Jul 09, 2018 by - Michael Hellickson

Cashing In On Client Events

A well-marketed client appreciation event is a great way to engage with your clients not only during the event, but before and after!

When done properly, client events can be a great strategy in building your referral pipeline for years to come!

These events are extremely important because they provide you with an opportunity to connect with your clients in a meaningful way, that is not self-serving and has no direct benefits to yourself. Remember, the client is always wondering: WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

This is not the time to provide a seminar of any kind, but rather a fun and enjoyable experience. No event should cost you your savings, either. A Club Wealth Coaching client held a $250 happy hour event and walked away with 5 transactions!

Client events are not about the event itself, but rather the opportunity to make connections. A simple barbecue, s’mores on the beach or a movie in the park for a small number of people with the appropriate music goes a long way in building relationships.

The whole point of an event is to show your clients you care about them, that you value them.

One thing to remember is hosting an event does not meant working the event—you should enjoy yourself, too!

I’d recommend at least four events per year – one per quarter. When spaced out properly, it ensures that you have good solid contact with your clients, especially your A+, A and B clients.

Events can range anywhere from kids’ birthday parties to grownups’ movie night! It can be almost anything, so let your imagination come up with different ideas. You should also ask both your team and clients what they would like to do.

It is very important to do INSANE marketing for each event. Take a look at the timeline we’ve put together for you:

6 Weeks Before Event

  • Select a date and location, booking the venue if necessary
  • Decide which team member will be in charge of the event
  • Add every client as a friend on Facebook
  • Post it on Facebook every 3 days!
  • Run targeted Facebook ads to the emails in your database
  • Publish video posts about the upcoming event
  • Email a link to the event’s information to your entire database

Getting your event in order and your social media postings set up represents the first step in getting everything together and ready.

4 Weeks Before Event

  • Call your clients. Let them know who, what, when, where, why!
  • Email them too. Make sure they have the information at hand.
  • Also, send them text messages! Most emails have a 10% chance to be read when a text message has a 97% chance!
  • Snail Mail your clients. Postcards are great here!
  • Video text your A+, A and B clients inviting them to the event.

3 Weeks Before Event

  • Post it on Facebook every 3 days.
  • Email out a reminder to your entire database.

2 Weeks Before Event

  • Email out another reminder.
  • Call your clients reminding them of the event.
  • Snail Mail another reminder.

1 Week Before Event

  • Start confirming attendance, via phone and email.
  • Text your A+, A and B clients for confirmation of attendance.

3 Days Before Event

  • Confirm the attendance once more via phone.
  • Confirm attendance via text as well.

While at the event, it is important that you take a picture of you with everyone present! Take a few more with each client so you can share and remind them later on of how much fun they had!

Record a video. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Preferably, record most of the event and how much fun everyone had.

Starting the day after the event, use Facebook to share all the pictures and videos recorded. The clients that didn’t go will then see their loss and those who went will remember what a great time they had with you!

Post a video of you thanking them for attending.

Send the pictures directly to your clients and the team via email, plus a video version of the pictures and an extract of the recorded video to show your appreciation. You could even do memes about it! In addition, mail a personal, handwritten card to the team that helped you organize the event.

Remember to follow the checklist carefully and in the right order!

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