Private Lending: How to Do Group Presentations to Raise Private Money

Copyright (c) 2008 Michel Lautensack

I recently wrote an article titled "The 4 Top Ways to Raise Private Money for Real Estate Investors" (posted here on Ezinearticles.com) where I laid out the top 4 ways to raise Private Money to grow and develop your real estate investing business. One of the top 4 ways we use and teach to our students is to use group presentations.

A private lending group presentation involves getting 5 to 20 people into a room and doing a presentation where you lay out the details and benefits of your private lending program. This may not be for everyone depending on your comfort level of talking in front of groups, but the advantages of group meetings are very powerful. When people start to ask questions and tell positive stories a certain level of group think starts to take effect and can be very powerful on the attendees.

We teach our students to focus on the preplanning and marketing, presentation materials and post-meeting follow up as the key to conducting a successful meeting and getting people to invest in your business.

Preplanning and Marketing

We put preplanning and marketing together because they must be done together. The room must be able to hold at least 20 people and not be tight or uncomfortable for the participants. It can be a hotel conference room but they tend to be expensive. Other options might include a local library, church or civic groups that allow people to use their meeting rooms. Once you have the meeting room arrangements finalized you can then create your marketing piece with the exact address and time of the meeting.

Now you need to get people to come your meeting. And not just anyone - you need potential investors with extra cash to invest. A couple ways to promote your meeting might include posting flyers in 55+ communities with retires who might have extra cash to invest. You can also rent a list of local people with high incomes and bank CDs and mail them a letter or post card inviting them to the meeting. You can also place small ads in your local newspaper promoting an "information only" meeting about private lending and real estate investing. Better yet do all of these to help fill the room.

Presentation Materials

In order for the meeting to be successful you need to have a well prepared PowerPoint or presentation handout. It needs to be well organized and show your professionalism. This is no time to "wing it". Your presentation needs to come off well done and organized where you lay your business plan and why it makes sense for them to consider investing with you. Again this should be "information only" and do not make specific offers to invest or discuss actual projects to invest in at this meeting. never make an actual offer during the meeting but be sure to make offers as part of your post meeting activities.

Post Meeting Follow Up

As part of the meeting be sure to gather every ones contact information so you can contact them after the meeting. I recommend a letter 2 or 3 days later thanking them and asking them to contact you if they have further questions. Keep in mind that most will not invest, but if 1 or 2 do become investors from each meeting it is a highly successful meeting.