Alan Cowgill

Recently I got to speak to a small group of RE investors. It

was held in a restaurant where they had karaoke going on in

the room next to ours. Afterwards, some of the people in my

audience complained that they couldn’t hear my talk because

of the noise next door.

How sad! I had flown hundreds of miles to speak to this group,

at my expense. They had taken time out of their busy

schedules to come to the meeting to get an education. But

because the meeting was held in the wrong location, everyone

lost. People left frustrated, myself included.

For me, living through this recent experience just reaffirmed

the need to talk to you about luncheon location and room

layout. Please don’t overlook these key points.

Room arrangement

I got lucky!

When I held my first private lender luncheon, I had something

almost magical happen. Because of the way we set up the room,

I accidentally created a situation that caused my guests to

start discussing my program with each other after I was done

talking.

This created a powerful synergy of them selling each other on

ME and my private lending program. Read the following to

learn how.

While you are still in the planning stage of your first

luncheon, one consideration that might be overlooked

is the arrangement of the meeting room. Draw out a simple

sketch of where you want these three major areas:

- Reception area

- Presentation area

- Dining area

Of course every situation is going to be a little different

but let’s go over each area and touch on some of the basics

to get you started.

- Reception area

Making your potential lender feel welcome by making a great

first impression is a powerful tool. As our guests

approached the entrance to the meeting room, we had our

reception table right at the door and we always had someone

right there to greet them with a smile.

The table was at the door, not blocking the door. The table

was covered with a nice tablecloth and the items on the

table were arranged correctly. The greeter was always

dressed professionally.

Let’s take this a step further. Have you ever gone into a

store to buy something and the clerk didn’t acknowledge that

you were even there? It didn’t matter how he or she looked,

did it? The important issue was how you were treated. We

focus on each individual guest. Each and every guest is

important so we make him or her feel that way.

While you can hold a private lender luncheon by yourself, I

always had people assisting me so I’m writing from that

perspective. I talked with my greeters before luncheon to

let them know what I expected and they did a great job.

We had someone at the reception table throughout the

presentation to make sure the late arrivals were also

greeted warmly.

This is an important issue in gaining rapport and building

credibility before your guests have even seen you. If your

greeter gets a smile out of a guest before the presentation

starts, they are in a positive mood and even more open to what

you have to say.

- Presentation area

I chose a wide-open area for the presentation. I had the

media people set up the screen against the wall. The large

windows were a consideration because we didn’t want a glare

on the screen. The chairs were arranged with comfortable

space between them in a pattern that let everyone see the

screen clearly. I actually walked around and adjusted the

chairs to make sure the arrangement was the best it could be.

I left a small space between the screen and the first row of

chairs for me to stand while I gave the talk about my program.

We made sure the temperature was adjusted to make the room as

comfortable as possible.

It was a well thought out arrangement that allowed a certain

amount of intimacy with my audience. I wasn’t “way up there”

at an intimidating podium, but right there with them. I was

standing up front being professional while at the same time

close enough to chat in a normal tone of voice and ask

questions of the guests without putting them on the spot.

This arrangement made it possible for everyone to be

comfortable and have a good time.

- Dining area

The dining area was separate from the presentation area. This

helped create the synergistic situation I discussed earlier.

We thought about the different options of tables that would

seat 4 people, 6 to 8 people, or one long table. We choose

tables that would seat 6. The tables were nicely arranged

and since people usually came alone or with one other person,

they joined strangers and started polite conversations. No

one had to eat alone and guess what they talked about? My

private lending program! It was a nice, comfortable

atmosphere.

I went from table to table answering questions and making sure

everyone was enjoying their meal. This is something all of

you will want to do in yours. This program is to build trust

and you want them to get to know you.

My assistants and I made sure everyone had a positive

experience. It just took some thought and preparation and no

extra expense.

Making your potential lender feel welcome by making a great

first impression is a powerful tool and many times this is

what closes the sale for you. Learn to use it to your

advantage.

Alan Cowgill is a speaker, author, and real estate entrepreneur. Alan has bought or sold over 200 investment properties. His step-by-step system “Private Lending Made Easy” teaches others to find private lenders. Contact Alan at 937-390-0816 or 866-831-3540. For a FREE audio go to www.PrivateLendingMadeEasy.com