Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Here is a first draft of letter / email I envision sending to those providing romance and relationship courses and workshops. Please include any other thoughts you may have.
Here it is:
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Do you have romance and intimacy workshops specifically for those approaching retirement?

At age 62, I began romancing my wife in earnest with the idea of transforming a comfortable relationship into a more loving one. It’s a work-in-progress as it should be. And the progress is wonderful.

So wonderful, in fact, that I’d like your advice and utilize your workshops to help older folk to embrace a new relationship as they approach and enter retirement.

As you may know, A.A.R.P. reports:

“U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates program and the 2005 Current Population Survey … found that the aging of the Baby Boom Generation will make ‘pre-seniors’ (adults aged 55-64) this decade’s fastest growing age group, expanding nearly 50% in size from 2000 to 2010. Pre-seniors are growing rapidly everywhere …

My dream is to promote romance and intimate workshops specifically for this Baby Boom generation, looking to you and your industry colleagues to develop such (one-day, weekend, series, cruise, retreat, vacation) workshops tailored to this age group and their unique issues.

I see my role as facilitator by promoting your workshop and handling the arrangements, publicity and other administration.

I have little experience in organizing such things and would depend on your coaching early on.

Together we can provide a valuable transition to this pre-senior generation.

What do you think?

Regards,

Brian Case
31309 N ...
Cabery, ...
(815) ...
b.case@

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I think it`s great ... very straight forward and easy for someone to fulfill; I imagine you`ll be swimming in all kinds of information on the things they do within the market. Have fun (guess you already are=*^)

Hmm...well, it`s a nice letter but I was struck by a couple of thoughts. I`ve been wandering around small and larger businesses for a fair amount of time, and have seen lots of these types of sales letters. And it`s a sales letter, regardless of what people might say.

There`s a fine line to walk between a personal letter, and using personal exeperience as a point of sales. In the above, you`re coming across more as if you`re talking about your life, your stuff, and so forth. You`re not *using* that personal experience as a testimonial.

For example, you say:
The key here, in my opinion, is that there shouldn`t be any wasted words. Each paragraph (and sentence) should support your goal, which is to get a contract or an order. How does this paragraph *on its own* accomplish that?

It`s why I use the word "testimonial." There`s nothing wrong with bringing in personal experience; it`s that the content should do something, promote something, sell something, or prove something.

Off the top of my head, I`m thinking along the lines of:
You don`t say that you`re a work in progress. That says you`re an amateur, probably not capable of handling a professional seminar. You also don`t want to "ask for your advice" from the vendor. They`re going to pay you money! Why should they pay you AND give you advice?

The point of all this is to re-think the letter from the perspective of being a professional coach. You`ll have about 10 seconds in your first paragraph to convince the reader to continue on with the rest of the letter.

Another option is to hire someone to develop a professionally organized sales letter. It`s a field unto itself, usually under the Marketing & Sales heading. I don`t know how much those cost, but a well-written sales letter routinely pays for itself.

You could also delve into your business plan. Take a look at what specifically you offer, how much you`ll charge the vendor, what would be the rates per couple, and what particular venue are you focusing on. Then consolidate the business plan into a "summary" and make that your sales letter.

My thoughts on it, anyway.... :-)

Ah....that`s a better clarification. I`d thought you would be conducting the seminars. If I understand it, you`re going to be more the broker? You would go out and find people who do seminars on later-life relationship counselling, and have a roster of names.

You then would bring that roster to the table, and meet with people who put together events geared toward the target age group. Then you would act as an agent, and "book" some of the people on your roster into the events being organized. Right?

If so, then you`re a booking agent, specializing in relationship counselling for a particular age group.

And if that`s the case, then the above sales letter should be re-written from the perspective of your being an "agency." And you might likely do well to form a booking agency along the lines of a speaker`s bureau (I think that`s what they`re called?). You would put speakers and coaches into your vendors` events.

Am I getting the concept?

I`d investigate what it takes to build a speaker`s bureau or agency. I know they`re around, and that`s what they do----organize speaking engagements anywhere from motivational business seminars to author lectures, and anywhere in between. I have no idea how you`d start one, but back when I was a musician, it didn`t seem all that complicated to form a booking agency of any type. Well, other than a lot of work, and being on the phone forever. :-)

AH HA!

The industry is Event/Seminar Planning.