| Events: | | | | These events offer clients additional information on |
| - Add value to client relationships. | | | | and insight into topics related to your field of |
| - Provide the opportunity to meet prospective clients | | | | expertise. |
| in a non-threatening setting. | | | | While for many professionals, educational events |
| - Allow clients to introduce you to people they know. | | | | make up their entire event schedule, we recommend |
| - Create consistency and congruency. | | | | that no more than 40% of your events be |
| - Ensure your clients feel as though they belong to | | | | educational. For the most part, clients rely on their |
| an exclusive club. | | | | professionals to "deal with the specialized side of |
| An annual schedule should include three distinct types | | | | things," so too many educational events can be |
| of events: | | | | counter-productive. That said, your clients and |
| - Value-Added Events | | | | prospective clients will still appreciate educational |
| - Educational Events | | | | events about topics they are interested in. To ensure |
| - Lifestyle Events | | | | the success of such events, survey your clients and |
| Value-Added Events | | | | prospective clients to determine what topics they |
| A value-added event enhances your client | | | | would like to learn more about. |
| relationships. There are two distinct styles: the mass | | | | Appropriate material must be coupled with strong |
| value-added event and the focused value-added | | | | promotion. Create an interesting title for the |
| event. Some professionals present only one type; | | | | workshop to grab attention. A catchy title and |
| others offer a combination of both. At minimum you | | | | attention-grabbing subject matter will encourage your |
| should host one focused value-added event a year. | | | | clients and their guests to attend. |
| Mass Value-Added Event | | | | Finally, remember Rule #1. Never promote a |
| This type of event is planned for a large number of | | | | "seminar." Seminars have a bad connotation. Instead |
| attendees at a low cost per head, allowing you to | | | | use terms like "symposium" or "workshop." |
| reach more clients for a reasonable cost. You can | | | | Perception is everything. |
| offer these events to most classes of clients. | | | | Lifestyle Events |
| Some ideas for a mass value-added event include: | | | | Lifestyle events are the best part of an event series |
| - a screening of a new release film | | | | for many professionals and clients, because they |
| - a summer B-B-Q in the park that includes face | | | | cater to the personal interests of clients and people |
| painting and clowns for the kids | | | | they know. |
| - a day at the baseball park with tickets for a hotdog | | | | Clients are typically more disposed to bringing |
| and drink ticket | | | | someone they know to a Lifestyle event. As a |
| Focused Value-Added Event | | | | result, it is the best opportunity for you to be |
| This type of event reminds your top clients that | | | | introduced to the people whom your clients |
| they belong to an exclusive group. These events are | | | | recommend. |
| designed for a small group of your best clients, and | | | | Lifestyle events can be a key component of your |
| can involve a high cost per head (though the quality | | | | event series. However, we recommend that you |
| and appeal of the event itself matters more than its | | | | consider making these types of events no more than |
| cost). The benefit to this approach is to have a more | | | | 80% of your Event series content. And be sure to |
| intimate gathering that allows meaningful interaction | | | | offer events that your clients are interested in. Use |
| with each participant. This type of event would be | | | | FORM information and/or survey your clients to |
| offered to either all AAA clients or a select group of | | | | determine what types of lifestyle events will interest |
| AAA clients who have been actively promoting you | | | | them. This way, you know that your event will be |
| to people they know. | | | | well-attended, and that your clients will likely bring |
| A focused value-added event could involve: | | | | friends or family - prospective clients - to the event. |
| - an afternoon at the race track | | | | Appropriate material must be coupled with great |
| - an exclusive annual dinner or a dinner cruise | | | | promotion. So you may want to promote a Spring |
| - a night at the theater a high-end wine tasting and | | | | Golf Tune-Up as opposed to Golf Clinic, or try a |
| or guided winery tour | | | | Green Thumb Gardening Workshop instead of a |
| - a tour of the local Christmas lights | | | | Gardening Workshop. |
| Educational Events | | | | |