At every conference I went to last year, I kept hearing the same thing on repeat from speakers on stage:
- “Organic growth is slow.”
- “You’ve got to merge or acquire to scale.”
- “You need to spend money on ads.”
And honestly? I had to bite my tongue from shouting, “That’s not true!”
Because the advisers I coach (and in my own financial planning business) are consistently attracting ideal clients – without spending money on ads or going into debt buying someone else’s business.
In fact, some are even getting paid to do their marketing. (Yep, really. More on that shortly.) And no – it doesn’t involve coming up with weekly content for social media, chasing likes and followers and hoping one of them books in.
Because, let’s face it, that gets exhausting. And it's hard to stay consistent when you're already juggling all the things in an advice business.
Instead, we’ve revived a strategy I first saw my old boss use nearly 20 years ago to grow his advice business. It’s simple, it builds trust fast and it works.
So what is it?
Seminars – well, seminars with a serious modern glow up, not the ones from the 90s with stale sandwiches and 100-slide PowerPoints. We’re talking interactive, engaging workshops that convert.
These are five key ingredients for using workshops to grow and attract your ideal clients consistently:
You don’t need to try to fill the event yourself by using your social media or own list. That’s actually the slow way. Instead, partner with:
- Centres of influence: mortgage brokers, business coaches, accountants, real estate agents
- Employers: HR teams are always on the lookout for financial wellness content, and many of these are paid gigs — yes, we’ve got advisers earning thousands to speak and getting new clients at the same time.
- Established events: networking groups, associations or existing events like those held on International Women’s Day.
These partners have already spent years building trust with their audience. You get to benefit from that trust transfer.
You might be wondering, though, why a centre of influence would promote your workshop to their clients. Well, that’s because this isn’t a sales pitch; it’s a value-add that helps them stay top-of-mind with their clients. Most are just sending a generic newsletter – so this makes them look good, too.
You’re not there to lecture; you’re there to connect and inspire action. That’s why I always include:
- A workbook: so attendees walk away with real takeaways, and your branding (plus your COI’s) stays in their hands.
- Simple activities: for example, ask attendees to list three close friends, plus their own name. Statistically, one of them will face a major health event by age 65. It's a powerful and relatable way to open the conversation around insurance.
- Engaging prompts: think questions like, “What’s one thing you’d love to do in retirement?”
This keeps your sessions memorable and builds trust fast.
The title of your workshop really matters, so skip the technical jargon. (No one’s racing off to get a book called “Superannuation Update,” after all.)
Lead with what they want. Perhaps the “Retire Early workshop” – or maybe “Invest With Confidence (even if you’ve got a mortgage).” And skip “seminar” or “webinar” – those words feel stuffy and salesy. Call it a workshop.
It feels fresh, interactive and valuable.
You don’t need spreadsheets and charts to sell your value – you need stories. Stories build emotion and emotion drives action.
Each one should follow a simple structure:
- What was the client’s challenge before working with you? This is the relatable moment where attendees think, “That’s me.”
- What did you help them do? Share the strategy at a high level – no jargon, no deep technical dive. You’re not training advisers here.
- What changed as a result? For example, perhaps they saved $X in tax per year – which equals $X over the next decade.
When people hear real-life results, they imagine what’s possible for themselves. And that’s when they take action.
This part is crucial, and it’s often missed: you need to make it simple for people to book a follow-up. That means:
- Right after registration on the thank-you page
- During the event using a QR code or direct link
- In your follow-up emails with a clear call-to-action
We use a 15-minute call booking page – low barrier, high conversion.
It’s simple, it’s measurable and it’s repeatable.
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The numbers behind it
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Scenario 1
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Scenario 2
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Events per year
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12
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12
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Time per event (hrs)
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1
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1
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Registration per event
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50
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100
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Conversion rate (based on results we see)
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8%
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5%
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Clients per event
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4
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5
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Clients per year
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48
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60
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Emails collected
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600
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1,200
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One adviser even had over 40 appointment requests from a single workshop, which led to us creating a waitlist system and a filtering process to prioritise the hottest leads.
Of course, how quickly you want to grow is up to you. Maybe you only want to run six workshops a year. Maybe you want to go big and run 20.
Either way, because most are virtual, you’re not limited by postcode. You’ve got access to the whole of Australia. And here's the kicker: if one client is worth $5,000–$10,000, that’s potentially $240,000 to $480,000 in new revenue — from just one hour of marketing a month.
Oh, and the best part? Most of that revenue is recurring.
Plus, because you’ve collected email addresses you not only get clients now but you also build a list of future clients to nurture on email – an asset you own. (You don’t “own” your Instagram likes, remember?)
Most workshops are online, which means no venue hire, no catering and no stress. You can create one great workshop and reuse it monthly.
That’s one hour of marketing a month to bring in consistent, qualified leads who are excited and ready to work with you.
The advisers who lean into simple, scalable marketing systems – not just flashy trends – are the ones building businesses that last. If you want to get in front of more ideal clients consistently, try running a workshop.
