85Million DollarTipsFOR

FinancialAdvisorsMaribethKuzmeski

Authorof…AndTheClientsWentWildandTheConnectors

Copyright©2015MaribethKuzmeski

ISBN:0-9717780-1-9LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2003099022 Published2004,2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored ina retrieval system,or transmitted inanyform or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionoftheauthor.

PrintedinTheUnitedStates

CoverandInteriorDesign:AndraKeller,DeHart&Company

Introduction

AWordFromMaribethKuzmeski

Financialadvisorshavealotofcompetition.Think about it. There are hundreds of thousands of

financial advisors and insurance agents. A seeminglyunlimiteddroveof financialproducts.Thousandsofmutualfunds.Andallofthisboilsdowntoonesimple, dishearteningfact:youareinseriousperilofbecominga commodity.

Your only recourse is to prove that you are different.That you arebetter. That you offer your clients somethingaboveandbeyondtheservicesofferedbyyourcompetitors.Thatyou,betterthananyoneelse,canhelpthemmanage themurky and confusing yet opportunity-filled world ofinvestingandmoneymanagement.

AndthatispreciselywhyIwrotethisbook.Red Zone Marketing specializes in helping financial

servicecompaniessetthemselvesapartfrom thecrowdand,ultimately,winallthebusinessthey want.Theinformationinthisbook—whichiscarefully packagedin85bite-sized,easy-to-understandmarketing tips—reflectstheadviceIoffermyclientseveryday.

Asyoureadthisbookyouwillnoticethat,occasionally, Imakereferencestofootball.That’sbecausemybusiness

And, why do I make an analogy to football you may be asking? First, there are somany similarities between winning in business and winning in sports. Second, I simply love football! Unlike the typical girl, my earliest memories are about the game. Every Sunday in football season I was sent to my Grandma�s house. Grandma taught me everything about the game� the rules, positions, players, teams and the

calls the referees were making. And she taught me how to cheer for the underdog�our beloved Green Bay Packers who suffered through many dismal years while I was

growing up.

philosophyisbasedonthefootball-relatedanalogyof helpingmyclientsgetinto—andscorefrom—theRedZone. Ifyou’reafootballfan,youknowthattheredzone—thatunmarkedterritorybetweenthedefendingteam’s20- yardlineandtheendzone—isthemostcriticaland magnifiedpartofthefield.Often,itdetermineswhethera teamwinsorlosesagame.Likewise,inbusiness,theRed Zoneisthatunmarkedterritorywhereyoueitherwinorloseaclient.Of course, it’s not necessary to be a football fan in order to

benefit from this book. The tips stand alone quite nicely. I justwantedyoutounderstandwhyyou’regoingtoseethe occasionalreferencetogoalpostsorgameplans!Ihopeyouwill find the ideas in thisbookthought provoking,

useful and above all, profitable. I don’t expect you to implementall 85 of these marketing tips, by the way. Some will beappropriate for your company, others will not. That’s okay.Marketingisanart,notaprecisescience.However,Icanmakeyoutwopromises.Numberone, thesetips

work.IknowtheyworkbecauseIhaveseenthe actualresultsthatoccurwhenourclientsfollowthem faithfullyandenthusiastically.Numbertwo,thesetips are...fun.Yes,youreadthat lastsentencecorrectly.Marketingcan be—

andshouldbe—excitingandenjoyable.Ifyoudon’tsee thefuninspreading the good news about your companyanddreaming upcreative ways to outscore the competition, you’re not doing itright.

Now is your chance to remedy that! Here’s my advice. Sitdown,turnoffyourphone,and readthisbookcovertocover.You might want to flag your favorites. Then, make acommitmenttospendalittletimeeachweekdoingtheworknecessarytoimplementthe onesthatreallyspeaktoyou.Youwillbe amazedatthetransformationthatcantakeplaceinyourbusiness.

I inviteyou to leap full force into theworldofRedZoneMarketing . . . and get ready to score, again and again andagain!

1

11GetYour“Vision”Checked.

I’mnottalkingaboutavisittoyourlocaloptometrist. Butsince this is a book aboutmarketing, you probably figuredthatout.WhenIsayvision,I’mreferringtoyour ownmentalimageofwhatyourbusinessshouldbe.Thebig picture.Whatwill your financial services company look like in, say, tenyears?

Ifyoudon’tyet haveavisionofyour future,you’renotalone.Mostpeopledon’t.Unfortunately,that’swhysomanybusinessesfail—orat leastfail tothrive.AsYogiBerraoncesaid, “If youdon’t knowwhere you’re going,when you getthereyou’llbelost.”

Beforeyoureadanyfurther,takeanhour(oraday,oraweek, ifyouneed it) todreamup—andcommittopaper—yourbusiness vision.Make it as grand and glorious as youwant…even if it’s so grand and glorious you suspect you’llneverattainit.

I realize this seems like a tall order—and it is. But therestof the tipsinthisbookwon’tdoyoumuchgood ifyoudon’tknowwhereyou’reheaded.

2

22YourMission,ShouldYouChooseToAcceptIt…

Nowthatyou’veconceivedyourvision,it’stimetocomeback down to earth. It’s time to write your missionstatement! (I canhear the groansnow, but this isa criticalstepinbecomingaRedZonemarketer.)

Ifyou’reconfusedaboutthedifferencebetweena vision(last tip) and amission (this tip), take a cue from JeffreyAbrahams,authorofTheMissionStatementBook. Hewrote,“A vision is something to be pursued, while a mission issomethingtobeaccomplished.”

In short, decide what you’d like to accomplish—yourreasonforbeinginbusiness—andsumitupinafewshort&sweetsentences.Ifyouneedmoreguidance,considerAT&T’smissionstatement:

Weaspire tobe themostadmiredandvaluable companyintheworld. Ourgoal istoenrich our customers’personallivesandtomaketheirbusinesses moresuccessfulbybringingto market exciting and useful communications services,buildingshareownervaluein theprocess.

Doesthathelpyoufocus?Good!Nowgrabyourpen(oryourkeyboard)andstartwriting.

3

33SetUpYourGoalPosts.

Now, it’s time to get specific and measurable goals.FootballfanthatIam,Iliketocallthem“goalposts.”Agoalpostisnotageneralstatementlike“Iwantmoreclients.”Ofcourse you want more clients! But stated so vaguely, it’snothingmore thanwishful thinking.A specific,measurablegoalpostmightbe“Iwanttoincreasemyclientbaseby20%inthenext12months.”

If you currently have 100 clients, a 20 percent increasemeansaddingtwentynewclientsduringthecomingyear.Butifyouwaituntiltheeleventhmonthtobeginworkingtowardthat goal, youwon’t reach it. This is whyyouneed sub-goalposts. For example: “I will add one new client every twoweeks.”

Once you’ve set up your goal posts and sub-goal posts,you’ll have somethingto aim for. The rest of thisbookwillgiveyousomespecific ideasonhowtomove toward thesegoalposts(i.e.,intotheRedZoneandontotheendzone).

Readon…thegame’sabouttogetreallyinteresting!

4

44AddanMVPtoYourTeam

Of course YOU are the Most Valuable Player on yourteam.Right?Well,whatifyoulookedatyourselfasthe coachandgeneralmanager,nottherunningback?Youare callingtheplaysandyouremployeesarerunningthem.

WhynotaddanMVPtoyourteamthatwillgiveyoutheopportunitytosellmore,withfewerheadaches?HireaNewBusiness Coordinator (or “NBC” for short). Many financialadvisorsinthisindustryhavefoundthatsuchanindividualpaysforhim/herselfcountlesstimesoverbyfreeinguptheirtimeandinsuringthatfollow-upisbeingdone.

The NBC joins you in every new businessappointment…hears firsthand what needs to be done inorder to transform a prospect into a client…schedules thefollow-up appointments, prepares the paperwork, entersnotes into the database, conducts research, and preparesfirstdraftsoffinancialplans.Heorshecreatesa relationshipwith the prospect by giving that person another point ofcontactintheoffice(besidesyou).

This extraordinary individual will help you where youneed it themost.When someone is on top of every detail,youcandowhatyoudobest—sell,andbeagreat financialadvisor.

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55WhoLovesYaBabe?

Youareagreat financialadvisor.Youknowitandyourclientsknowit.Butyourstaffneedstoknowit,andbelieve itaswell.

Ifyourstaffdoesn’tthinkthatyouarethebestfinancialadvisor in theworld, consider lettingtheminonyour littlesecret.Yousee,iftheydon’tthinkyouaresuperfantasticatwhatyoudo,howcantheypossiblytransferthat informationontoyourprospectiveandcurrentclients?

Let themknowwhenyouhave received an industryorbroker dealer award. Show them client testimonials. Havethemsit in onmeetings so they can see firsthandhowyouchangelives.

Inordertosell,theyneedtobelieve.Iftheydon’t,won’torcan’t—findsomeonewhodoes,willandcan!

6

66NoMoreNappingOntheJob.

Don’t rest on your laurels. When your marketing isworkingandyouarereachingyourgoals,takeadvantageofthe best time you have to step your marketing up a level(yes, do it when the going is good!). When you havemomentum,ensurethatitcontinues.

Ifyoudecidethatbusinessisgreatnowandthatnomoremarketing will be necessary, there is the possibility thatsometime in the future your pipeline of prospectswill rundry. Continue to communicateeffectivelywith your clients,your prospects, and the community to cultivate and growyourclientbaseforthelongterm.

7

77GetAllTheMOTT.

DoyoueverleaveMoney-On-The-Table(MOTT)?Far toomany financial advisors don’t take advantage of all theopportunities the client presents. Before long the financialadvisor is on to the next sale with another client and theopportunityislongforgotten.

You close the first salewithoneproduct, but theclientmayalsoneedlongtermcareinsuranceorlifeinsuranceormay have investments that you are not managing. RecordtheMOTTopportunities inyourdatabase. Schedule follow-upcalls,letters,andappointmentstoaddressMOTT.

Pay attention to opportunities that can bring extraincometoyou.Don’t let thedetails slip through thecracks.Getthe MOTToffthetable!

8

88YouHaveSomethingTheMediaWants.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Newspapers,magazines and even radio and TV stations need lots ofstories. What’s more, they need them fast. And generallyspeaking, they don’t have enough reporters to go out andfind those stories. They rely on press releases—well-written, fact-filled, newsworthy ones—to fill up the emptyspacesandthedeadairtime.

That’swhereyoucomein.Maybeyou’reofferinga trulycutting-edge legacy-planning seminar…or you’ve just beenhired to manage a major 401K…or you’ve come up with acan’t-fail strategy guaranteed to make every client aconsistent,long-term,happyinvestor.(Okay,youcanalwaysdream!)

Thepointis,somethingaboutyourcompanyis interestingandrelevantenoughtobecoveredinthemedia. It’syourjobto figure out what that something is. Then, tell the media.This ispublic relations, orPR for short. It’s like advertising,butbetter—youdon’thavetopayforthe space,andsinceit’spresentedas“news,”ithasmore credibility.Honest.

9

99DoYourMediaHomework.

Okay, now that you have some great ideas for pressreleases,whoareyougoingtosendthemto?Good question.The answer is pretty simple. Just ask yourself: What mediawill reach my target audience; i.e., potential customers formyfirm? Once you have the answer, you’re ready to startbuildingyourmedialist.

Yourlistshouldincludefivemajortypesofoutlets.One isnewspapers, both big city, and, suburban—daily, weekly,monthly and online—plus wire services and syndicates.Anotherismagazines,bothconsumerand trade.Thefourthissocial media distribution. The other two categories are TVstationsandnetworks,andradio stationsandnetworks.

Once you’ve created your list, go to eachpublicationand socialmedia site and listen and read up. Also, listen totargeted radio stations, concentrating on talk shows andnews stories.Watch programs on your targeted TV outlets,payingparticularattentiontotalkshowsand featurestorieswithalocalangle.

Seewhatyou’redoing?You’refiguringoutwhattypeofmaterial the variousmedia outletswant, so you can targetyourPReffortsaccordingly.Simple,huh?

10

1100TheArtofthePressRelease.Ahh,theheart-stoppingterroroffacingablanksheetof

paper! (or, sincewe’re living in theComputerAge, ablankword-processingdocument).Writer’s blockdoesn’t have tode-railyourPRefforts,though.Justfollowthesesimple tips: Be sure it reads like news. Avoid acronyms, jargon andself-promotional language. Anddon’t start your releasebywriting that your organization “is [pleased] [happy][honored]toannounce,etc.” Justwrite“has announced”andkeepgoing.

Include the name, address, and phone number of yourorganization, as well as the date, contact person forobtainingadditionalinformation,andreleasedate.

Writeaneye-catchingheadline,thenbebriefandtothepoint.Putthekeyelementsofyourstoryintheopeningparagraph.Theeasieryoumakeabusyeditor’s job, thebetter.

Haveat leastoneotherpersonproofreadyourcopy foraccuracy,spelling,grammarandpunctuation.Also, keepa stylemanual handy.The ChicagoManual of Style andThe Associated Press Style Manual are two of the mostpopular.

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1111LearnWhatEditorsLike…And

WhatTheyDon’t.First, letmepointoutthatyourmedialist(discussedin

Tip #9) should include the (accurately-spelled!) names ofeditors, reporters, columnists, stationmanagers, talk showhosts,producers,etc.Peopledochangejobs,sobesurethatyouupdateyourlistperiodically.

When you call your contacts, keep your conversationwell-focused and as brief as possible, introducing yourselfandtheorganizationyourepresent.Knowwhatyou’re goingto saybefore you call, including yourmainnewsangle andanyalternateangles.

Forfuturereference, findoutwhenandhowyourmediacontacts want to be, well, contacted. Do they prefer e-mails,faxes,calls,etc.?Then,keeparecordofallcontacts, includingdate,time,subjectmatterandanyfollow-upyou needtodo.

One final caveat: do not send out a release and thenimmediately call editors with an annoying, high-pressure“salespitch”aimedatgettingthemtorunyourstory. If thestory is newsworthy—and if there’s enough print space orair time available—they’ll use it. At any rate, the editordoesn’toweyouanything…sodon’tbeapest.

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1122RemembertheTwoMagicWords.Mom was right. Thank you goes a long way in every

situation. And when you’re trying to build a long-termrelationshipwithaneditor,thesetwomagicwordscan meanthe difference between a splashy feature on your financialservices firmandyournewsreleasebeing unceremoniouslytossedintothe“roundfile.”

When a release you send is used, call the personresponsible and say thank you. Better still, send a briefhandwritten note. (Editors rarely get them, and they willrememberyourthoughtfulnessinthefuture.)

Aconsistentlyfriendlyattitudewillhelpensurepositivemedia relationships. Keep your door open to reporters;whentheyseekadditionalinformation,gotheextramiletoprovideit.Andremember,asineveryareaofyourlife,yourbestcredentialisyourintegrity.

13

1133Keep‘EmInformedwitha

Newsletter.Since1916,thisformofcommunicationhasbeena major

marketing tool for American companies.Why? Simply put,an organization newsletter lets you deliver consistentmessages about your products or services directly to atargeted audience of readers—be they clients, prospects,suppliers,shareholders,employeesorothers.

Custom newsletters build credibility and awareness ofyour organization in the crowded financial advisormarketplace, while stimulating good will and boostingopportunitiesforrepeatsales.

Also, newsletters are flexible. Just like a football teamusesawidevarietyofrunningandpassingplaysin executingitsgameplan,youcanuseyournewsletterin variousways:as a sales, advertising, PR, educational and/or promotionaltool.

Why not start planning yours now? Find someone inyour company who has the time and writing ability—andcommitment!—todoatop-qualityjob.Ifthat’simpossible, beawarethat there aremanyadagencies,PR firmsand othercommunicationscompaniesthatwillhappilytakethe projectoffyourhands.

Thenexttwotipswillgiveyousomespecificguidelinesforgreat,readablenewsletters.

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1144NewsletterKnow-How(PartI)Afewhintsforproducingatop-notchnewsletter…

Aimfora“FOGIndex”of12orless.TheIndexequates tothe educational level needed to even comprehendwritten material (16 = college graduate). The mostpopularbusinesspublicationsaverageinthe11range.

Startsmall. Ifyou’re justbeginning,sticktoamaximumof four pages, which will give you enough space toconveyyourmessageeffectively.

Makeagoodfirstimpression.Begintwoorthreearticlesonthefrontpageandcontinuethemontheinside. Strivefora“breakingnews”lookandfeel.

Establish credibility. Address hot, current issueswithinthefinancialindustry.Usepeopleoutsideyourcompanyto write articles. Also, writing in the “third person” ismore believable than the first-person style manynewslettersuse.

Be brief. In today’s fast-food, sound-bite, instant-everything society, readers prefer more and shorterstories,ratherthanafewlongarticles.

Variety is still the spice of life—and of newsletters.Unfortunately, many newsletters include only subjectmatterabout the companiesthatproducethem.Logicalbutboring.Aimforvarietyandincludeacolumnofbite-sized fillers—quotations, interesting events, commentsfromtradejournals,etc.

15

1155NewsletterKnow-How(PartII)

…andevenmorenewsletterhints!

Usepictures.Theyattractattention!Usepicturesof yourclients, your staff, andyourevents.Also, use pictures toillustrateyourpoints.

Use quotations. Well-chosen ones can enliven articles,illustrate points, change the pace, get attention, triggeremotion, and add humor. Not only can they reinforceyourmessage,theycanfillsmall“holes”thatcause layoutproblems.

Ticklethereader’sfunnybone.Anecdotesand quotationscanbeusedeffectivelytogetreaderssmiling. (Whosaysfinancial advisors don’t have a sense of humor?) Ahumorouscolumnshowsthatyoudon’ttake yourselftooseriously.

Sticktoaschedule.Footballpracticesandgamesdon’t getunderway whenever everyone decides to just show up.Neither should your newsletter. Start with your targetdatesforsendingandworkbackward, includingdeadlinedates for every step in the process: copy submission,typesetting,printing,etc.

Buildinbounce-back.Makeiteasyforreaderstocontactyoufor freeoffers, moreinformation,etc.Includephonenumbers with extensions,emails,andpeople’snames,notjustdepartments.

Profread,proofredandproofreadagain!Gotcha!

16

1166RecycleYourOrganization

Newsletter.No,I’mnottalkingaboutthrowingit intherecyclingbin

orusing it to lineTweety’sbirdcage. Youmaythinkof eachissueofyourorganizationnewsletterasa“onetime” issuetocustomers and employees. But you can use back issues innumerousways.Handthemoutattrade shows…emailthemto prospective clients as a part of a “get to know us”strategy…give them to editors who need “background” onyour company…post them on your Web site. Bottom line?Hangontothoseoldnewsletters.You neverknowwhenyoumightneedthem.

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1177ForgetYourBrochure–When

WasTheLastTimeYouReadOne?

Ifyouthinkbrochuresarethewaytogotopromote yourbusiness, consider the last time you read a brochure fromcovertocover?Really?

You need a brochure only if you “think” you need one.Consider using a one-page information sheet that describesyour highlights in easy-to-read bullet points, containsimportantvaluedifferentiators,anddescribesyour business,your office, your staff and the services and solutions youprovideastheymayBENEFITthereader.

Asinglesheetiseasytoread—ortoskim,asthecase maybe.And,don’t forget touseyourpictureand/ora pictureofyourentirestaff.Apictureisworthathousand words,andnomatterifyouthinkyoutakegoodpicturesornot,ultimatelyyouaresellingyourself…andyouare whoyouare.Soforgetyourcamera-shynatureandflashthemasmile!

18

1188GiveVideoMarketingaTry.Atfirstglance, financialplanningdoesn’tevokethe most

exciting visual imagery.Butwhenyouconsiderwhypeoplebuy,youmaywanttoconsidervideo.80%ofwhypeoplehireyouisbecauseofyou,notalonglistofservicesorproducts.Sogivethemyouandyourteam!

That’swhyvideomarketingisgreat.Viavideo,walk themthrough the process that clients go through when doingbusinesswithyou.Videocanconveythespectacular benefitsyour services offer clients far better than a static photo orwordsonpaper.Ithitspeopleonan immediate,gutlevel.Sowhynotcreateaspectacular salesvideoandsendittoyourtopprospects?

AccordingtoastudybytheWhartonSchoolofBusinessat the University of Pennsylvania, prospects that watch amarketingvideomaketheirbuyingdecision70percent fasterthanthosewhoonlyreadaboutyou.What’smore, accordingtoTechnicolorVideoServices,about94percent ofthepeoplewho watch your video will consider passing it along to afriendorrelative.

Prettyimpressivestatistics,huh?

19

1199VideoOnTheCheap?

Worriedaboutthecostsofproducingamarketing video?Don’tbe.Abitofshoppingaroundwillhelpyoufind agooddeal.Perhapsasmallvideoproductioncompanyin yourareawill charge considerably less than a large, full- servicefacility. Or you may be able to save money by contactingvideostudentsatyourlocalcollege.

A word of warning, however: don’t sacrifice quality inorder to save a few pennies. The cost of producing a goodmarketing video is an investment in your company—onethat will get you into, and through, the Red Zone. In otherwords,don’tbetoomuchofaScrooge!

20

2200It’sTimeToWeaveYourWebSite.

To be accepted as a legitimate business today, it’svirtually essential (no pun intended) that you have apresence online. Letme say it another way. If you presentyourselfasasuccessfulfirm,yetlackastrongwebpresence,red flags go up—and they’ll make your job of reaching theRed Zonemuch harder. (Red flags and Red Zonesdefinitelydon’tmix!)

The Web can help differentiate you from yourcompetition and share your value using short, concisemessagingthatcapturestheattentionofyourprospects.TheWebmakes itpossible tohouseallyourbusiness marketingcollateral online, eliminating or reducing the need forbrochures, catalogs, business form, etc. (Think how muchmoneyyou’llsaveonprinting!)

The Web also is the key to converting referrals today.Your clients are sharing you with others but beforeschedulingthatappointment,yourreferralsarecheckingyououtonline.Areyouokaywiththat?

Getthepoint?It’stimetoweaveyourbestwebsitesite…don’twaitanotherday!

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2211AlreadyHaveAWebSite?

GetItEvaluated.Ialmostdidn’t includethistip,butthenIthoughtbetter

ofit.Knowwhy?Becausetoomanyfirmshaveawebsite thatisn’t helping them. Maybe it’s outdated because yourcompany has drastically changed. Maybe you slapped ittogether in fiveminutesback in1996, just soyou couldsayyouhadaWebpresence.Ormaybeit looksprofessional butsimplyisn’tmeetingyourcompany’sgoals.

Here’s my suggestion: ask someone you respect toevaluate your site. It couldbe aWebexpert, preferably onewithexperienceinthefinancialservicesindustry.Orit couldbe one ormore of yourmost important clients. Just get anoutside point of view. It’s hard to be objective about yourownWebsite—especiallyifyou’retheonewhodevelopedit!(Hey,you’reonlyhuman.)

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2222Don’tLetYourInternetHome

CollectCobwebs.Ever visited a corporate website only to find that

absolutely nothing about it had changed since your lastvisit—a year earlier? Chances are, you were left with theimpression of a stale, dusty, unimaginative company. Sure,maybetheyweretoodarnbusytoupdatetheirsite.Butyou,thevisitor, can’tknowthat…and inmarketing,perception isreality.

Now,applythisprincipletoyourownwebsite.Have youupdated it lately? You should. As a financial advisor, youmight write a regular blog on current economic news andmakeitanintegralpartofyoursite.Thiswillgive clientsandpotential clients a reason to bookmark your site and visit itregularly.

Another (less work-intensive) tactic to consider isposting a link on yourwelcome page that takes visitors toyourmost recentpress release.Alternately, at least once aweek—evenonceaday—addathought-provokingquoteorbitofhumortoyoursite.Anythingtopreventrepeatvisitorsfromgettingboredandgoingelsewhere!

Finally, ifyouarenotagoodwriter,hireaprofessional.Justaskaround…atrustedcolleagueissuretoknowsomeonewhocandoabang-upjobwithyourwebsite.

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2233PersonalizeYourMassE-Mails.Let’s say you’re offering a new service…or have some

market news you’d like to share…or you’ve hired a newemployee…or you’ve just been named Financial Advisor oftheYear.Naturally,youwant tosharethebignews,soyousend out a mass e-mail to your database of 500 clients,prospectsandbusinessassociates.Easy,huh?

Well,yes.E-mailcanbeawonderfulcommunication tool.Justdon’taddressyoure-nnouncementtononeinparticular.(This is the true definition of spam!) Instead, invest in anemaildeliveryprogramthatpersonalizesyour e-mails.It’saneasy thing to do, and it makes your message much morefriendly.

Oh,andbytheway:whene-mailingaclientinresponseto a question,puthis orhername in the greeting—it’snothardtodoanditmakestherecipientfeelspecial.

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2244GetSocial.TheImpressionMatters.Are youonlinewith a socialmediapresence? If not, it's

timetogetsocial!Today, 9 out of 10 people will search for you online

before coming in to visitwith you.Why? Because they can(andshould)conductresearchanddosomeduediligencetofindoutaboutyouandyourfirmbeforecomingintosharetheirconfidentialpersonalfinancialinformation.Thinkaboutit–wegoonlineifweareconsideringanewrefrigerator. Ifwe are considering a financial professional, one whom wemay investour lifesavingswith,weareevenmore likely togoonline.

Ifyouthinkyoushouldbereceivingmorereferralsbasedon the good job you aredoing for your clients, look first toyour first impression. Your clients are likely talking aboutyou because you are doing the type ofwork they considervaluable.Theyarereferringyoutoothers.However,itisyourwebsite and overall online presence (think LinkedIn) thatmaybe the cause of unfortunate fumbles in theRed Zone –the very time that you are seconds away from convertingthose referrals into appointments and sales. If people don'tfind something compelling about you online, theymay justfindsomeoneelse.Whatimpressionareyoumaking?

25

2255ManagingYourReputation.

Managing your reputation today includes your onlinereputation.Whether you have actively developed an onlinepresenceornot,oneofthemostimportanttasksisprotectingyour reputation! Much as you would protect your credit,regularlycheckforactivityconnectedtoyournameandyourbusiness.

Your reputation is too important to be controlled bysomeone else. Google yourself and see what others areseeing.Itmayormaynotbewhatyouwantthemtosee.Yousee, anyone can post information about you whether youhave a strong web and social media presence or not.Ultimately,it’sbettertodevelopyourownonlinepresencesoyou are in control of generating positive search resultsthroughyourwebsite,onlinepostsandprofiles.

Oneoftheeasiestwaystomonitoryourreputationisbysettingup aGoogleAlertwhichwill informyouof anythingthathasappearedaboutyouonline.GoogleAlertsareemailupdatesofthelatestrelevantGoogleresults(web,news,etc.)based on your choice of query or topic. Go towww.Google.com/Alertsandsetupafreealertonyournameand your firm’s name. Whenever anything appears onlinethatyouorsomeoneelsehaspostedaboutyou,anemailwillbesenttoyouwithalinktotheonlineoccurrence.Intoday’sonlineword,it’sjustgoodbusinesstoknow.

26

2266BeALeader.GetFollowers.The firstmost important considerationwith your social

mediasites(specificallyLinkedIn&Facebook)istofigureouthowyouwillget followers/likes/connections. Ifyoursocialmediasitesarefilledwithinterestingpostsandinformation,yetyouhavenoconnections,itisnotexactly“social.”

LinkedIn is fairly easy to get connections. Simply inviteclients, associates and contacts directly through LinkedIn.But Facebook is more difficult. Ask yourself why someonewouldwanttoconnectwithyourbusiness onFacebookwhenthey are there to see pictures of their neighbors andgrandkids?

ThekeyforFacebookisto“sell”thevaluethatyouwillbeposting,theinformationonyourupcomingevent,themarketupdates and timely information. You may offer a freedownloadofavaluablesoundingwhitepaperorarticle.Youmaysharethatyouwillbepostingpictureshereofyourstaff,picturesfromyourclientappreciationevents,andlinkstothebestvideosyoucanfindonfinancialtopics.

So, invite your friends and connections via email to joinyou as you share all the fun and information that theymayfind.InvitethemthroughFacebook’sBuildAudiencetab.Butinvitethemandtellthemwhy.

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2277HireaDirectorofYour

ReputationAt Red Zone Marketing, we have hired a staff person

who’s sole responsibility is our online strategy. Her title is“Director of Online Reputation” and she coordinateseverythingfrompostingourblogthatIwrite,placingarticleonotherblogs,posting content toall oursocialmediasites,managing our email newsletter, and coordinating affiliatemarketing.

Considerhiringaninternfromalocalcollege.Youlayouttheplanandtheyexecuteforyou.Itisagreatjobforayoungpersonanditisrightuptheiralley.Havethisinternreportonconnections,progress,resultsandmoreeachweektoyourteam.

Youmaynotneedafulltimeperson,butyouprobablydoneedsomeonetomanageyouronlinereputation.Yourreferrals,clientloyalty,top-of-mindawarenessandreputationmaydependonit!

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2288CherishThoseClientKudos.

Yourdelightedclientsgiveyouexactlywhatyouneedtoshowyourvalue and uniqueness.Although testimonials arenotusuallyallowed,verballywecansharestoriesabout thegoodworkwe'vedonewithclients.

Storiesarerememberedmorethan laundry listsofstuffyou do, so share some stories verbally ofwhat others havenotedaboutyourwork.

When someone asks you what you do, considersayingsomethinglike,"Wellwedoalotatourfinancialservices firm,but maybe thebest way to describe whatwedoistosharewtihyouwhatoneofmyoldestclientssaidtomethisweek..."

Give'emsomethingtheycanbelieveinandauthenticstoriesarebelievable.

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2299BecomeThe(Event)Host

WithTheMost.MarshallField,thelegendaryretailinggenius,oncesaidthat

“Goodwill istheoneandonlyassetthatcompetition cannotundersellordestroy.”Oneofthemosteffectiveways tobuildthat goodwill is to help others, by sharing your knowledgeandexpertisewiththem.

As a financial advisor, youhavea lotof knowledge andexpertise to share. Your method is simple: hold an event.What kind of event? The options are many and myriad.Imagine hosting free educational workshops and seminarswithtitleslikethese:

“HowtoRetirefrom[INSERTCOMPANYNAME]withoutMakingBigMistakes."

“PlanningForTheHighCostofKids:FromPlayroomsToPh.Ds.”

“A Retirement From Heaven: Planning to Do ExactlyWhatYouWantinRetirement.”

Ofcourse,youdon’thavetoholdyourownseminars. Youcansponsorcommunityeventsorspeakatyourlocal RotaryCluboratanassociationfilledwithyourprospects.Themoreyou appear in front of the public, the more credibility yougain.Andbelieveme—credibilityis greatforyourbusiness!

30

3300IfYou’reNot,YouShouldBe!Ifyouaren’tcurrentlydoingseminars,youshouldbe!If

you are,howcanyoumakethemmoresuccessful?Well,justkeep onreading!

Oneof thechallengeswithseminars isgettingqualifiedattendeestoshowup.Ifyouofferatargetedseminar(NOT,forexample,“GeneralInvestingforEveryInvestor”),mailittoa targetedlist,andprovideatargetedmessagefilledwithpotentialsolutions—thenyouhaveagreatseminar!

A good example: “Unlocking Your Retirement Funds,”presentedfor individuals thatworkat aparticularFortune100company. Even if ten or twenty people attend it will be agreat seminar because each and every one of themwill begetting readytoretirewitharolloverortheywouldnothavecome. And,useprovensourcesforgettingattendeestoyourseminar. Whyreinventthewheel!

Tip-Within-A-Tip: Use the 5-5-5-20 Strategy.Mail 5 invitations each to 5 people you know who work or

worked at a target company. Ask them to pass the invitationsto people they know who are getting ready to retire from thatcompany. Then, follow up with a phone call to your 5contacts. You may think it a miracle�but I have seen thissimple strategy produce 20 qualified attendees consistently atseminars. Hence 5-5-5-20!

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3311Benefits,Benefits,Benefits.

In your financial seminars, are you selling products orsellingsolutions?Sellingfeaturesorbenefits?Givingall yoursolutions away or leaving some for a meeting after theseminar?

Seminarattendeesaretherebecausetheyarelooking forsolutions towhat ails them. They are looking to see if youhave the solutions for them and to determine, at leastsubconsciously, if you are trustworthy, experienced andknowledgeable.

Tell stories of success. Lay out problems and thendescribepossiblesolutions.Youaresellingconceptsand theinformation that youhave.Butdon’t give itallaway. Makesurethereareenoughincentivesfortheattendeetowanttoschedule an appointment to come into your office anddiscover the details. Entice them, entertain them and getthemtoscheduleanappointmentwithyoutofindout more.

Iamaskingyoutoconsidersellingconceptsand solutionswhilesellingthebenefitsofworkingwithyou. Nothingelse.Aproduct seminarwillnever sell on an emotional level like aconceptseminarwill.A“conceptsale” couldbesafeinvesting,planningforthefuture,allocation, estateplanning,charitablegiving, 401(k) rollover process, protecting and preservingassets,socialsecuritydecisions,collegeeducationplanning,etc.

See the difference? With so much competition, sellingyourselfistheonlythingthatwilldifferentiateyoufromalltherest.

32

3322LeverageYourEventsToCreateABuzz.

Okay,we’vealreadydiscussedideasforaseminarand I’msure you have some ideas of your own. Now, realizesomething quite important: you can’t hold your event in avacuum. Press releases, ads, emails, web promotion andinvitationswillgetpeoplethereandcreateabuzz.

Themorecreativeyoucanbewithyourevent,themore“buzzworthy”itbecomes.Forinstance,let’ssayyou decidedtohostthe“RetirementFromHeaven”seminar mentionedinTip#29.Youaskeveryonewhoattends theseminartobringajarofpennies(actually,anyandall coinsarewelcome)tosignifyretirementsavings.Attheend,allthecoinswillbedonatedtoalocalcharity.Your firmagreestomatchwhateveramountiscollected.

Voila!Youhaveagreathookforyourpressreleases, ads,andinvitations.Withsuchacreativeandgoodwill- inspiringidea,thelocalnewspapermaywellshowup.And yournamebecomesknownthroughoutthecommunity.

Seehowmuchbuzzyoucanbuywith,inthiscase,afewhandfulsofpennies?

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3333BuildLoyaltyThroughClient

AppreciationEvents.Theeventswe’vejustdiscussedare(orshouldbe)open

tothepublic.Butthere’sanotherkindofeventyoushould atleastconsider.Ratherthanall-inclusive,it’sexclusive.That’sright.I’mtalkingaboutaclientappreciationevent.

Whynothostapicnic foryourbestclients,oradinner,orevenaworkshopwhereyouthankthem?Alternately,youcouldholdaclientorientationforyournewclients,theonesyou’vejustacquiredinthepreviousquarter.Thisgivesthemanopportunitytoaskquestions,gettoknowyourstaff,findout more about your products and services, networkwithotherclientsandenjoytherefreshmentsyouprovide.

Youmustmakeyourclientsfeelspecial,andholdinganevent that’sopenonlyto themisasurefirewaytodo that.Themorespecialtheyfeel,themore loyaltheywillbe.Andin an agewhere loyalty is sometimes non-existent, that’s avaluablefeelingindeed.

34

3344AFinalWordAboutEvents:

Persistence,NotTheHardSell,PaysOff.

“Everyoneinattendancemustsignupforanappointmenttonightinordertogetyourparkingvalidated!”Comeon.Thisoranyotherhardsell,unethicalapproachleadstocanceledappointmentsandalossofgoodwill.Ok,soyouwon’tdothistothosethatattendyourseminar…

Sure,yourultimatehope is to signupnewclients. I know it,you know it, and the peoplewho attend your seminars know it.Ask them politely to schedule an appointment tonight if theywould like more information on the topics discussed. Tell themyouwillfollowupvia phonetomorrow.Ifyoucangetthroughthepresentationwithout resortingtoused-car-salesmantactics,you’llgoalongwaytowardsustainingthegoodwillyou’vegeneratedwithyourevent.

And if attendees are not ready to schedule an immediateappointment - don't give up so quickly!Once they have attendedyour seminar, theyhavelearnedsomevaluableinformationaboutyouand yourfirm.However,theymaynotbereadyimmediatelytodo business with you. Keep in touch with attendees throughsystematic prospectmarketing.Developamailinglistofattendeesand develop an easy, and inexpensive program consisting ofmailing, emailingandcallingattendeesthatwillmakethemostofeach seminarand bring in sales after the event. And, theydo thework!

High-pressuresalestacticswillresultincancellationsandlosttimeandmoney.Persistencepays!

35

3355DirectMailWorks.

Weusedtogetsomuchjunkmailthatwestoodoverthegarbagecanto"sort"ourmail.Buttimeshavechanged.

Email has taken over as the popularway for just abouteveryonetocommunicate-justlikedirectmailusedtobe.Infact,withsomuchemail,directmailhassurfacedagainasamediumthatdoesn'thaveasmuchcompetitionandisseeingsuccess.

Which brings me to my point: direct mail as well ascoordinated marketing campaigns work. Chances are, theywill work for you, too—if you do them right. The next fewtipscoverthe “rights”ofmarketingcampaigns. Followthemtotheletterandyou’llseefirsthandwhy thatthismaybeavaluableidea.

36

3366TheRightDesign.(SeeTip#17onBrochures.)

If you’re thinking of inserting your brochure in anenvelope,stickingalabelonitandsendingitoff,stoprightthere.Thisapproachwillyieldnothingbutabigpostage bill.Ifit lookslikejunkmailtoyou,itwill look likejunk mailtothe recipient. Guess where your directmail piece will endup?

Youmustdoeverythingyoucantomakeyourdirect mailpiece look like a one-on-one communication—or at least,makeitsointriguingthatyourclient(orpotential client)willwanttoopenit.Hereareafewtips: Don’tuseaddresslabels.Thisscreams“junkmail.” Ifyouhavetime—especiallyifyou’reinvitingclientstoaspecial event—ask someone with neat handwriting toaddresstheenvelopes.Youmayeventrycalligraphy.

Hand-stamp your envelope…again, it looks morepersonal.

Piquecuriositybyusingodd-sizeenvelopesorpackaging.Orputacreativeheadlineontheenvelopetoentice thereadertoopenitandreadon.

Consider using a large postcard. That way, there’snothingtoopenandyourmessageisrightinfrontofthereader.

37

3377TheRightMessage.

EverywordyouwriteinamarketingcampaignmustshowthereaderWIIFM…what’sin itforme?Hedoesn’tcarethatyourfirmisofferingmutual funds.Hedoescarethatyouhaveanideathatmayhelphimreducetaxes,makemoreorsavemore.Toutbenefits,notfeatures.

Also, you should include a special offer. Give readerssomething to respond to immediately. For example, offer afree retirement analysis. Invite them to RSVP to an event.Enclosea coupongood fora Social Security analysis if usedwithin 30 days (it’s always a good idea to establishdeadlines).

Make sure your direct mail piece is well-written andcompellingwhenreadbytheotherperson,(nottoyou).

Finally, ifyouarenotagoodwriter,hireaprofessional.Just ask around…a trusted colleague is sure to knowsomeonewho can do a bang-up job with your direct mailpiece.

38

3388TargetingTheRight

Markets.Perhaps you want to target a certain segment or

segments of the market. Not a bad idea. But pick a listcarefully.It’salltooeasytoendupwithnamesoutsideyourtargetmarket.

Use a list company with a reputation for deliveringaccurate lists that can be sorted based on the targetinginformation that’s important toyou. Ifyou’recluelessaboutlist companies, start with www.InfoUSA.com or Dun andBradstreet.

You can target based on specific incomes, net worth, atargetcompaniesorprofession,specifichobbiesorinterests,married people, single people, people with children andmore.Thepossibilitiesarenumerous— justchoosealistthatmesheswithyourgoalsforyourfirm.

39

3399AllInorTest?

Okay, you’ve bought your list. Let’s say it has 10,000names on it. You don’t want to immediately send out thesamemarketingmessagetoeverysinglename.That couldbeexpensiveandyoumightbeverydisappointed intheresults.

Instead, consider testing your list and yourmessage byselecting1,000or1,500names at random.Betteryet, use astandard A/BTest and send different offers todifferentsegments of your list. By testing various combinations ofnames and offers, you can determine which message andwhichoffersaremosteffective.

Testing is one of the great benefits of marketingcampaigns.Whenyoubuyanewspaperad,it’simpossible toknowwhosaw it.Butwithemailanddirectmail,you knowwith reasonable certainty how many people got whichmessage and what, if anything, they did about it. And thisknowledgewillserveyouwellinthefuture.

40

4400CommittoTheCampaign.

If you’re going to conduct a marketing campaign,commit to it. Plan and maintain a regular schedule ofcommunications.Howmanytimeswillyousendoutanemailnewsletter, sendoutadirectmailpiece, createanupdatetoLinkedIn,writeablog,tweet,updateyourwebsite,orposttoFacebook?Makeasimpleplanandsticktoit.Ifyoudon't, itmaybe toooverwhelmingandtheresult is...nothing.That'snotthecommittingI'mtalkingabout.

Myadvice is tosetaverydoableplan, underestimate infact. You see, what you’re really doing is establishing a“KeepinginTouch(KIT)program—which I’ll talkmore about later. Suffice it to say that themoretimely,helpfulinformationyoudisseminate, thebetter.

41

4411TheRightStuff.

Whatifyoufeelyoudon’thavetheabilityorexperiencetoproducemarketingcampaigns?

Firstofall,evenwithoutexperienceyouprobablydo havetheability.Ifnotyou,thensomeoneor somethingdoes.But,ifyou’re certain you don’t have the wherewithal to produceeffective communications, there are many firms thatspecialize in this type of marketing for financial advisors.Check outwww.Forefield.com. And there are also plenty offreelancers out there that can write letters and emails anddesignpostcardswithoutchargingyouanexorbitantfee.

42

4422AndNow,AFew“Wrongs.”

Donot,Irepeat,donotfallpreytothesemistakes:

Forgetting Your CTA. You design the perfect marketingcommunication piece, but forget to include a Call ToAction (CTA), a response device, or an easy way forsomeone to reach you. Duh! Actually, this is a morecommonmistake than youmay realize. Always make iteasy for the recipient to respondbyproviding anemail,phone number, an easy way to sign up for moreinformation online, a way to download an interestingreport orwhitepaper, or include a postage-paid businessreplyenvelope.

All-OutBlitz.Imentionedthis inTip#39,butit’sworthreiterating. If you buy a large list (say, 10,000 names),sending the same campaign to all of them at the sametimeisprobablyawasteoftimeandmoney.Don’tdoit.

Tipping Your Hand. Window envelopes, pre-printedaddresslabels,andgenericsubject linesallshout“Junk!”and will probably wind up in the recipient’s trash —unopened.ReviewthedesignideasinTip#36.

43

4433BoneUpOnBranding.

I’msureyou’veheardaboutbranding.Butmaybeyou’renotclearonexactlywhatitmeans.PerhapsthisquotefromDr. David Aakers, a leading thinker in the field, will help:“[Branding is] the internalized sum of all impressionsreceived by a consumer, which results in a distinctiveposition in their minds based on perceived emotional andfunctionalbenefits.’

In other words, every bit of communication your clientreceives—fromthewayyouansweryourtelephone toyourcorporate logo, website, LinkedIn profile and emails yousendout—contributestoyourbrand.

Whatbrandareyoubuildingforyourcompany? Creatingtherightimageforyourbusinessiscriticaltoyour success.Remember, there are hundreds of thousands of financialadvisors intheU.S.Yourbrandshouldsetyou apart from—actuallyabove—thecrowd.

44

4444UncoverYourUSP.

If the last tip gave you a slightly panicky feeling, don’tworry.Manyadvisorsdon’thaveaclearlydefinedbrand, orat least don’t communicate it to theworld. In other words,you’re not alone. But you are in precarious position—teetering on the edge of the cliff overlookingcommodityville—soyouneedtofindsomesolidground,andfast.

WhatisyourUniqueSellingProposition,orUSP?What isdifferentaboutyourcompany thatyoucouldpromote in aneffort tobrandyouroffering in theclient’smind?What setsyouapartfromthecrowd?Itshouldbeafeaturethat nooneelse in your field offers. Your USP should state your mainbenefit to consumers, solicit an emotional response, andappeal to your target audience. It should bememorable. AtRedZoneMarketing,ourUSPis“weworkwithmilliondollarproducershelpingthemreachtheirnextlevelinsales.”

Allofour marketing materials, website, videos, businesscards,mediamaterial,socialmediaandofferingsprojectthesameimage.Ourconsulting servicescarryasimilar theme—RedZoneMarketing. We do not simply perform marketingconsulting services. We specifically focus on activitiesproducingtangibleresults-intheRedZone-thestrategiesthathelpourclientsscore.

Takea“timeout”rightnowandpinpointyourUSP.

45

4455What’sInAName…Namely,Yours?

Takealookatthebusinesslistingsinthewhitepagesofyourlocaltelephonedirectory.Doyouseelotsofnames likeTheMorganCompany,Brown&Associates,Smith& Green,TheAndersonGroup?Notice that thesenames say nothingaboutwhattheydoandwhotheircustomersmight be.

Now, I realize that financial advisors tend to be, bynature, somewhat traditional. That means many of you—noteIdidn’tsayall—areinclinedtoadoptnamesalongthelines of the ones I listed above. But while you’re thinkingabout brands and USPs and all that good stuff, you mightwant to consider your companyname. Does it conveywhoyouareandwhatmakesyoudifferent?

Now,I’mnotsuggestingthatyouadoptalowbrownamelike “Investments R Us.” But, just for the sake of argument,let’ssayyourUSPisthatyouhelpclientsintegrate charitablegivingstrategiesintotheiroverallmoney managementplans.Couldn’t you call yourself something like, say, The CaringInvestment Group, Inc? The goal is to have something thatmay be catchy, to-the-point and immediately conveys whatmakesyoudifferent.

It’ssomethingtothinkabout.

46

4466InvestInAGoodLookingLogo.Emblazon thisadviceonyourbathroommirror, if need

be:unlessyouaretrainedingraphicdesign,donotattempttocreateyourownlogo!

Forgetthefactthatyouusedtodrawalotinelementaryschool. Banish the thought that a sketch of your kitty, Mr.Whiskers,wouldlookawfullycuteonyourletterhead. Resistthe all-too-tempting idea that a logo design contest wouldgiveyouremployeesachancetoexpresstheir creativity.

Hireadesignfirmorareputablefreelancedesigner. Evenbetter, consider www.99Designs.comwhere many differentgraphicdesignerssubmittheirbestdesignsforyoutochoosefrom.Thefeeisverylowandyougettochooseyourfavoriteone.Yourlogois tooimportantnottoplaceinthecompetenthandsof professionals.

47

4477TestandTrackYourMarketing.Did you know the average American is subjected to

thousands of marketing messages daily? That’s a lot toremember.Youcanseewhyit’sabigchallengeforonelittlefinancialservicesfirmtostandoutfromthe competition.

Allofwhichleadsuptomynextpieceofadvice:test yourmarketing. Test your headline, subject line, or your call toaction. As advertising executive David M. Ogilvy said, “Themost important word in the vocabulary of advertising isTEST.Ifyoupre-testyourproductwith consumers,andpre-test your advertising, you will do very well in themarketplace.”

I would add that TRACK is the secondmost importantword. Ifyou trackwhereyourbusiness iscomingfrom,youcandeterminewhatmarketingisworkingforyou.Anddon'tforget that sometimes themost simple strategyworks - askyour prospects and clients how they heard about you andtrackyourfindings.

Onceyouknowwhatkindsofmarketingworksforyou—andwhichmediareachyourtargetaudience—you canmakeeffective decisions that will keep your marketing head andshouldersaboveyourthousandsofcompetitors.

48

4488UsePayPerClick.

ThenexttimeyoudoaGooglesearch,checkoutthesidebartotherightoratthetopandyoumayseelistingsmarkedwithasmall“Ad”boxingold.ThesearepaidlistingsthatyoucanbuythroughaservicecalledGoogleAdWords.

Thegoodnewsisthatyouonlypaywhensomeoneclicksyourad tovisityourwebsite. Inotherwords,youonlypaywhenyouradvertisingisworking.

Start bywriting an ad that tells peoplewhat youoffer.Next, choosethesearchterms thatwillmakeyouradshowin the Google results (for instance “Financial AdvisorMilwaukee”). Finally, set a daily budget (you could budget$20perdayor$1000ormore)thenyouradisreadytogolive.

Most people will search for financial advisors theyalreadyknow.However, it isbeneficial to alsobe foundbythose that may have an immediate need. And GoogleAdWordsisawaytoliterallyjumpaboveyourcompetition.

49

4499GainUnpaidOnlineSearches

(SEO).Searchengineoptimization(SEO)isusedtoincreasethe

visibilityofawebsiteinasearchengine'sunpaidororganicsearchresults.Mostoften,thehigheryoursiteappearsinthesearch ranking, the more if will be found by visitorssearchingonsiteslikeGoogle,YahooandBing.

These search engines use “crawlers” to find pages fortheir algorithmic search results. Pages that are linked fromother search engine indexed pages do not need to besubmittedbecausetheyarefoundautomatically.GooglehasGoogleWebmasterTools,soawebmastercancreateanXMLSitemap feedandsubmitit for freetoensurethatallpagesareabletobefound.

Search engine crawlers may look at a number ofdifferentfactorswhencrawlingasiteandthesefactorsoftenchange. Adding relevant keywords to a web page's metadata,includingthetitletagandmetadescription,willtendtoimprove the relevancy of a site's search listings, thusincreasingtraffic.

BecominganSEOexpert,however, isnotrecommendedforafinancialadvisor–youhaveenoughtokeepyourplatefull without adding more. The best bet is to hire an SEOexpertifyoufeelyouwanttoincreaseyoursearchability.

50

5500ConsiderCable.

Unless you are one of the huge investment firms—it’sunlikely that you can or want to pay for a TV spot on thethreemajor networks or advertise during the Super Bowl.Butcablespots…ah,that’sahorseofadifferent color!

Local cable systems are able to preempt the spotsfeedingdownfromthenetworksatellitesandfill themwithlocal spots. These locally available spots, or “avails,” offeradvertisers a much narrower geographic distribution at alowercost.

Sodetermine exactlywhomyou’re trying to reachwithyourcommercials(say,affluentsinglewomenover55). Lookat the demographic data for your clients. Then match thecable network programming to your target, and scheduleyourcommercialswhenyourtargetaudienceis watchingTV.Prettysimple,huh?

51

5511Reach‘EmOnTheRadio.

Youmayneverhaveconsideredadvertisingonthe radio.That’s okay. For most small businesses, it is definitely theroad less traveled. But with more than 23 million peoplelistening to local community radio and new stationslaunching all the time, more and more businesses arerealizingthepowerofon-airadvertising.

Radioadscanbecreatedverycostefficiently,aboonforthe smaller financial services firm. Radio stations usuallyoffer in-house creative and production services at fairlyaffordablerates. (Ofcourse, ifyou’rea largercompanyyoushouldletyouradagencytaketheradioadfromconcepttorecording.)

Just be sure you pick the right station or stations toadvertiseon.Getdemographicstatisticsandmakesure yourtargetaudiencewillbelisteningduringthetimeperiod yourspotisbroadcast.

Andbesuretodetermineafrequencyofadvertisingthatwillbringyouresults. Ideally,youshouldgetyourmessageacross at least three times in a “purchase cycle.” The firsttimewillproviderecognition,thenexttimewillcompelthelistenertopayattention,andthefinaltimewillsolicit action.

52

5522MakeTheMostof

MagazineAdvertising.Why are magazines such an effective advertising

medium?Because the folkswho read specificmagazines—bothtradeandconsumer—tendtofallintofairly predictablecategories. Picture the typical reader for publicationscentered on hunting & fishing…fine wines…dollcollecting…heavy metal music. Four very distinct anddifferentimagescometomind,don’tthey?

Asafinancialadvisor,youprobablyknow(orcan guess)whatmagazinesyour target audience reads. If you want topromoteyour financialplanningservices toaffluentpeopleover the age of 65, you’d never take out an ad in apublicationtitled,oh,let’ssay,TeenybopperWorld.Youmightconsiderlifestyle,travel orfinancemagazinesinstead.

Ofcourse,youcanprobablyexpecttopayaheftyad ratefor the better-known magazines with larger circulationnumbers.Butthat’sonlyfair.You’regettingalotofbangforyouradbuck.

53

5533StrategicAlliances:WhatDoesn’tWork-Part1.

If you have not had a successful referring alliancepartnershipinawhile,youmaybeaskingyourselfwhatyouaredoingwrong. It couldbe, in fact, that it isnotyou.Yes,youmaynotberesponsibleforthis lackofsuccessentirely.Often times, it is what the other person or company is orisn’tdoing.

In the research we’ve done on cases of successful andnot-so-successfulalliances, it seemstocomedowntoa fewclearreasonsforfailure.Sobeforewethrowinthetowelonreferring relationships with other professionals, it may beworthwhile to address these keys to failure before youimproveyourresults.

Ifyourstrategicalliancepartnershipsarenotworkingitisalmostalwaysoneofthefollowing3reasons(SeeTip54and55fortherestofthestory):

1) TheWrongProfessional:Youmaybeattemptingtohaveareferringalliancewiththewrongprofessional.Somepeople do not have the propensity to refer their clients toother professionals, or they are getting all of their newbusiness from OTHER financial advisors. This alliance willlikely never work. Just because a professional has a clientbaseofpeoplethatareafitforwhatyoudoandneedyourservices does not mean that the professional will beproactiveinsharingyouwiththoseclients.Itistimetotakethesepeopleoffyourlistandfindothers.

.

54

5544StrategicAlliances:WhatDoesn’tWork-Part2.

2) TheWrongFirm:Researchshows thatmorethanever,alliance referralscome fromfirms thatare themselvesactivelyseekingnewclients.

Whena firm is a stagnantmature firm (albeit a successfulone) they are not necessarily creating new relationships andmeetingwithprospectsandtakingonnewclients.Alternatively,whenafirmis inthegrowthmode, theyaremeetingwithnewclients and aremore likely to havemany things to sharewiththem,includingreferrals.

IfaCPA firm, for instance, hashadclients for 10, 15or 20years,whynowwouldareferraltoafinancialadvisorbemade?

Find a firm that is focused on finding new clients becausethey often have immediate opportunities to ask about otherprofessionals and make referrals to you. Find growingcompanieswhowillbecomegreatalliances.

.

55

5555StrategicAlliances:WhatDoesn’tWork-Part3.

3) TheWrongMessage: Ifyouhavenotclearlysharedand described what you do and why you are unique withyour potential alliance, they may never have a reason tomentionyoutosomeoneelse.

A general description of everything you domay not bememorableenough(ormemorableatall).Thebeststrategytoquicklybuildcredibility,establishyourareasofspecialty,andshowthatyouhaveexpertisethattheirclientswantandneed is through sharing a story of a client solution youimplemented. Try telling a quick case study of a clientscenariothatyouthinkmaybeofinteresttotheallianceforhis/herclients.

The litmus test if the meeting will produce referralshappens when your potential strategic alliance utters thewordsduringyourmeeting,“Youknow,Ihaveaclientwhoreallyneedstotalktoyou.”

Ultimately,giveyourselfachanceforsuccessbyfindingtherightpeople,therightfirmstoworkwith,andtherightmessage. It may take just some small changes, thewillingness towalk away from unproductive relationships,anda littlebitof timetocraftthebestwordstouse. Itwillmake for highly profitable win-win relationships.

56

5566ServeYourCommunity(ButNotIn

ASelf-ServingWay).Whatyougiveiswhatyouget!Thisseemstobealawof

theuniverse.Andit’sastrueinmarketingasineveryotherareaoflife.

When you and your company give back to yourcommunity—volunteering time, raising funds for non-profitorganizations, spearheading local initiatives—you become atrulyvaluedmemberofthatcommunity.Andtherewardsofbeinganactive,committedandvaluedcommunitymembercomebacktoyouagainandagainintheformofbusiness andsupport.Thisisapowerfulformofmarketing.

Justdon’tletmarketingbeyourprimarymotiveforlocalinvolvement.Joiningaserviceclub,charitablegrouporcivicorganization for prospecting reasons will backfire on you.Self-servingmotivesfoolnoone.Getinvolvedtoserve—andserve willingly and cheerfully—and you will berewarded…bothpersonallyandprofessionally.

57

5577FindYourNaturalNiche…

Did you know the word “niche” is derived from theFrench se nicher, which is translated as “to build a nest?”Finding your niche in the business world is exactly that:buildingyournest.

Tomaximizeyourchancesofsuccessyoumustfocusona particular corner of the financial marketplace, rather thantryingtobeallthingstoallpeople.Ifyoualreadyknow whatyourniche is,great!You’reaheadof thegame. Ifyou don’t,just look at your current clients andpinpoint theones youmost enjoy doing businesswith, or the ones that are mostlucrative.

As a financial advisor, you havemany potential niches.Divorced women …soon-to-be retirees …middle-classfamilies …small business owners …upwardly mobile thirty-something professionals …self-employed folks orentrepreneurs…mega-corporations…proathletes.

Once you know your niche, you’ll be able to use yourtimemoreeffectivelyandefficientlyandyou’ll automaticallyset yourself up for a stream of qualified referrals. Whichbringsmetomynexttip…

58

5588…AndGetEntrenched.

Okay,you’vefoundyournaturalniche.Yourmission nowis todig in andholdon.With everything youdo,you mustpositionyourselffirmlyinyournichemarket.

TakeacuefromMountainDew.EverythingPepsiCo doesto market this soft drink focuses on young, high- energy,adventure-seeking individuals. It doesn’t pretend to be afavoriteoftheconservative50-somethingcrowd.You shoulddothesamebyfindingyournicheandgoingforit.

The next four tipswill give you some ideas on how toentrenchyourselfdeeplyintoyourchosenniche.

59

5599JoinATradeAssociation.

Becomeanexpertintheindustryyou’vedecidedtofocuson. Startbygoingonlineandresearchingalltheassociationsthatareoutthere.

Pick one or two associations where you feel you canmakea contributionandattendafewoftheirmeetings.Joinone of them to get you started and voila!—you’ve gainedaccess.

But don’t simply join. Get involved. Your activeparticipation will help you build your niche. Remember:people do business with people they know—with peopletheylike—andwithpeople theytrust.

60

6600WriteForIndustryPublications.

Anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of articles innewspapers and trade journals are generated from pressreleasesandpublicity.Whatdoesthisstatisticmeantoyou?Basically, it means you don’t have to be an employee of amagazinetogetanarticlepublishedwithinitspages.

Tradejournalsareoftenonthelookoutforwell-writtenarticlesfocusingonareasofinteresttotheirreaders. Submitoneortwogoodonesandtheeditorsmaykeep comingbacktoyouformore.Thatkindofexposurequickly positionsyouas an expert in your field, increasing your likelihood ofattractingprospectiveclients.

By the way, if you don’t feel comfortable writing anarticleinyourareaofexpertise,youcanhireaprofessionalwordsmithtodoitforyou.Don’tworry,yournamewillstillgo on the article—and your firmwill still get the “expert”status!

61

6611HostANicheSeminar.

Youcancreateopportunitiestocultivateyourniche. Forinstance,considerdoingseminarsforaparticular segmentofthe marketplace. Business associations, and otherorganizations host periodic “brown bag” lunches orbreakfastmeetingsandare oftenlookingforspeakers.

Check the calendar section of your local newspaper tosee which organizations do these kinds of programs andthencontactthem.Youprobablywon’tgetanyfees,butit’s agreatwaytosolidifyyourpositioninaparticularniche anddevelopastreamofprospects.

By theway, don’t overlook individual companies,manyof which regularly bring in outsiders to conduct trainingseminarsoreducationalworkshopsfortheirstaffmembers.Do a good job the first time, and youmay be invited backoften. If you can’t get into the company and it’s a unioncompany, perhaps you can gain entrée through unionofficials and do seminars, presentations or educationalworkshops forunionmembers.

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6622BecomeASponsor.

Sponsorships offer excellent opportunities for you togain significant added exposure for your financial advisingservices.Justthinkcreatively.

If your niche is new parents, buy a booth at the “BabyFair”heldatyourlocalhospital.

Ifyournicheistheover-fiftycrowd,sponsorthe“SeniorDance”heldatyourlocalcommunitycenter.

If your niche consists of the employees of a largecorporation, sponsor its bowling or softball team orunderwritethecostofitsnewsletter.

In the words of Walt Kelly’s cartoon character Pogo,“We’re surrounded by insurmountable opportunities.” Pickoutacoupleandgoaheadandsurmountthem!

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6633YouMustCreateAClientExperience.

ThisisamajorcornerstoneofmyRedZoneMarketingphilosophy.

It’sno longerenoughto fulfillyourclients’basicneeds.To avoid becoming a commodity, you must go beyondsatisfying them. Youmust delight them. In thewords of B.Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore—authors of TheExperience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business AStage (Harvard Business School Press, 1999)—“you mustlearntostagearich,compellingexperience.”

Ifyouaren’tabsolutelydelightingyourclients,theywillgo elsewhere. They may even tell others of theirdissatisfaction. In most cases, they won’t even tell youthey’redissatisfied.Infact,foreachonewhodoescomplaintoyou,therearenineotherswho’llcomplaintoeveryone butyou and then possibly disappear without bothering to tellyouwhy.

But how do I delight my clients? you’re probablywondering.Howdo I stagea rich, compelling experience? Readon!Thefollowingfewtipswillgiveyousome ideastochewon.

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6644CallAndAsk‘EmHowYou’reDoing.

Do your best clients call you or do you call them? Thetruth is, the more they initiate contact with you, the lesssatisfied they’re likely to be. If you’ve been hearing a lotmoreringsthandialtoneslately,it’stimetodoabitoffieldresearch.

Rightnow,makealistofyourtenbestclients.Then,calleach one of them to see how they’re doing and moreimportant,howyouaredoing.Aretheycompletelysatisfiedwith your services? If not, why not? What could you dobetter?

Ofcourseyoushould listento theanswersyouget.Butjustthefactthatyou’recallingatallmeansyou’vewonhalfthebattle.Itletsyourstarclientsknowhowimportanttheyaretoyou…andeveryoneneedstofeelimportant!

65

6655PonderThePowerofClientMarketing.

I’m sure you already agree thatmarketing to clients ismoreimportantthanmarketingtocoldprospectsforalotofgoodreasons.Didyouknowthat it coststentimesmore intime and effort to get a new client than it does to retain acurrentone?Soifyouarefocusingyourmarketingefforts onprospects,Iurgeyoutorethinkyourapproach.

Needa littlemoreconvincing?Letmetellyouastory:Ihaveaclientwhohasbeenafinancialadvisorformorethanadozenyears.Duringhisfirsteightyearsinbusiness (beforehe became a Red Zone Marketer) he had accumulated $10millioninmoneyundermanagement.He wasacquiringmorethan 80 percent of hisnew clients by prospect marketing—seminars,directmail,networkingand phonecalling.

Whenwebeganworking together, Iadvisedhimtoaddclientmarketing to themix. I felt itwasnot only the rightthing to do but a perfect way to get referrals. So, we puttogether a system that included regular phone calls andcommunications to his clients, client-focused seminars andevents, open houses, a commitment to periodic clientreviewsand ongoingclientappreciationactivities.

Within three years after putting this plan in place, hisbusiness increased from$10million to $100millionundermanagement.Inonlythreeyears!Andbytheendofthefifthyear,hehadover$200millionundermanagement.Wouldn’tyou liketobeasimilarsuccessstory?

66

6666EstimateThe

Lifetime ValueOfYourClients.

Doyouthinkofeachnewclientacquiredas aone-time“victory?”Ifso,youneedtostartthinkinglongerterm.Whatisthelifetimevalueofaclient?Onceyou’vedetermined this,youmaybeinspiredtothinkdifferently.

Estimatingthelifetimevalueofaclientcanbeareal eye-opener. For instance, a Taco Bell customer isn’t merelysomeone who walks in today and spends three or fourdollars on lunch. Taco Bell has estimated that the lifetimevalueofthatcustomerisanamazing$12,000!That’sawholelot of burritos, amigo! For automobile manufacturers, thelifetimevalueofacustomeraverages$340,000.

Tocalculatethelifetimevalueofyourclients,you’ll needto take into account revenue generated, referrals, futurepotential, influence, time spent servicing and other factors,bothquantitativeandqualitative.Thereasonyou maywantto go through this rating exercise is so that you canconcentrateyourmarketingeffortsontheclientswhomeanthe most to your business and the prospects who fit thatsameprofile.

Ifnothingelse,itclarifiesthevalueofyourbusiness!

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6677MakeYourselfMemorable(Memorability,PartI)

Refer back to Tip #63 for a moment. Do you feel thatyour financial services firm is in danger of becoming acommodity?Ifyouranswerisyes,you’dbetterconsider howyou can become part of the Experience Economy.Experiences engage individuals in a personal way.Experiences are memorable, and will keep clients comingbackformore.

Ihavetwofinancialadvisorclientswhohavegotten verygood at creating memorable experiences for their clients.One of them is very health conscious. He incorporateshealthful food,videos,books,postersand seminars intohisbusiness offerings. He’s providing an experience—a totalhealthylifeplanthatfocusesonhis clients’overallwellbeing.

Another client has created “The Life EnjoymentExperience™,”theideabeingthathehelpshisclients“get tothetopofthemountain.”Fromthemountaintopyoucan seeand experience the enjoyment of the world—so he hasdecorated six conference rooms inhis office to represent adifferentpart of theworld. One room has a huge mural ofAthens on the wall; another one represents San Franciscoand soon.He reports that peoplebring their friendsby toseehis unique facilities, evenwithoutan appointment. Canyouimagineabetterwaytoattractnewbusiness?

68

6688Give‘EmSomethingToTalkAbout!

(Memorability,PartII)InthelasttipIgaveyouacoupleofexamplesof financial

services firms that work to create memorable clientexperiences.Now,Iwanttoapproachthesamepoint fromaslightly different angle: the reason such tactics work isbecause, to borrow a phrase from songstress Bonnie Raitt,theygiveclients“somethingtotalkabout.”

When clients want to talk about the experiences theyhave with your business (assuming it’s positive talk, ofcourse!), it means you’re doing something right. And itmeans they’remuchmore likely to refer their friends andcolleagues to you. (I’ll be covering the critical issue ofreferralsveryshortly.)

Sowhatareyougivingyourclientstotalkabout?Ifyoususpectthey’renottalking,you’dbetterchangethat!Make alistofthepossible“experiences”youcouldofferyour clients.Youmaywanttobrainstormideaswithyour colleagues.Andkeep in mind, although “giving them something to talkabout”isserious,dollars&cents business,itcanalsobealotoffun!

69

6699CreateASocialMedia

ClientDelightProgram.Ifyouareusingsocialmedia,areyouactivelyusingit?Doyouthinkyourclientscareaboutyouasmuchasyou

careaboutthem?Ofcourse!And,theywanttostayincontactwithwhat youaredoingbecause they feel theyarepartofyour “business family.” So let them stay in contact inbetweenyourface-to-facemeetingswithsocialmedia.

IfyouhaveaFacebookbusinesspage,makesureyouarepostingpictures of your staff atwork, your last event, andnews at your firm (for instance announcing that a staffmemberjusthadababyandpostingapicture).

The key is that Client Delight comes from much morethanjustthebusinessandfinancialupdates– it ispersonal.Sogivethepeoplewhattheywant,andwhatwillkeepthemfeelingconnectedtoyourorganization.

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7700TaketheHeadacheOutofYourFollow-UpandClientContact.If you are committed to communicating regularly with

your prospects and clients but you’re not sure how in theworld you’re going to get it done, consider investing in acontactmanagementsoftwareprogram.

True relationship management software can be a reallifesaver for people in the financial services industry. Forinstance, RedTail (www.redtailtechnology.com), is used bymanyfinancialadvisorsasaclientrelationshipmanagementsystem (CRM). A CRM program will allow you to create aClientDelightProgram to target and communicate throughuse of a foolproof system of client activity management,letters,scheduledfollow-upsandsequences.

Each client and prospect should have an activityscheduled in the database. If they don’t, then ask yourselfwhy they are in yourdatabase.Great, hassle-free follow-upwill bring in all kinds of good things to your businessincluding more business, referrals and (did Imention?)…morebusiness!

71

7711ScheduleRegularPhoneAppointmentsWith Your

TopClients.Have you considered scheduling regular phone

appointmentswithyourbestclients?Thesecontactsarein awholedifferentcategoryfromthefive-minute“Justcalling tosayHappyHolidays”calls.Theyaremuchmorein- depthandintense.

Thepurposeofsuchcalls?Well,partof it is to findoutwhat kind of job you’re doing. Mostly, though, you shoulduse these calls to find outwhat’s going on in your clients’livesandbrainstormwaysyoucanhelpimprovethem.

Forinstance, ifaclientjustwelcomedanewgrandchildintotheworld,youmightsuggesthestartacollegesavingsplantosupplementthelittleone’sfutureeducation.Orifherecentlyquithis jobandstartedhisowncompany,youcanbroachthesubjectofanIRArollover.YouknowwhatImean.

There’sjustonecaveat:ifyougetthefeelingthataclientconsiders your call a pushy, obnoxious invasion of herprivacy, back off fast. Respect the client and your goodintentionswon’tbackfire.Butbeingthereisbetterthanstayingquietlyonthesidelines.

72

7722AnEducatedClientIsAHappyClient.

A big part of your client communication involveseducating your clients. The key is to make your regularcommunicationsmeaningful.

As a financial advisor, you’ve forgotten more aboutmoneymanagementthanyourclientswillknowina lifetime.So use that knowledge to your advantage! Video or audiorecordeducationalseminarsandmailcopies toclients whodidn’tattend.Send“FYI”e-mailsaboutanynew productsorservices your firmmay offer. Regularlymail them an info-packednewsletter.

You may even consider setting up a recorded weeklyupdate that clients can call into regarding timely industryissues.

Your clients viewyou as adependable sourceof usefulinformation, a source they can tap anytime they desire.Proactivelyshowingthemthatyouwanttoeducatethemisthepathtoachievingthisgoal.

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7733GetYourWholeTeamOnThe

SameGamePlan.Allofyoureffortsatcreatinggreatclientexperiences and

“KeepingInTouch”willbefornaughtifsomeoneelse inyourcompany drops the ball. If someone in your marketingdepartment faithfully contacts a client or prospect everymonth, but a client service representative consistentlymisspellsaname,gets theaddresswrong,or fails to followuponarequestorcomplaint,theentirecompany sufferstheconsequences.

That’swhy, before you implement anyof the strategiesdiscussedinthisbook,youneedtositdownwithyour entireteamandexplainwhyyou’redoingwhatyou’re doing—andwhyeveryonemustbe following thesamegame plan.Yourclientsaretheirclients,yourfailureistheir failure,yourwinis their win. That’s how it works in sports…and in thebusinessworld.

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7744Don’tAbandonTheRunningGame.

Infootball,whenthestarrunningbackfumblestheball,the coach doesn’twail “That’s it!We’re never going to runtheballagain!”Thatwouldbeabsurd,right.Andit’sequallyabsurd to try a marketing tactic only once—seminarmarketing, for instance—and give up just because you gotlacklusterresults.

Not every play in football is successful every time, andneitheriseverytacticinmarketing.Ifyoubelieveastrategyworks—and clearly it does, judging by the successfuladvisorsusing this strategyyear afteryear— don’t giveupon it after one disappointing try. Realize that somethingmust have been wrong in your strategy or yourimplementationandfigureouthowtodoitbetter.

Astheoldsayinggoes, ifat firstyoudon’t succeed, try,tryagain!

75

7755FindObstaclesInOpportunities.A big part of being a Red Zone Marketer is having an

optimistic outlook and figuring out how to turn thestumblingblocksyouencounterintosteppingstones.

Letmetellyouastoryaboutacolleagueofmine.Duringhis tenureasdirectorofmarketingata localbank,disasterstruck.Formonths,hehadbeenpromotingwhatwas tobethebank’ssecondbranchoffice.Then,justafewdays beforethegrandopening,afiredestroyedthebuilding.

Whatdidmyfrienddo?Well,evenbeforetheblazewasextinguished,hehadaphotographeronhandtaking picturesof the burning structure. He then turned them intonewspaper ads with copy like “Sorry You Missed OurHousewarming—ItWasn’t Quite TheWayWe Planned It!”Later ads showed construction of the new office inprogress,proclaiming,“YouCanBuild—WhileWeRebuild,”andencouraging readers to use the bank’s temporary facilitiesnextdoor.

A year later the bank finally staged its grand opening.The volunteer firedepartment,whichhad fought theblaze,displayed its equipment in the parking lot, and thetraditional ribbon-cutting ceremony was replaced by—ofcourse!—aribbonburning.Themoralofmystoryis simple:wheneveryoufaceobstaclesinyourbusiness(orin yourlifefor that matter), look for ways to turn them intoopportunities. It may take a bit of searching, but it canalmostalwaysbedone.

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7766ReferralsAreTheBackbone

OfSuccessfulSelling.Throughout this book I have addressed the importance

of focusing your marketing efforts on current clients, notcold prospects. That’s not to say prospects should beignored; obviously, any growth-oriented business needs aregular infusion of fresh blood. It’s just that where thoseprospectscomefrommakesallthedifferenceinthe world—andit’salwaysbestiftheycomethroughyourcurrentclients.

That’s right. I’m talking about referrals. The clientsyoualreadyhavecanandshouldbemajorplayersinhelpingyoufindnewbusiness. In fact,referrals fromthemare thebestleads you can everhope to receive. They are loyal, easy toclose, cost-efficient, and likely to become a source of evenmorereferrals!

And the best part is, if you’re providing valuable,worthwhileservicestoyourclients,they’llwanttoshare youwithothers.It’soneoftheniceraspectsofhuman nature.Allyouhavetodoisgivethemalittlenudge…and thenextfewtipswillsharehow.

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7777CreateAClientReferralSystem.Thefirststepincreatingagoodclientreferralsystemis

to change your mindset. Quit looking at referrals assomething extra, a “doggie bone” that a client tosses youeveryonceinawhile.Thatmindsetiswrong!

In other words, take a systems-based approach. If youhaveasysteminplaceforpursuing referrals—asystemthathasbeencommunicatedtoyour entireteam—thenyouandyourstaffwilluseit.Youwon’t havetothink,“NowwhatcanI send to this referral?” or “How can I thank this client forgivingme this referral?” You’ll have a package on hand toinstantlydrop in themail. It’ll be as automatic as brushingyourteeth.

OfthebusinessownersIspeaktoacrossthecountry,90percentsaytheyaskforreferralsonlyoccasionally.Whynotbeamongthe10percentthatdoitregularlyandfaithfully?In otherwords, it’s time towork out your referral system.Thenextfewtipswillprovidesomegreatsuggestionstogetyoustarted.

78

7788JustASK.

Thebestmethodforacquiringreferralsistosimplyask.Askallthetime.Askhonestly,sincerely,andwithoutshame.There’s nothing wrong with asking clients and evenprospects for names of people whomight be interested inyour financial planning services. Chances are, theyunderstandthatyouneedtomakealivingandwillprobablybegladtohelpyouout.

Ofcourse,howyouaskdoesmakeadifference.There’sanoldpushyapproachthat involvesputtingapadofpaperinfrontofyourclientandwaitinguntilhehaswrittendownfiveor tennamesof friendsandassociates.Donot trythis!Someclientsmayresentit,andsomemayresentitenough towalkoutthedoor.

It’s much better to take a subtler approach. Ask open-ended questions—“What have you liked about the workwe’ve done together?”—and when you get a positiveresponse, follow up by asking “Is there anyone else youknowwhomayneed the same services you arebenefittingfrom?”Orsay,“Myexpertiseisworkingwithpeoplelike youwho have a need for the financial services I provide. Whoelsedoyouknowwhomayneedmyhelp?”

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7799IfYou’reTooShyToAsk, AskInWriting.

There are certain people who simply can’t bringthemselves to make a face-to-face request for referrals.Perhaps you are one of them. Hey, it’s okay. Asking foranything can be psychologically uncomfortable—andfortunately,thereisanotheroption.

Sendareferral requestpackagetoallofyour clients. Itcould includeawarmcover letteranda formonwhichtherecipientcanlistfriendsandbusinessassociateswhomightbe interested in your services. The form should include aspacefornames,addressesandphonenumbers(bothhomeandwork),aswellasa “Callthispersonandusemyname”and “Call this personbutdon’t usemyname” checkboxes.Include a stamped, self-addressed business reply envelopeto make it very easy for the recipient. (You might alsoincludeaFAXnumber.)

Onceyou’vecreatedthispackage,youcandropit inthemaileverytimeyouacquireanewclient.Voila!Yoursystemisnowinplace!

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8800Don’tDiscountReferralsFrom

SurprisingPlaces.Assurprising as it sounds, it ispossible toget referrals

from competitors, current prospects, and even formerprospects.

Let’ssayyou’veprovidedvaluableinformationtootherswho, forwhatever reason, decidednot todobusinesswithyoubut still appreciatewhatyoudid for them.Whywouldthey not refer business to you? Likewise, why wouldn’t acompetitorsendapotentialclientyourwayiftheywerenottheright“fit”forhimbutareperfectforyou?

You can also get great referrals from members ofchurches, associationsor special interest groups.Anddon’tassumethatyourfamilymembersandfriendsknowexactlywhat you do. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heardfrommy loved ones, “Nowwhat is it that you do again?”)Yourclosestrelativesareprobablyyourbiggestfansand canbe wonderful referral sources. Put them on your mailinglist…and clearly communicate to them what you do for aliving!

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8811BecomeAListLord.

An association, industry, department, or club-membershiplistcanopenthedoortoreferrals.For example,youmaybehavinglunchwithamemberofa localgroupororganization. Just pull out the membership list and say, “Iwas wondering if you know any other members who Ishouldbegettingtoknow?”You’llbeamazedattheresponseyou get.

Whydoesthelistmethodwork?Quitesimply,becausepeoplewanttoshowthattheyhaveinfluenceinthegroupstheybelongto.Onceyouhavethesenames,youcancallthese peopleandsay,“Hello,I’mBettyJones.BillSmith,afellow memberoftheXYZAssociation,gavemeyour nameandsaidyoumaybeinterestedintheservicesthatI offer.”It’sagreatwaytogetmorereferralswithoutputting anyoneonthespot.

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8822RememberThe“R”Word.

The biggest challenge in making referrals your topsourceofnewbusinessiscreatingacompany-wide“referralmindset.” Here’s a suggestion that may help. It may seemgimmicky,but itworks!Putasign in yourofficewithabig“R”printedonit.Everytimeyoulook atityou’llberemindedto “Remember Referrals.” But the best part is this: it mayalsoinspireclients(oreven prospects!)toaskthemeaning,which creates the perfect opening for you to explain thatreferrals are the heart of your business—and that you’dappreciatetheirhelp!

Whenyou’renotinyouroffice,alapelpinwithan“R” onitwillprobablygeneratethesamequestion,increasing youropportunitiestoaskforreferrals.

Include the word “Referrals” on agendas you bring toevery client/prospectmeeting you have so that youwon’tforgetthiscriticaltask.Colleaguesandstaffpeopleshould allagree to remind each other of the importance of the “R”word—thisway,rememberingreferralswillquicklybecomeanoffice-widehabit!

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8833Don’tMissTheBoat.

One of the most successful strategies I’ve seen forgenerating immediate referrals is an event called, “Don’tMiss theBoat.”Advisorsbegin telling clients about this bigevent they are holding 3 months beforehand verbally,throughemail,aletter,andevenasignintheiroffice.

For instance, here is how one advisor explains hisevent…”We'redoingthisbigeventonMay15thontheDetroitStar, the dinner boat on theDetroit River. It's going to be agalaeventwithmusicanddinneranddancing.But,don'tmisstheboat;becausetheonlypeoplewe'reinvitingarethosethathaveintroducedustoothersby[eventdate]."

Thiseventgivesclientsanimmediateincentivetothinkof someone. Yes, it may be a little gimmicky and youmaythink yourwealthy clientsmay not go for this. BUT,we’venever seen this strategy fail. It has consistently producedreferralsof40ormoreperevent!

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8844SayItWithFlowers…

OrMoreCreativeRewards.Saying “thank you” to clients who give you referrals

encouragesevenmorereferrals.Soeach timeyou receiveareferral,sendthatclientanoteandanicegift.Flowersandgift baskets are time-testedwinners.Butyou can alsobe abitmoreinnovative.Forinstance,give: Abookonasubjectyouknowthey’reinterestedin Homemadecookiesorothertreats(onlyifyoucan bake;otherwise,haveGrandmadoit!)

Ticketstoasportingevent,thetheater,orthemovies Aspagiftcertificate Afreecarwashorgascard(“practical” giftsareoftenthemostappreciatedonesofall!).Another tangible way to express your appreciation is

makeadonationtoher favoritecharity,oroffertosponsorhischild’sLittleLeagueteam.Becreative—justbesurethatyougoaboveandbeyondthecallofdutytosay“thankyou”forprovidingsuchavaluableandgenerousservice.

8855FindYourPassion!

I saved this tip for last, because I believe it puts theexclamation point on every idea, suggestion and word ofadviceI’veofferedinthisbook.Withoutpassion,everytip inthis book is useless—or at least, greatly diminished in itspower.

I’ve found that most people who approach every daywithzestandzealand atruepassionfortheirbusinessandworkarethewaytheyarebecausethey decidedtobe.

Amannamed Fred Sheroonce commented, “Success isnottheresultofspontaneouscombustion.Youmustfirstsetyourselfonfire.”That’sitexactly!That’sthekeytosuccess—passionatelybelieving you canwin. If youdo havepassion,thenyou’ll find it easy to get up in the morning, overcomechallenges,carveoutaniche,askforreferrals,get thatnewbusiness,andgiveyourclientsthe extraordinary,outrageouskindof serviceandexperience thatwillkeep themonyourteamforever.

Nowgetoutthereanddoit!That’sthebestwaytomovefromtheRedZonetotheEndZonemoreoften!

TocontactMaribethKuzmeski:

RedZoneMarketing,Inc.1862EBelvidereRoad,

Ste392Grayslake,IL60030847-367-4066

info@RedZoneMarketing.comwww.RedZoneMarketing.com