| Financial advisors ask invigorating questions about | | | | plan. And that plan's foundation includes your target |
| marketing. Three recent queries get to the heart of | | | | market. |
| the marketing concerns many financial advisors have. | | | | Your services are not going to appeal to everyone. |
| Your Marketing Questions | | | | Your approach to providing financial services is not |
| "What works and what does not for a financial | | | | going to be what everyone wants. And you probably |
| professional (seminars, direct mail, calling friends | | | | feel more relaxed and confident working with certain |
| family, etc.)?" | | | | people, and not with others. |
| "What one suggestion would you make to help build | | | | So why try to match a marketing tool to just |
| a successful financial services practice?" | | | | anybody? |
| "Seminars don't work for me anymore, and I can't do | | | | Instead, match your skills, talent, and experience to a |
| cold calling. Now what do I do?" | | | | select audience and then choose your tools and |
| There is one overriding answer to these questions, | | | | message to harmonize with both. Having a plan will be |
| but it may not be what you think. It's not grabbing | | | | much more productive than, say, signing up for a |
| onto a new marketing tool such as a website, a blog, | | | | Yellow Pages ad for a year because the sales rep |
| or webinars. It's not sharpening and refining familiar | | | | happened to call. Unless a marketing tool glides easily |
| ones like direct mail or a referral program. | | | | into a well thought out marketing plan, it may simply |
| Our Questions | | | | waste your resources. |
| Any of these marketing techniques -- old or new -- | | | | A financial advisor, for example, discovered, as he |
| can work along with dozens of others. Which ones | | | | built his practice over the years, that about three |
| are for you? The answer is to call on strategy to be | | | | quarters of his clients were women. He was |
| your guide. And strategic questions to ask include: | | | | successful in working with women business owners |
| What are your resources -- Time, Money, and | | | | and executives, and that's where he decided to |
| People? Your resources let you know what's | | | | expand his practice. |
| promising and doable. | | | | One of his marketing strengths was to get out of |
| Who is your desired target market? Once you've | | | | the office and stir up opportunities. He found a |
| identified your desired audience, you can begin to | | | | thriving group of over 2000 members in his region |
| uncover what to say to them and where to reach | | | | (90 percent women) that helped women business |
| them. | | | | leaders. He chose to become a committed participant |
| What are your strengths? Where do you excel? | | | | and a corporate sponsor in that group. |
| What do you get a kick out of? If you don't feel | | | | He added the group to the other marketing tools in |
| confident about a marketing tool or don't believe that | | | | his plan . . . which brings up once again the idea of the |
| you do it well (maybe you are only so-so at speaking | | | | number "one." We would not recommend one |
| in front of groups; perhaps you are ill at ease while | | | | marketing tool and only one. Look for complementary |
| networking), then it's less likely that the tool will work | | | | tools that reach your ideal prospects. Try them out, |
| for you. | | | | track results. Once they prove to be a winner, add |
| Our "One Suggestion" | | | | those strategies and tactics to your marketing plan. |
| Our "one suggestion" is to build a strategic marketing | | | | |