For over 10 years now, many estate planning attorneys nationwide that have used highly targeted direct mail to promote their seminars have realized it is a very effective and profitable way to approach and actually get in front (face to face) with that very sought-after, but guarded, 55+ year old audience. Millions of individuals in that age range have financial resources and assets that they need to protect, but many of them are skeptical, they procrastinate and need more education in order to take action. Something has to come along that grabs their attention, causing them to take the next step and finally seek guidance.
That is why seminar events work so well for your industry. It is that vehicle that allows thousands of concerned prospects to feel at ease by attending a non-obligation, non-pitch presentation where they can sit back, listen, learn and decide if you are the right person to give them advice. It’s also a non-threatening setting where they see many folks just like them in that room sharing the same financial concerns. Psychologically, that in itself validates their decision to attend… safety in numbers now come into play. They are motivated and are looking for solutions by the time they get to your event. It’s now your job to get them to like you, trust you and want to meet with you privately about their personal affairs. You have to connect with them at your event in order to pass to the next level (a meeting at your office). If you do a good job you should be booking around 40% appointments from the attendees in that room. Anything higher than that means that you are hitting the “sweet spot” with your presentation, take a bow if you are!
Now, it is to your advantage that you understand how important it is to also “brand yourself” in your mailings by creating an invitation that promotes you and your law firm to thousands of qualified households that for some reason or another did not respond to your event… yet. I say yet because many individuals need to see something more than once to finally agree to attend your seminars, they are called “impressions” in the marketing world. The more impressions, the more interest and the more prospects you will generate. So why not do that with the 98% to 99% that did not respond but are receiving and seeing your invitations? Well, there is an answer and it has been tested. We call it the “Billboard Invitation”. Using the latest print and personalization technology we are able to put an image of you, your logo and a background of your city’s skyline directly on the envelope. This will allow you to create thousands and thousands of those valuable “impressions” that I mentioned earlier every time you mail a campaign in your area… see samples below.
You will also gain recognition which is another added feature that will help you promote you and your brand locally. You will be top of mind when they decide to take action. I have always said…” You have to be in front of them and in their mind when they are ready to buy, not when you are ready to sell “. Using this new design approach, you can now accomplish that.
Response from those that procrastinate will take longer, but their interest and attention will heighten as they receive your next invitations. It’s more about timing in marketing and you have to stand above your competition by staying in front of your market faster and more frequently. That’s the simple numbers game that top producers utilize as a strategy in different industries. He or she who markets smarter and more frequently wins.
Marketing is a science and unlike many other forms of marketing it’s all trackable when you use targeted direct mail as the medium. Response data allows us to get smarter about messaging, packaging and offers. The audience will tell you when your offer or value proposition is good or bad by their response. Mailing lists are more accurate than ever because millions of people are voluntarily inputting their information online via social media outlets and hundreds of shopping sites of all types. You can pinpoint the people that fit the most ideal profile that you want as a client. New client acquisition becomes easier when you find a scalable and repeatable process that will bring you a continuous flow of motivated prospects. That’s the purpose of marketing, to create an engine or funnels that fill your appointment book with enough possibilities every month. That is what you can do the fastest to affect your income and growth… dial-it up as you wish but you have to get out there and compete. Millions are waiting for reasons to buy products or services and you can be the conduit that pushes them to take that next step. What I am sharing with you in this article has been working for 24 years now in over 567, 000 campaigns in 4 different industries. Make your marketing decisions based on valuable data, no need to reinvent the wheel.
You’ll never look back once you figure out how the formulas work. They are available for you to execute your growth and revenue plans. It’s up to you to commit to an investment that pays off on the back-end while you are promoting your business by continually being in front of thousands of potential clients every time you mail. Can your competition say that? I will tell you from vast experience in your industry, the majority of estate planning attorneys will never catch on and use this approach…so ssshhhh! Let’s keep it between us 😉
Jorge Villar is the President and Founder of RME360, a $24 million-dollar marketing powerhouse. With more than 26 years of direct marketing experience, he is known in several industries for his ability to create campaigns that garner the highest response rates. He is the innovator of the National Seminar Success program that for the last 17 years has accounted for more than 65% of the seminar events being held nationwide, with over 17 million attendees. Mr. Villar has also been very successful marketing to physicians and business owners regarding Succession Planning and Asset Protection. RME360’s marketing programs are presently being utilized by over 10,000 clients, including: top producing financial advisors, estate planning attorneys, large financial organizations, health care organizations, franchises, universities and many other industries. Mr. Villar is a frequent key note speaker at national financial symposium and marketing training conferences.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
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