Increase seminar attendance — and attract more of the kind of prospects you’re looking for — by choosing the right seminar topic.

Seminars that cover the kinds of topics your “ideal” clients are interested in will help establish you as an expert among members of your target market, says Kevin Toney, marketing coach with Primetime Promotions in Winnipeg. The right topic, he adds, will help to garner more interest in your seminars.

Follow these tips to help you find a compelling topic for your next seminar:

> Consider your guests
Start planning a seminar theme by thinking of your ideal client profile.

Make a list of three to seven financial problems that audience faces, says Toney. They might include such topics as cross-border issues, staying invested during volatile markets or minimizing taxes. Consider those ideas as potential seminar topics.

> Follow the news
Keep yourself informed to help you find topics that will resonate with clients and prospects.

The media are filled with clues to what’s important to clients, according to Toney. Look at the financial news and personal finance publications to see what issues are being covered. These topics should give you ideas about what to address in your seminar.

> Narrow your focus
Financial advisors often come up with seminar topics that are too broad, says Toney. Instead, you need to break the issue down to a specific focus.

For example, instead of discussing financial planning in general, he says, concentrate on one area of particular concern to your target market.

If your ideal clients are teachers, for example, you might host a seminar on 10 things teachers need to know before retiring.

> Stay on topic
To make your seminar a success, stick to one idea, Toney says.

Jumping from one issue to the next leaves you looking unfocused and may confuse your audience. Instead, concentrate on a single topic for an hour or 90 minutes, going into detail about the problem and the solutions you offer.

> Remember your goal
Always keep in mind, Toney says, that your objective is to help your ideal clients find solutions to their financial problems. Any topic you choose should relate to that goal.

> Check it out
Whatever the theme you decide on, be sure to get the go-ahead from your firm’s compliance department.