Educational Workshops 101

What if an “old school” marketing strategy advisors are overlooking is actually the most scalable, cost-effective growth channel available today?

In this episode of the Advisor to Advisor podcast, Jonathan and Chazz revisit the strategy that launched Steep back in 2017: educational workshops. While many advisors pivot to dinner seminars (and never look back), the landscape is constantly shifting, and educational events can still be an extremely valuable element of a balanced and high-ROI marketing strategy.

If you’ve ever felt “dinner seminar fatigue” due to rising cost or lower appointment keep rates, or you’re simply maxed out in your market, then this conversation might re-open a door you thought was closed.

Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn:

• Why digital marketing makes educational workshops dramatically more cost-efficient than dinner seminars
• The post-COVID venue shift that created a hidden opportunity most advisors aren’t capitalizing on
• What happens when you remove the “free steak” — and how that changes prospect intent
• The surprising difference in show rates and case sizes between workshop attendees and dinner guests
• Why educational seminars create a less competitive selling environment (and what that means for your close rate)
• The data behind higher second-appointment conversion rates from workshop prospects
• How topical, single-focus events (taxes, Social Security, estate planning, women in retirement) outperform “buffet-style” presentations
• Why specificity simplifies the decision-making process — and lowers your cost per lead
• The authority-building advantage of becoming known for one topic instead of trying to cover everything

This episode doesn’t argue that you should abandon dinner seminars. Instead, it challenges the assumption that growth comes from simply “doing more of the same.” When restaurants are saturated, mailboxes are crowded, and prospects have already attended three other steak dinners this month… it may be time to diversify the funnel.

“When you take away the free steak, there’s only one reason someone drives across town to sit in a library for 60 minutes — those prospects genuinely want to learn something and then take action.”

— Jonathan Musgrave

If you’re looking to scale without simply increasing seminar volume, reduce marketing costs without sacrificing quality, or position yourself as a true subject-matter authority in your market, this episode lays the strategic foundation for you!