciding factor of this debate and it becomes clear that postcard prospecting is much more efficient way of filling up financial seminars. Consider that a well known direct marketing company will charge over $.72 per parcel. Let's assume you wish to send 7,500 invitations to prospects in your area for an upcoming series retirement seminars. The cost to mail the letter would be over $5,400. Contrast that with the Seminar Innovations 7,500 piece postcard mailing price of $2,889 - and you are left with a savings of over $2,600! You would expect a program which charges twice the amount to reach the same number of prospects to be twice as effective, and this simply is not the case.

  2. To feed or not to feed

    Time and time again we get the question from advisors struggling with the issue of whether to feed their guests. The naysayers will proclaim that the room will be filled with "plate lickers" looking to cash in on a free meal. They are right in the sense that there will be some individuals who attend only to take advantage of your hospitality. The sooner that you accept this as a cost of doing business it, the sooner you will realize that for every plate licker, there is a legitimate prospect who was compelled to come and hear you speak BECAUSE of the free meal you are providing. The bottom line is that you will have many more qualified prospects in your audience by offering a meal than if you didn't offer one. The results of countless seminars bear this out. You do not have to spend a fortune, but remember the place you choose to conduct the event in will be either a positive or negative reflection on you.

  3. Which day of the week is best?

    Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday have been proven to be the most effective. Some self-proclaimed gurus will tell you that Saturday mornings are also effective, but the results just don't support this claim.

  4. Dinner, lunch or breakfast? Which is most effective in drawing a larger attendance?

    Dinners taking place at 6:00pm or 6:30pm typically draw the largest crowds, followed by lunch with breakfast being a distant third. However, depending on the targeted demographic, lunches or early dinners might be more appropriate. For example, if you are targeting small business owners, a power lunch from 11:30am -12:30pm that allows attendees to be in and out quickly will have a better draw that a dinner. If your target market is seniors and you are conducting a retirement seminar for folks in their 70's and older, an early dinner at, say, 4:00pm would be appropriate, as many seniors do not drive in the dark and retire early.

  5. What response rate can I expect?

    Most seminar prospectors will experience a return rate of about 1%. There is a typical range in which 95% of seminar prospectors will fall into. These are .5% on the low end to a high of over 2%. Response rates exceeding 2% are possible, but mainly occur when the event is held at a fine dining establishment such as Morton's or Maggianos. If you count on about a 1% response rate, you will see more prospects at your financial seminars than most advisors see in months or even a year.

  6. How important are the mailing lists?

    They are of extreme importance. We have a business relationship with a list compiler who provides the highest quality mailing lists in the country. Deliverability rates of over 96% are to be expected and usually are higher. Be wary of seminar marketing companies using only credit agency lists as their data can be inferior or old.

  7. How long does the process take?

    Typically you can schedule your seminar for 3 1/2 - 4 weeks from the time your order is placed. This assumes that you approve the invitation quickly and receive compliance approval if necessary.

  8. Do you use first class mail?

    Yes we do, and this is of utmost importance. Consider that first-class mail is typically delivered in 1-3 business days. Standard mail (formerly second-class mail) delivery can take up to 12 business days. This means that the Post Office will treat your mail like the second-class freight that it is. There have been plenty of documented cases of postal workers dumping second-class mail in the garbage. Don't take chances with you financial seminars by using bulk mail. First class mail is well worth the investment. You might be surprised to know what popular seminar marketing company is using second class mail. Ask them.

  9. Do you have a guarantee on the turnout?

    We do not guarantee the turnout, however, consider that effective direct mail that generates prospects is easy when you break it down into its simplest form.

    • A compelling offer: Dinner at a nice restaurant coupled with an informative presentation which provides information that can alleviate a prospect's concern.
    • Quality delivery medium: Our mailers are elegantly designed by professionals with an emotionally appealing message designed to get results.
    • Highest quality mailing list ensures that the right people hear your message.