Whether you’re providing financial advice to a married couple, executive, small business owner or a large entity, financial advisory prospects ultimately want the answer to one question. It’s this… How will the relationship work? Surprisingly, most advisory websites don’t answer this question. To fix this problem, expand your copy by answering the following questions: How will you… – Charge Me – Invest My Money – Store My Money – Help Me Define My Risk Tolerance – Understand What to Expect, i.e., Returns vs. Volatility – Reply to My Questions Responsively – Safeguard My Money in Choppy Markets – Protect &...
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It’s time to start your small business planning for another 12 months. To help you, I’ve compiled seven business development and marketing planning resources. But first, I can’t stress enough the importance of this initial planning step: Before you undertake any new marketing initiatives in the coming year, I encourage you to review your business’ results from the past year. The key is to determine what activities from this year you’ll repeat in the coming year. Frankly, I recommend that you repeat at least 50 percent of your past marketing activities. Why? Because, more than likely, most of your prospects...
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Social Listening Strategies for Financial Advisors Today, I focus on the financial advisor target audience, adults age 50 and up, since they hold most of our country’s wealth. I provide several examples of how advisors can reply to online comments and conclude with an infographic detailing even more social listening ideas. Let’s begin by understanding where adults age 50 and up spend time online so you can: Hear what they’re saying. Communicate using their preferred social channel. Address topics important to them. Make connections by spending time at activities they enjoy. Where are 50-year-olds and older hanging out? According...
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Credibility and trust are key components that make or break a financial advisory business. To help financial advisors build more trust, I provide three examples below. Recently, I watched a TED talk by Simon Sinek and was captivated by one particular comment: Trust is a feeling. His remark got me thinking about how to frame words that create feelings. Words financial advisors and other types of financial consultants can use on websites and social media channels to build credibility, ultimately creating feelings of trust. What are feelings? The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers several definitions, including: an emotional state or reaction, often...
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For young male financial advisors, a youthful appearance isn’t always an asset. Over the years, I’ve been to many financial services conferences. Most were hosted by an advisor’s broker-dealer, RIA or sponsor. Generally, I’d see two attendee demographics: old advisors and young advisors. Sure, there were others, but I didn’t notice them as much. When I’d see an older advisor, I’d think: I can’t hire him/her, they’re retiring before me. Then, I’d see a younger advisor and think: No way, I can’t hire a kid. Are you a kid? Of course not. But, understand what Gen X and other older...
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Do you own or manage a small retail business? What would you do if a large corporation came to town and started offering most of what you sell? The large business probably has deeper pockets, enabling them to offer lower prices and a larger product selection. How do you compete with large companies? Here are 4 simple and affordable marketing ideas to help sustain your small business when Goliath sets up shop in your neighborhood. #1 – Piggyback onto a Powerful & Local Communication Network One of the most affordable ways to advertise your small business is to piggyback onto...
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Summer Reading for the Beach, Lakefront, Poolside & Beyond If I had to recommend only one book every small business owner should include on their 2018 summer reading list, it would be: Conversationally Speaking: Tested New Ways to Increase Your Personal and Social Effectiveness by Alan Garner. It’s definitely worth the time for anyone who needs to start or keep a conversation going, e.g., consultant, vendor/supplier, small business owner of any kind, parent, husband/wife, etc. Why? Because, beyond this being a helpful and easy to read business book, by optimizing your personal communication skills, your small business will likely grow faster. What’s more,...
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