Too often events in the industry are male dominated. One that is wonderful for women is to conduct a multi-generational Mother’s Day brunch where mothers are joined by their daughters and even granddaughters.
The event should not be on the Sunday of Mother’s Day, but instead a day surrounding the holiday. It is a chance to recognize the important contributions mothers make and bring them even closer with their daughters. It is also a great time to build relationships with clients and get to know prospects.
One financial advisor that does just such an event is Karen Goodwin at Esco, Hanan and Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. I first heard Goodwin speak on a panel at the SIFMA Social Media Seminar and set up a follow-up interview to learn more details.
Planning A Mother’s Day Event
Goodwin schedules a nice location at a country club to have a brunch. Last year she did the event the day before Mother’s Day, but this year she is doing it after. She also flew her own mom up so she can be in attendance.
“My Facebook business page is a non-threatening way to let them know what I do,” said Goodwin. She also uses the social network to create awareness for the event.
Once she posts the invite on her website, she uses Facebook to get the word out weeks before the event. It is there that the conversation starts, which is different than printing an invite. As the activity level increases online, she gets more inquiries about the event. “Other people see they are going, so that adds to it,” mentioned Goodwin.
Although she gets many of the RSVPs online, she does still mail some invites to those clients not using social media.
Facebook worked better than LinkedIn. Plus, another nice thing about a Facebook event is that it sent out a reminder. There were some people that had forgot about the event, so the reminder was helpful.
The Day Of The Mother’s Day Event And Follow-Up
Goodwin’s event has a Bellini bar and a breakfast brunch area. The event starts with networking and has a great atmosphere.
The males in the office invite women attendees too. Those men show up at the beginning and leave after the opening remarks.