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"17 Marketing Ideas to Reconsider"
by Patti Branco
If the same old thing isn't bringing in results, maybe it's time to vary your strategy. Advisors use a variety of ways to get themselves in front of some new prospects.
If the market uncertainty has you paralyzed with procrastination, shake off your indecision by doing something different. While others stare at their computer screens and whine about how tough business is, you can get busy! Try some of these proven, and unusual, ways to market yourself.
1. Become a teacher. Give back to your community and get a captive audience at the same time. Apply to your local college or adult school and offer to teach a class on investing. They are always looking for new talent, you don't have to be a professor, and you will find that people who attend a class on how to invest usually have the funds to do so!
- Affinity markets. Do you have a favorite hobby like golf, fishing, sailing or skydiving? Do you have expertise in a former industry where you once worked? Those should be your first targets! Look into every aspect of their interests and affiliate yourself with relevant associations, read their magazines, become the "niche" expert.
- Write articles. Get some press and credibility by submitting articles to your local paper. Don't think you are the best writer? Write a draft and have it edited by a local copy editor. It is a well-kept secret that local newspapers are usually in need of articles, particularly in these difficult times, and will welcome a submission from a local investment expert.
- Become a speaker. Present yourself to local associations and business organizations in town and offer to speak at a meeting. You can also offer to be a "speaker on call" for speakers who cancel at the last minute. When this happens, you'll be a hero. Speak on a topic that you feel you know best, estate planning, saving for college, or something pertinent to the investment industry. Prepare a short presentation in advance, pepper it with humor and a story or two, and make sure it is not an infomercial. Just the very act of standing there and delivering a terrific presentation will make you the expert, no need to tell them you are.
- Church talks. Heed the calling to serve local parishioners. Behind the scenes, most churches are run like a business. There are bills to pay, lights to keep lit, and support staff needed to run the church. Offer to do a fund-raiser, a content rich presentation on effective money management for the congregation. The church gets the money, the crowd gets your expertise and your business card.
- Clip for business. Scan newspapers with scissors in hand. Clip out articles or press releases of people you would like to do business with and send it to them with your card and a simple note, "Thought you might like a copy of this. Congratulations."
- Corporate directories. Securing a corporate directory for a firm that is having layoffs is the best list one could ever want. Ask clients and friends for help in locating a corporate directory for a target firm.
- Launch an E-zine. A weekly email update can generate a lot of inquiries. Start your own.
- Press releases. If you receive a promotion or some other noteworthy award, send press releases to your local papers and to industry magazines, and get the recognition you deserve as well as free PR.
- PowerPoint marketing. Learn how to use Microsoft PowerPoint and create a dynamic brochure for your services that can be emailed, or saved on a disc and mailed. Very unique, different, and the opportunity to learn a new skill.
- Radio talk shows. Much like newspapers, radio shows look for guests with an interesting slant. What's yours? Call the radio stations and ask to speak to the program co-coordinator. Pay attention, they are listening to your voice, your tone and your tempo!
- Scripting. Five must-have scripts—fine-tunes yours when things are slow!
- 10-second introduction
- 30-second personal commercial
- Prospecting script
- Product presentation script
- Profiling script
- Sponsor a company or church picnic. Find a lucrative small business and offer to sponsor a company picnic. You might be able to get help from your favorite vendors, local radio stations, and other community members. Think outside the box and seek door prizes from local merchants, ask a local wine store to provide a wine-tasting booth, maybe have a pet show contest sponsored by a local vet . . . get the idea?
- Sponsor a golf tournament. Like golf? Love publicity? This is a good way to penetrate a niche market. Offer to be a sponsor for a local golf tournament. Get signage, press, and take pictures of foursomes on one of the holes, pictures that you will deliver in person when they are developed! Put them in a folder with your information, and use them as a door opener to the golfers.
- Surveys. Jump-start your cold calling by conducting a survey. For example, what are seniors doing about the high cost of prescriptions? Call prospects to help you build your business by answering three survey questions. Offer to share the results of the survey. You could include a variety of solutions in the report as well as your information.
- Volunteering. Always a favorite way to meet new and exciting prospects. When you give of yourself and your time, volunteering will pay it back tenfold. Only do this if you have the heart for it, involving yourself for purely selfish reasons will always make you feel like an outsider.
- Warm up act. Find a local professional who does a seminar. Doctor? CPA? Contractor? Offer to do an intro for them, and be a bit of a warm up act. Try to tie what the professional is doing in with the need to maximize investment opportunities!
Don't just sit there worrying; activity will always reward you with success! Author's note: An 20-year veteran of the securities industry, advisor coach Patti Branco is a securities industry consultant, and founder of Patti Branco Management Solutions. And can be reached at 903-451-9800. ________________________________________________________________________
This Month's Registered Rep Opportunity
Open Architecture
...means more choices, fewer requirements. Use your own RIA or theirs, choose one of their clearing firms or an outside platform, open discretionary or non-discretionary accounts, take advantage of their "a la carte pricing." Many Rep/Advisors contact them because they have unique needs that cause them to operate "outside the box" which many Broker/Dealers do not allow. This B/D doesnt force them to fit their business models into a mold. Often, this means allowing for a choice of trading platforms, customizing a fee schedule, or creating a new program specific to that Rep/Advisor's needs. At this B/D, the doors are open and the possibilities are broad.
Independence
Typically, when large financial institutions have acquired our competitors, parent company priorities have taken precedence over the traditional values that independent firms once represented. When a parent company views a Rep/Advisor as a "distribution channel" and makes policies based on the parent company's bottom line, then the whole idea of independence and objectivity is lost. This B/D is what most independent Broker/Dealers used to be friendly, flexible, and dedicated to service.
Service
Service is what you want from your Broker/Dealer. When you call This B/D, you don't get a machine. The President and other key personnel are readily available to work directly with you. They are willing to work with you to set goals, both personal and professional, and to develop a business plan to help you meet those goals. When you need an answer to a question or a solution to a problem, their response time is measured in minutes and hours, not days and weeks.
Transition
This broker-dealer recognizes the importance of a timely and smooth transition of your business from your current firm, and they are committed to prompt, efficient ongoing service. They are dedicated to making your transition as smooth as they possibly can. They have a Transition Team responsible for assisting you through this crucial time. They will direct you to the key individuals you need to contact within the company from start to finish, follow up on any outstanding items, guide you in completing the various forms required to transfer your accounts - and simply be there for you. Their staff is empowered to get things done for you without red tape. This can-do attitude is reflected in their 9.4 (out of possible 10) overall rating by their Rep/Advisors, one of the most favorable ratings in the industry.
If you know anyone who would be interested in this or other rep opportunities, please have them contact Jason at 727-725-8876!
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Turning Point, Inc.
405 2nd Street South
Suite A
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 725-8876
(727) 669-8263 (fx)
www.TPISearch.com
tpi@TPISearch.com |
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Here are some additional opportunities from Turning Point, Inc.:
Consider membership in the Wealth Advisor Institute, www.wealthai.com. Educational opportunities, professionalism, research, networking and group benefit programs are all part of your membership in this organization catering to the advisor with a focus on the high net worth marketplace.
TURNING POINT in the MEDIA!Turning Point's President, Mitch Vigeveno, was recently quoted in Sydney LeBlanc's new article for Broker Dealer Magazine, "One Recruiters Rules for Hiring and Retaining." Click here to see the article. TURNING POINT PARTNERS:
Are you getting the most out of your business? Are you operating at peak efficiency? How about your marketing, your compliance, or your HR? We have some friends who can help you out. Just visit our Partners section in our website for links to a variety of services that are helpful to building your business! Quote of the Day:
"If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race."
Oprah Winfrey (b.1954)
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