Contact Us

10 Marketing “Musts” To Reach The Finish Line First

  • By Ironstone
  • |
  • August 16, 2013

Marketing signReady to kick your marketing plan into overdrive this year? Consider these 10 marketing ideas used by elite advisors to achieve your goals, increase revenue and take your firm to a new level of production.

When implementing the following strategies, don’t just look at the list, engage in the tactics to make them work. You must apply your tactical plan and stick to it, analyze the results and make changes when needed.

1.      Teach your clients and prospects: Like most firms you probably have a vision and mission statement, but have you created a unique value proposition? Your value proposition should describe what you do along with your promise of value in a few sentences. Focus on providing clients with the words to refer you. Your unique value proposition should be prominent in your marketing materials as well as your conversation.

2.      Form strong strategic alliances: Pay attention to who your clients seek advice from through CPAs, Estate Planners and Attorneys.  Create a list and research to determine which businesses share a common vision with your firm and form an alliance to provide referrals to each other. Lay a strong foundation by defining goals and expectations. Follow up with scheduled meetings to ensure each party is on the same track. Your alliances should not be a one-way street. You don’t need a vast group of alliances. Careful selection within a small group, sharing universal goals and outcomes will be profitable for your firm.

3.      Develop relationships: Get to know your clients on a personal level. Be patient. Relationships take time and consistent effort to form. Start learning more about your clients when they are in your office. Use Ironstone’s Client Personal Interest Worksheet. Client Personal Interests Worksheet  Go a step further to create deep meaningful relationships by hosting small gatherings. Celebrate milestone events in your client’s lives such as birthdays and anniversaries. Ask them to invite a few friends! What a great strategy to solidify client retention as well as implementing another prospecting avenue.

4.       Build credibility: Write, write, write! One of the best ways to build credibility is by providing educational material to your market. Use newsletters, news articles and emails to keep your clients and prospects informed of breaking news and trends in the industry. Offer to write a periodic investment article for your local newspaper. By doing so, you have fueled up your prospect line and those clients that you are working with will be more likely to refer you. Implement your own research and study program to create white papers, articles and blogs. Doing so will set you apart from your competition and create a recognizable name for your firm over time. If you don’t have time, delegate or hire a contract employee to provide research assistance. This is a must do!

 5.      Get Social: There are really two components in this strategy, implement social media and network. If you haven’t implemented social media in your firm, start now. Social media is here to stay and it hasn’t even reached its peak. Outside of the office, get social by committing to time away from the office. Review your community calendar, show an interest in community development and attend events where you can meet community influencers. People like to associate themselves with businesses that support causes within the community. Be certain that you have a genuine interest in the event you attend. It’s easy to spot a fake with ulterior motives. Tip: Your firm could offer to sponsor or host a community event.

6.      Create a referral system: Referrals are still the best and most profitable source for new client acquisition.  Learning how to earn referrals is the key to a successful referral plan. It is easy to ask for a referral, anyone can do it. Elite advisors don’t ask, they earn.  Earn referrals by establishing a trusted friendship with your clients, providing incredible client service and supply resource and educational material readily. Tip: Include a resource section on your website with articles, white papers and blogs you have written. Clients will refer and share articles with their peers.

 7.      Play on your passions: Invite clients and prospects to do something with you that you are passionate about. Create a passion list and choose clients who share the same passions. Ask them to bring a friend to the event. This is a great opportunity to meet new people who share similar interests and to expand your lead generation efforts. Holding three or four of these events each year will provide opportunities to boost your bottom line.

 8.      Establish differentiation: It’s not enough to merely say your firm is different and you provide great service. Everyone says that. You need to show it! When I went to a local drive through restaurant the other day, I noticed an immediate difference from others. What was it? The employees were happy, engaged and initiated conversation with me. They made me smile, laugh and feel appreciated. They made my “drive-through” experience fun! So, I’m easy to please, maybe… But, I can tell you that I will go back and I will be calling the manager to let them know about my experience. They also got my order right! The key is to create an experience clients won’t find elsewhere – don’t be afraid to have some fun!

9.      Understand your niche: You can’t be everything to everyone. Advisors that shoot for the moon may grab a few starts along the way, but it’s much more effective to group the stars that are alike and provide solutions based on their needs. You will position yourself as an expert in your industry, gain credibility and your marketing dollars and efforts will be utilized efficiently.

10.  Appreciate your clients: Let your clients know you appreciate them!Give your clients a reason to be loyal!  Hosting client events are an integral part of your overall business strategy and comprehensive marketing plan.  Taking the time and effort to plan targeted  events will enhance your client retention strategy.

Keep your marketing plan alive by reviewing the status of each objective you implement. You can have the best marketing plan in the world, but if you don’t measure the results continually, the plan will not generate results.

Ironstone’s Vision is to forge and guide the personal and professional lives of entrepreneurs and business professionals alike to realize their full potential. Coaching and consulting allows us the opportunity to form an environment where success happens and goals are reached.

Read more about our coaching and consulting program here

 Start your transformation with Ironstone as your Partner for Performance

Contact Ironstone with your branding questions & let’s get started! 

Have a question or comment for Ironstone? Contact us!

Related Marketing Posts You May Be Interested In:

Photo courtesy ©iStock/Getty Images/Thinkstock

Are you just getting by or are you getting better? Get started today!

Author Bio

Ironstone is a learning and development consultancy with business acumen that translates across many industries. Our focus is on practice management strategies in order to enhance and improve both business and personal life. We support professionals who want major and comprehensive improvements that look at all aspects not just an isolated area for change. Ironstone has identified 4 key performance areas known as the Fundamental 4™, which are required to design, develop, and sustain a successful business.

DefaultBlogImage