Are you webinared out? Zoomed out? Tiger Kinged out? Quarantined out?
Bet you can’t wait to get out!
Social distancing, flattening the curve, masks, gloves, washing hands, not touching your face, testing, ventilators, and opening for business may be part of our vocabulary for a long time.
Zoom has become the verb of choice. It’s one of the few things we can still do without a mask.
Despite all the webinars and online sessions available right now, I’m amazed how many financial advisors, brokers, agents, planners, reps, and other sales producers are NOT delivering them.
Yes, there’s compliance and approval. Once you create a program that’s approved, you can have confidence that you will be delivering information that’s in your audience’s best interest. And isn’t that the point? Besides, most firms have programs that are approved and ready to go. Are you?
Here are 7 Reasons to Deliver a Zoom Webinar
Gives You Confidence
Once you have successfully delivered a webinar or online session, it’s like a high. You get to look at the small space in your home office or at your dining room table and marvel at the idea that you just spoke in front of a group of 20, 30, 40 people (or more!) from right there! Or that an entire audience listened to you for an entire 30-minute period. Wow! You may feel like you have so much more to offer and so much more to say. You may develop new information, perspectives, and approaches. You might even decide to segment specific markets and develop webinars for just those markets. Once your first zoom webinar is in the books, you will absolutely continue to come up with new ideas and get excited about delivering more programs.
Excuse to Learn the Technology
Technology has never excited me. I’m just as happy using a phone or speaking to someone as we’re both seated in our driver’s seats six feet away facing opposite directions. Like in an episode of the Sopranos. But scheduling more and more online meetings in my calendar has forced me to learn more about the platforms I’m using and about creative ways to make my webinars more interesting and valuable. Shared screens, breakout rooms, and chat boxes aren’t new but it’s fun using these features and I’m constantly learning more about them.
Forces You to Re-Think Your Message
Not to mention your approach and delivery style as you may continue to notice aspects of your presentation you want to improve. Your overall message and perhaps your entire topic may change. You might find attendees asking you questions about a specific slide or type of investment strategy. This might give you ideas about enhancing the slide, fine tuning the message, or creating a webinar focused on just that topic. Progress continues!
Establishes Your Credibility
One of the benefits of writing a book is it gives you instant credibility as an expert in your field. But writing a book is a lot of work and can take a long time. Developing a webinar can establish some of the same “street cred” as writing and publishing a book and it doesn’t take nearly as long. Plus as you deliver more and more webinars you can keep promoting it to new audiences and keep your message updated and fresh. If you develop enough content in your webinars, you might find you have a book to write after all.
Provides the Need to Invite Others
Once you have a scheduled online event on the calendar, it’s time to create the guest list. You’ll think about ways to promote your event through social media and decide if Facebook or LinkedIn is more appropriate. You’ll also want to follow the guidelines established in your compliance department and the proper etiquette on your social media platform of choice. If you have a blog, you’ll want to mention your event there. As you’re exchanging daily emails, you might want to offer an invite to your event and even mention it in your email signature. As you are in various online meetings and on phone calls, you’ll have something else to discuss. In fact, you might want to come up with a list of prospects, clients, and referral sources and send personal emails with a link to register for your event. Who haven’t you connected with in a while? You will want to think of your event every day and be in “invite” mode (until showtime!) to get the best results. Keep in mind that about 50% of those registered for your event will attend your event. Maybe less if they know you will be providing a recording.
Will Help Your Prospects, Clients, and Referral Sources
In coaching financial advisors, I find the most successful advisors are speaking with their clients every day to offer direction and support. In mentioning that you are delivering a zoom webinar on some of the topics you’re discussing with them, your clients will appreciate learning more about the topic and also learning more about you. You can help prospects and referral sources too! Why not showcase your smarts and desire to help through this very difficult time.
May Generate More Prospects, More Referrals, More Business
Webinars provide a great opportunity for clients to refer others to your future webinars and to you. Attendees that already have a financial advisor may be impressed with your knowledge and desire to help and might consider a change. As mentioned, most financial advisors are not delivering webinars and online sessions but imagine if you did.
Now is definitely the time. (Hey, that’s another reason!)
Schedule a date on your calendar NOW (I did!) to deliver your webinar. Give yourself three or four weeks to prepare and take a jab at it.
Next week I’ll provide some ideas on How to Deliver a Knockout Webinar!
And remember to register for my online session below!
Knockout Approaches to Virtual Networking!
Tuesday, May 19th, 1:00-2:00pm ET
Register HERE!
For more great ideas for networking virtually, check out PUNCH Up Your Virtual Networking Meetings!
