Strategically picking your presentation (or webinar) topic
Presentations are the original "content marketing."
A talk at a senior center, the Chamber of Commerce, a local meeting of physicians or attorneys. From customer-focused to referral-focused, presentations give you the ability to get in front of a potentially fruitful audience and impress them with your eldercare expertise.
NOT sales
Like Facebook and other social media, a presentation is not intended to be an infomercial.
Unless you've been asked to speak on "Why hire a care manager?" or "What home care can do for you," pitching your business is not wise during a presentation. If you promise something educational but instead spend all your time selling your services, people will leave and negatively associate you with bait-and-switch tactics.
It's fine to mention your business at the beginning, and your years of expertise as it relates to the topic. That establishes your credibility. And at the end, it's also fine to comment that you would be happy to assist people who would like additional help. You can even offer something free (e.g., a free initial consultation) as a thank-you for attending, although that may be off-putting to some. (That's more common in webinars than in-person presentations, but only if the webinar is free. If people paid money or there are CEUs involved—NO sales at ALL!).
The key to drawing attention is to pick a specific problem and supply practical tips for its resolution.
The most popular titles
Adults are problem-based learners. We have so many demands on our time—and double that if you are a family caregiver—that every moment needs to be productive. Your topic must result in saving money, time, or emotional energy. In addition, if you are speaking to referrers, your talk must help them get customers, do their job better, or look better to their clients. Match your content to your audience (and of course, your expertise).
Isn't this giving away the store?
Some of my clients worry that an educational talk with how-to tips will simply empower folks to handle the situation on their own. Not really. Think of it like a care package. Enough sustenance for a meal, maybe. But in a thirty- to sixty-minute presentation? Not enough for a well-balanced diet over time.
Undoubtedly, every talk will have its dedicated do-it-yourselfers in the audience. But eldercare involves so many extenuating circumstances that while you might have some very effective tips, it quickly becomes clear that involving a person with experience and an overview of aging will smooth the road in many other ways than just the topic being presented.
And sometimes it's educational enough to give them the overview of the questions to be asking. The answers are so variable, there isn't a single solution. But having that overview results in the audience leaving the session much more empowered than when they entered. And they probably have a better sense of the context in which you can help.
Be strategic in content selection
The more specific you can be in your topic, the more likely your attendees will be highly interested. This is also a way to be very generous with your tips and not give away the store. Go deep with your care package, in a narrow focus. ?
To make your talk the most immediately productive, select an issue closer in the care trajectory to when they actually tend to purchase your services. Focus on a subject that is a precursor to many of the phone calls you get:
You can certainly speak to a common issue that is urgent to a small segment of your audience ("Dealing with repetitive questions" or "There's an Alzheimer's diagnosis, now what?"). But because it isn't typically as close to their need for you, this will be a long-term investment and definitely require follow-up strategies (e.g., monthly e-newsletters) to keep them connected the year or two that it might be before they perceive an urgent need for your services.
A general eldercare topic—"Finding a good doctor"—will help you build rapport. This is not a bad outcome for a webinar. But if you are hoping to get new clients fairly soon after your talk, you will want to speak about issues that are closer to their need for your services.
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Have a service in mind
Recall I wrote earlier that at the end of your talk it's okay to mention your ability to help. If you've given them some definite things they can do themselves—distraction techniques with dementia, or a list of universal design suggestions for remodeling a home—it's fine to close by informing them that you have a service that can help them weigh ALL the issues in the context of their own unique situation.
Using the examples above:
Realistic expectations of a presentation
From a sales point of view, my experience in eldercare is that 10%, maybe 20%, of attendees are ready to buy at the time of a talk:
In the classic "sales funnel" of business, people with an urgent need, a budget for your services, and the authority to spend the money are called "qualified prospects." You need to attract a lot of people first ("leads") to end up with some qualified prospects, only a few of which will "convert" to actual customers.
In subsequent blog posts, I'll talk about the importance of promotions (attracting high-quality leads with discovery strategies) and follow-up (engaging attendees afterwards through email interactions). Priming the pump effectively and being diligent with follow-through will increase the number of attendees who actually convert to customers. If not right away, then over time. You do have options to improve your "close rate" if you approach presentations strategically.
What do you gain from a presentation?
If the sales funnel illustrates the different kinds of people you are interacting with, the Customer Journey describes the path they typically follow (and the steps you can take) to move them toward the desired outcome of becoming a client. The Customer Journey is a great way to think about the benefits of presentations.
If you'd like to have more-productive presentations,
sign up for my free webinar on the topic.
(I know, a webinar about webinars!):
Wednesday, October 5, at 1:00 pm Pacific.
(Sign up now. Even if you can't attend, I'll send you the replay link.)
Nationally Recognized Aging Life Care Consultant, Company Owner/Founder at Aging Alliance Physical Therapy, Advanced Professional Certified Care Manager and Certified Geriatric Care Professional
2 年Thank you Tasha! As always, you know how to move the dial forward in sales and marketing!