Anyone doing seminars at venues ?

[Newby]

How successful was this for you? Did you get an average amount of clients by conducting these free educational events? Would you recommend everyone to do this?

Yes it’s very good long term. I did them for 7-years and ended about 5-years ago. I still get an occasional call in from someone who saw me speak at those seminars years ago.
You don’t do those as your only source of leads. I did them as true neutral bias informational seminars. Many people that attended had no idea that I was even an agent. That is what the hospital wanted. And it worked for me because it did position me as an authority on the subject not a pitchman. The people who did contact me from the seminars were rock solid. And they still are years later.

 

[JordanS]

Yes it’s very good long term. I did them for 7-years and ended about 5-years ago. I still get an occasional call in from someone who saw me speak at those seminars years ago.
You don’t do those as your only source of leads. I did them as true neutral bias informational seminars. Many people that attended had no idea that I was even an agent. That is what the hospital wanted. And it worked for me because it did position me as an authority on the subject not a pitchman. The people who did contact me from the seminars were rock solid. And they still are years later.

How do you get over the nerves of public speaking? Did you practice religiously and did you just call the event or marketing coordinator for the hospital to setup events?

 

[goillini52]

How do you get over the nerves of public speaking? Did you practice religiously and did you just call the event or marketing coordinator for the hospital to setup events?

You imagine that the audience is in their underwear.

 

[somarco]

You imagine that the audience is in their underwear.

Seniors in their underwear . . . no thank you

 

[Newby]

How do you get over the nerves of public speaking? Did you practice religiously and did you just call the event or marketing coordinator for the hospital to setup events?

I just had to get up and do them. Once I was up there, it got very easy, but only because I was so familiar with the topic. But I created a PowerPoint that I could kind of use for my outline and have pictures to go along with my presentation and it made it easier for me to feel like I wasn’t gonna get brain fog up there in freeze up.
The hospital actually contacted me. They had been researching local agents that their patients had insurance with and were happy with, and my name came up several times they said. So they reached out.

 

[Life Hawk]

You imagine that the audience is in their underwear.

Depends...

 

[Patrick Flammia]

What is the best time of day to hold these meetings? Trying to avoid people just coming for a free meal.

You won't. At my old FMO the majority of our sales came from seminars held at a local Golden Corral, and Red Lobster. It's something you have to deal with just like competing with other agents, they're not just going to your seminar. Hopefully they like you more.

 

[JordanS]

I just had to get up and do them. Once I was up there, it got very easy, but only because I was so familiar with the topic. But I created a PowerPoint that I could kind of use for my outline and have pictures to go along with my presentation and it made it easier for me to feel like I wasn’t gonna get brain fog up there in freeze up.
The hospital actually contacted me. They had been researching local agents that their patients had insurance with and were happy with, and my name came up several times they said. So they reached out.

I reached out to my local hospitals, and they thought I was crazy for even asking. I couldn't believe it, they had never heard of having a Medicare broker come in and give a presentation, they didn't understand why I would even want to do that, and why they would want me to do it.

Am I not understanding something, wouldn't the hospital want to educate people that they accept Medicare, and that having Medicare would allow them to be covered when they use the hospital? Is there anything else I can say or show to them to prove the value of having these events?

 

[Newby]

I reached out to my local hospitals, and they thought I was crazy for even asking. I couldn't believe it, they had never heard of having a Medicare broker come in and give a presentation, they didn't understand why I would even want to do that, and why they would want me to do it.

Am I not understanding something, wouldn't the hospital want to educate people that they accept Medicare, and that having Medicare would allow them to be covered when they use the hospital? Is there anything else I can say or show to them to prove the value of having these events?

This hospital has a large auditorium and has speakers come in and talk on a variety of subjects all the time. I would think most hospitals have a community outreach of some sort.

Once I was doing them for the one hospital I had two other smaller out of town hospitals call me wanting me to do them for them. The were both about an hours drive away from me and in small towns and I was slammed busy (It was right when FexContracting was in its rapid growth stage) so I told them I was too busy.

Talking to hospitals is like talking to insurance companies though. If you ask the same question to 5-different people you will get 5-different answers.