I’m speaking tonight and I have three things I want to accomplish:
First, I want to INFORM.
That’s what the audience is paying for. But even if this were a free talk, the audience would still be “paying” with their time and I must give them their “monies” worth.
Second, I want to INSPIRE.
Facts and logic can only take you so far in persuading people to act. I want the audience to be motivated to follow through on my information and advice. I will do that by appealing to their emotions. I will tell them the BENEFITS of taking action and illustrate the benefits with appropriate STORIES.
Third, I want to PROMOTE THE NEXT STEP.
In this case, the next step is to attend the next event we’re conducting in this market. Your audience’s next step might be to sign up for a free consultation, fill out a form, or give you a check or credit card.
Information and inspiration set the stage for action, but not everyone will take the next step. Promoting the next step means giving them more reasons to act. This is done by providing additional information or incentives (i.e., special offers).
Promoting the next step is also accomplished through salesmanship. One thing I like to do at the end of a presentation is to invoke “social proof”. By asking for a show of hands of those who are committed to coming to the next event or who are signing up (or whatever the next step is) , not only will the people who reply in the affirmative be more likely to follow through, the undecideds will be more likely to cross over into the action column.
In marketing, or in the courtroom or boardroom, many lawyers rely on the weight and persuasiveness of their information to get the job done. Often, it’s not enough. You must also inspire your audience and promote the next step.
The ultimate goal isn’t to educate. It’s to get the check.
If you want to get more checks and bigger checks, pick up a copy of The Attorney Marketing Formula:
