Just Before the Luncheon
July 17th, 2008 by Alan Cowgill
I’d like to expand on three steps that can make your
luncheon even more successful whether you are preparing for
your first or you have already held a luncheon or two.
1) A week before: Contact relatives, friends,
and acquaintances
2) The day before: Make confirmation calls
3) The day of: Use attendees’ names
Let me explain my thoughts on each of these topics.
1) A week before: Contact relatives, friends, and
acquaintances…
You’ve gotten a targeted list of names and address from a list
broker and sent out postcards and you’ve placed ads but what
about the people closest to you? Shouldn’t they be invited to
your luncheon and told about this opportunity as well? Of
course!
If your family is like my family, news travels pretty fast.
Your relatives are probably already aware that you are doing
something new and I bet they’re very curious about it.
Chances are the story has been somewhat distorted since it has
gone through the family grapevine — from a cousin who heard
about it from an uncle who heard about it from Grandma and so
on. Anyway, this is a great opportunity to talk to everyone
in the family so they get the story straight from the source.
There are several reasons for letting family members know what
you are doing. They can lend moral support. They may know
someone who is looking for a safe, profitable investment. They
may not know there are investment options other than low-paying
bank CDs. They may have taken a beating in the stock market
and now want to invest with someone they trust. They may be
sitting on a pile of cash that they don’t know what to do with.
You never know.
My 1st lender was my Mom. You know what? I talk to folks all
over the nation and hear that one of their family members was
their 1st lender also.
Since these are relatives, people you’ve known your whole life,
it’s natural for you to want the best for them. You should
feel an obligation to share this tremendous opportunity with
them. Keep in mind what I have said over and over again: there
is no need for pressure. Present the information and they can
pass or play. People who understand the program and are able
to take action, will. And, there are enough of them to make
you very wealthy!
A week before the luncheon, get on the phone and start calling
relatives.
In addition to relatives, how about inviting your friends? I
heard someone once say that friends were God’s way of making up
for some of your relatives. 
Your friends know you and like
you anyway and probably want you to succeed as much as you do
so wouldn’t you like a chance to “share the wealth?” If you
aren’t used to speaking in public, a friendly face or two in
the audience is going to give you more confidence.
Now let’s expand that sphere of influence a little further –
what about acquaintances? How about inviting other people who
touch your life? You never know where it will lead when you
send out that invitation or make that phone call.
If you haven’t invited your doctor, chiropractor, dentist,
accountant, or attorney, do so now. Give them a friendly call.
Think about this. You might tell your barber or hairdresser
you need an extra special hairstyle because of your presenta-
tion. This is a great opening to explain your whole program.
They’re not going anywhere. You have their attention for at
least 20 minutes. Got for it. So what if they can’t invest?
If you arouse their interest, they’ll be talking about it to
others. You don’t know where that story will end up. You may
just get a call from an unexpected source that will change your
life.
Who are your other acquaintances? Start making those phone
calls to relatives, friends, and acquaintances a week before
your luncheon.
Like most other things in life, this is a numbers game. Keep
making the calls. If someone turns you down, it’s ok. They
have their reasons. Make another call and just keep going.
2) The day before: Make confirmation calls…
By this time you should have a list of folks who have said they
want to attend your Private Lending Luncheon. The day before
the luncheon, call each person on your list to confirm they
will be attending. You might want to ask them if there will be
additional people in their party, if they have the correct time
and location, and if they know directions to the restaurant or
whatever meeting location you have chosen.
This does a couple things. (1) It reminds them about the
luncheon just in case they have forgotten. You have gone to a
lot of work and expense and it is important to make sure they
remember to come. (2) They may have additional people who
want to join them, like a friend or neighbor they have been
talking to about your program. (The greatest marking tool is
word-of-mouth!) Since you are paying for each lunch, you need
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
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