Preparing for a Pre-event Intro Call

This information will help you prepare for your pre-event call and event date with our clients.

 

What is a pre-event call?

The pre-event call is a 30 minute video conference meeting with the provider and the client to go over the details of the event, review content, and ask any questions to best facilitate. This is your chance to really impress the client with your content and present yourself.

 

Who initiates and coordinates the call?

Either the client or a garten concierge will reach out to coordinate the time for the pre-event call, ideally 10 days prior to the event start date, but this may be sooner to that date depending on the client timeline and availability.

 

If the client has booked you directly from the garten Experience marketplace, you may also suggest a pre-event call and coordinate directly with them on the marketplace.  It is recommended all communications go through the marketplace (including sending meeting links) so a concierge can assist if problems arise. 

 

While it is highly recommended a pre-event call happens for most events, it may not need to take place for straightforward events like a fitness class, or massage therapy sessions. 

 

In the case of a request directly off the marketplace it is also highly recommended that the client books you before setting up the pre-event call, so you know there is an entry level commitment on their end.

 

Preparing for your pre-event call

Consider the pre-event call as an interview, so this means we expect the following:

1. Attire: Professional/ business casual attire, camera ready
2. Setting : Check your background to ensure there is nothing distracting in the camera’s view. We ask that you take the meeting where you will be conducting the event from, so if you have a home office, take the pre-event call there or if you are conducting a yoga session, host the session from the area where your mat will be, this helps set expectations for the client
3. Video/Audio Check: Ensure these are properly setup before the call
4. Content: Ensure your slides or handouts are ready to share with the client, make sure they are clear of branding and professional. Slides should have minimal text. Our clients prefer the slides be used as prompts rather than reading directly from them.

What is expected of you?

If this is your first time meeting with the client, they will want to know about you, your background and experience, and your content. There is no better person to talk about your event than you, so take this opportunity to really help them get excited about it, but keep it brief (5 minutes).  Here is a quick listing of ideas to talk about:

1. Your content - outline of talk or workshop
2. Your Background and Experience
3. Why you are Passionate about this

Pre-event call agenda

1. Either the client or the garten concierge will reach out to check your availability for the call and coordinate with the client
2. The link to join the conference call will be included in the calendar invite. You will receive the calendar invite for your pre-event call either from the garten concierge team or the client.
3. Client should first share more information about their company culture and why they are looking to host this particular event.  This will help you to know if you will need to adjust your presentation to meet their expectation. 
4. Then you can share insight into your content with a brief walk-through; share slides and handouts, and address any questions from the client.
5. Logistical questions should include:
   1. Demographic information
   2. Attendee count
   3. Interaction level (will you use chat feature, or save questions to the end?)
   4. The client's preferred webinar platform
   5. Whether or not the event will be recorded, if you allow it
   6. Any additional questions you or the client may have

If any adjustments need to be made to your content, please submit those for review 1 week before the event date.

 

Another Note:

garten has a non-solicitation agreement with all of our clients. This means that any providers we contract with will not be able to solicit their employees. To avoid any issues with this, please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Remove any business specific branding from your slide decks or handouts. You do not need to add garten, but we ask that any logos or information related to your brand be removed before presenting with the client
2. Remove any contact information such as business name, phone number, or email address. If an employee would like to follow up with you after an event, the Concierge Team will share the individual’s contact information so you can follow up if you choose. Please do not feel pressured to follow up with a contact just because you hosted a session with their company.
3. Any slides or handouts need to also be free of any copyrighted images or materials unless you have written permission to use them. You can find unlicensed photos for your presentation here if needed: Unsplash.
4. Feel free to share over your content ahead of time to the garten concierge for review and guidance.