title: Group Presentations & Seminars description: [AFW S.8.9] Securities Prospecting Method #9 published: true date: 2026-06-30T08:09:23.365Z tags: editor: markdown dateCreated: 2021-06-18T00:21:46.846Z

"Talkers have always ruled. They will continue to rule. The smart thing is to join them." -Bruce Barton

"A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt: long enough to cover the subject, and short enough to create interest." -Winston Churchill

"If I went to college again… I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively." -Gerald Ford

"Seminars are not some kind of miracle cure for the terminally call-reluctant. Do this (group seminars) every three months for five years, building as you go, or don't do it at all." -Nick Murray

Read Steve Siebold's Secrets of the World Class #150 - Powerful Public Speakers PDF

Resources¶

Public Speaking books on our Goodreads group.
Toastmasters.

Nick's 13 Principles to Effective Seminars¶

Read Chapter 8, "Prospecting 4: Leveraging Up" from the book Serious Money by Nick Murray.

1¶

A seminar can have only one legitimate purpose: to cause people to wish to talk with you further — about the subject of the seminar or anything else that may be on their minds. Thus, the primary goal is neither to educate nor to convince, no matter how earnestly you may wish to do both. It is to encourage people to perceive and actively respond to your most authentic self. The content of your presentation must not be the seminar’s essential message. Instead, the messenger becomes the message.

2¶

The best seminars are essentially thought-provoking rather than densely instructive. Ideally they offer the audience new ways of thinking about important planning and investing issues, but they stop well short of providing all the specific answers. (The latter would just encourage the attendees to conclude, “Well, now I completely understand that issue, and can pursue it further on my own if I feel the need.”) The advisor must always be saying in so many words, “This is an issue which each of you must examine in terms of your own personal financial goals, and that’s what our next conversation should be about.”

3¶

The effective seminar has two distinct elements: a presentation by the advisor and a Q&A session. The second element is far more important than the first, in terms of the audience’s ability to gauge your sincerity, confidence and genuine mastery of your subject. Your authentic self is optimally on display in Q&A, much more so than in your presentation.

4¶

The seminar event mustn’t run longer than an hour, and you must promise the audience at the outset that it won’t. Your presentation should be between 20 and 25 minutes long. Shorter, and the attendees may reasonably wonder, “Did I drive all the way here for that?” Longer, and you’ve almost certainly lost control of your subject: you’re trying to provide more information than the topic demands (or the audience needs) in this one sitting. Worse, you’ve started answering questions no one has asked you yet (see below).

5¶

The presentation will have between one and three key points — never more than that, because three is the maximum number of important ideas any audience can absorb in 20 — 25 minutes, and the maximum to which you can do any real justice in that time. You may then use an additional five minutes — but no more — to summarize, and to remind the audience to set an appointment to discuss this issue (or these issues) with you in person.

6¶

Take exquisite care not to talk over the audience’s head. But even more desperately important, never talk down to them. Simplify, yes, but don’t patronize. The tone must always be: you and I are equally intelligent adults, discussing important ideas on the same level.

7¶

Q&A will ideally last the balance of the hour. Again, the more thought-provoking your presentation was, the more spirited the questions and objections should be; if you’re not getting enough questions/challenges to take you to the top of the hour, you’ve failed. Assuming Q&A is still going on at that point, you’ll remind the audience of your promise, and offer to speak as soon as tomorrow with anyone who didn’t get to ask his/her question, or has further questions. Q&A should not be allowed to peter out on its own; if you sense that it’s faltering, end it.

8¶

Slides/visuals are optional, not mandatory. Think consciously about whether and to what extent you want people to be looking at a screen instead of at you. If you use visuals, one per minute of your presentation is probably as much as the audience can absorb, and the most to which you can speak tellingly.

9¶

We speak intelligently to amplify our slides; we most particularly don’t turn away from the audience for the purpose of reading the slides to it. Doing so impeaches your authenticity; you start to look like you’re hiding behind the slides. It also runs the risk of insulting the audience’s intelligence. That is, the audience is perfectly capable of reading the slides if cares to. And if you’re not using more than about one per minute, they will have ample time to do so.

10¶

When you’re writing/designing your slides, think constantly of the people who’ll be sitting in the very last row of your audience. They must be able to read each slide without strain, and be readily able to grasp its importance. If you think there’s any chance they won’t be able to do that, you’d better rethink that slide.

11¶

Once you have drafted a set of slides that supports your presentation, immediately start looking for slides you can leave out. Edit yourself ruthlessly; you can be assured that an intelligent audience will do likewise. (“Why does he feel he has to labor this point so hard?”)

12¶

For heaven’s sake, remember to insert a few little snippets of genuine humor (ideally of the self-deprecating sort) into the presentation. Let the poor, beleaguered audience have a little fun. That you are a serious professional is a given, but appearing too serious is a confession of insecurity at best—and at worst a bore.

13¶

Don’t answer questions nobody’s asked you yet! If you’re presenting equities in retirement, of course you’re going to hear all sorts of anxiety about “volatility.” That’s what you want. It’s like a high, soft lob to your forehand in tennis: the easiest shot to put away. When people see how unruffled you are about temporary declines, maybe—just maybe—your confidence will become contagious! Once more, with feeling: the messenger becomes the message.

The Presentation(s)¶

There are number of presentations to choose from, depending upon your style, context and situation. In fact, you might decide to inter-mix elements from all available presntations. For all of our available presentations visit the Wiki page 1^st Visit Client Presentation.

Small Group Seminars¶

Watch Presenting Retirement Income Planning to a Group VIDEO

Nick Murray's Group Presentation¶

Read Nick's ATY 330 November 26 - The Seminar PDF

Read Nick's ATY 331 November 27 - 5 Points, 20 Minutes PDF

Read Nick's ATY 332 November 28 - A Word About Slides PDF

Read Nick's ATY 333 November 29 - Retirement Seminar 5 Points PDF

Read Nick's ATY 334 November 30 - If You Build It, They Will Come PDF

Read Nick's ATY 335 December 01 - You Are The Plan PDF

Read Nick's NMS 07 - A 4-minute statement of what we do PDF

Nick Murray's A Little Talk to Everyone Who Will Have Me¶

Read Nick's ATY 342 December 08 - A Little Talk to Any Group, Part 1 PDF

Read Nick's ATY 343 December 09 - A Little Talk to Any Group, Part 2 PDF

Nick Murray's Who I Am and What I Believe¶

Read Nick's ATY 344 December 10 - The Who I Am And What I Believe Seminar, Part 1 PDF

Read Nick's ATY 345 December 11 - The Who I Am And What I Believe Seminar, Part 2 PDF

Read Nick's ATY 346 December 12 - The Who I Am And What I Believe Seminar, Part 3 PDF

Read Nick's ATY 347 December 13 - The Who I Am And What I Believe Seminar, Part 4 PDF

Read Nick's ATY 348 December 14 - An Optional 11 Point PDF

Dinner Seminars¶

Many people in this business spend their whole careers giving 20 presentations to 1 couple at a time. The Dinner Seminar concept is giving 1 presentation to 20 couples at a time.

Advantages of a Dinner Seminar¶

Professionalism.
Non-threatening.
Don’t waste time with people who aren’t interested.
Response cards allow you to focus in on areas of concern to the client.
Follow-up is much more efficient.
Duplicable system for building a big business.
Easy to invite someone to a free dinner.
Fund companies will often sponsor these seminars.
Dinner Seminars put you in charge of your schedule!
Dinner Seminars allow a professional environment to present what we do. New associates have great credibility with their warm market but not financial services credibility. Allowing new associates to invite to dinner seminars maximizes both!

Preparation¶

Decide to do a Dinner seminar at least quarterly.
Select a date for the first two seminars and location 3 to 4 weeks out. The location should be a closed quiet room with room for up to 26 guests seated in a U shape or stadium layout.
3 weeks before submit package to the home office for approval to do a dinner seminar and it's associated material. The package should include (invitation, flyer, presentation to be used, materials to be handed out, date and location of seminar, list of speakers, email save the date, thank you notes and any form or communication you will use during before or after the seminar (Note: You need to send in all materials for approval EVEN if they are already approved for a prior Dinner Seminar and follow communication or advertising rules for the invitation depending on how many you are sending out. See compliance manual.)
2 Weeks Before and once the material and date/location are approved by complience, Mail or hand deliver invitations
Carry flyers around with you to invite qualified people you may run into or meet. Get their permission to mail them an invitation and add to list to invited and follow up.
1 Week Prior, Call every person you’ve invited and get commitments or interest in future dinner seminar date you scheduled. Send approved emails, notes, or postcards to those who’ve said “yes”
2 Days Prior Confirm guests attending
1 Day prior pick up the gifts for the raffle. At least 1 gift for every 10 guest is a good rule of thumb.
Day of Seminar Confirm any other guests.
At The Seminar Get there early, set up and lay out the gifts for display.
Make sure your guests sign in or you have a list of the attendees to submit to the home office.
Ask guest come in create a positive atmosphere
You end the seminar by collecting the questionnaires and doing the raffle. Then let the people go! Note: Some agents prefer to set up appointments at this time but if you have a lot of guest this may not be feasible. Our philosophy is to be easy going and no pressure. Instead of pressuring for a date to meet just ask what they liked the most and if it's ok to call and set up a time. Don't get into lengthy conversations. You will have 15 minutes at most with everyone there at the end. To determine how long you can speak with each guest after the seminar take 15 minutes and divide by the number of guests. Sometimes people offer a date either on the card or while talking to you. At that point feel free to set something up. These are your friends and acquaintances remember you WILL call them later. Remember you don't want them to feel like they just attended a timeshare presentation and are held hostage until they buy or die.

Afterwards Follow-Up¶

This is the most important part of the entire seminar process. Remember you don't get paid for doing seminars, onlt for what happens afterwards.

The NEXT DAY and rest of the week¶

CALL those that DID attend. "This is Karla from Beth Grady's office. Beth asked me to give you a call and ask how the webinar went. Is there any feedback as to how it could have been better?"
Reference their questionnaire
Remind them that “life gets in the way”
Set appointments and go over financial plan checklist
Confirm they will both be there
Write thank you notes for attending (remember they must be pre-approved depending on the quantity
send list of attendees, list of speakers materials used to present and handouts, thank you notes emails or anything else that you may need approved for follow up.

Two Days after Seminar¶

Call your no-shows and keep it positive:
Assure them you have no hard feelings. Just be sure they are ok and nothing bad kept them from attending.
Share how great the presentation was and how others liked it so much.
Tell them you were able to save a packet for them (be excited!)
Suggest getting together to go over it.
Schedule a time to do that and if they are not open to it INVITE them to the next seminar which you have already scheduled.
Call those that said they couldn’t attend but were interested and have them save the date for the next seminar.

Within One Week after Seminar¶

Do's¶

Call everyone that you invited within 48 hours of the seminar.
Follow-up with people that said they wanted a Needs Analysis until they meet with you or if you feel they are evading you just make it safe for them to say no. REMEMBER: A no is better then a maybe because you can move on and leave them alone to have a normal friendship with you.
Be professional throughout the whole process—don’t bad-mouth competitors.
Build to the next seminar—keep going.

Don't¶

Think the end of the seminar is the end of the project
Take the next day off
Sleep late the next day
Feel bad if you had a poor turnout
Think you can rest if you had a great turnout
Focus on those who swore, guaranteed and promised they’d attend, but didn’t
Depend totally on dinner seminars to build your business (this business is built knee cap to knee cap across the kitchen table.)
Give Up—keep going consistency IS THE KEY
As a new representative you want to MASTER the art of
Inviting Guests to Meetings