August 30, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
For many financial advisors, that moment right before asking a prospect to take action on a recommendation or, in sales parlance, asking for the order is filled with tension. It can be more stressful when asking for referrals. Less seasoned advisors are often overcome with the fear of rejection, which is natural until you’ve developed more confidence in your ability to close. That comes with practice and experience.
The bigger problem is with advisors who, for whatever reason, approach that critical moment feeling apologetic—as if asking a client for a referral or a prospect to act on their recommendation may seem offensive. It’s a bigger problem because it stems from a mindset that can be more difficult to overcome. It demonstrates a lack of conviction in what they are proposing or, worse, in what they do for a living. They’re not convinced they are providing genuine value. If you don’t believe in yourself at that moment, how can you expect your prospect to have conviction in your solution or your client to believe in you when you ask for a referral?
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Best Referral Sources for Financial Advisors
June 26, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Any financial advisor who’s been in business for more than a minute knows the best way to grow a practice is through referrals. We’re taught from the very beginning that the best source of quality referrals is from clients. Advisors who focus on differentiating themselves by delivering exceptional, highly personalized services to their clients are often rewarded with referrals.
But clients aren’t the only source of referrals. Many highly successful advisors create a comprehensive referral marketing strategy that taps multiple sources. While building a fruitful referral network can take time and effort, it is the one sure way to establish a steady stream of qualified prospects.
Here are five of the best referral sources financial advisors can develop.
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Clients not Giving You Referrals? Here’s Why That May Be
May 1, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
We devote a lot of space here on how to generate referrals, and with good reason. Generating quality referrals is critical to building a sustainable and profitable practice. Many of our articles address the ‘how,’ even addressing how to overcome the reluctance to ask for referrals. Based on my decades of experience, I’m confident that advisors who study those articles and incorporate the tips and practices into their process can generate more referrals.
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How to Get More Unsolicited Referrals from Clients
December 19, 2022 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Ask any successful advisor what the key to their success is, and they’ll tell you—referrals. You can’t grow a profitable practice without a steady stream of referrals. When you ask for and receive a referral, it’s an indication that you impressed your client enough to act on your request. But what if you didn’t have to ask for referrals? What if your clients were so impressed with you that they took the time to share their experience with someone without you having to ask?
You know what that feels like if it’s happened to you. But, for many advisors, it happens so rarely that it’s a major shock when it does. So, how do you make it happen consistently enough to make it an expectation?
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3 Situations When Financial Advisors Should Use a Prospecting Script
October 4, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
If you’re like most financial advisors, you probably started out with a phone script, whether calling strangers, LinkedIn contacts or referrals. Prospecting scripts are critical for new advisors because they help them keep organized and stay on track for the brief time they have in that first interaction. No doubt, using phone scripts can serve inexperienced advisors well if they work at it. They can also make experienced advisors even more effective when used in certain circumstances.
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Why You Shouldn’t Be Apologetic when Asking for Business or Referrals
August 30, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
For many financial advisors, that moment right before asking a prospect to take action on a recommendation or, in sales parlance, asking for the order is filled with tension. It can be more stressful when asking for referrals. Less seasoned advisors are often overcome with the fear of rejection, which is natural until you’ve developed more confidence in your ability to close. That comes with practice and experience.
The bigger problem is with advisors who, for whatever reason, approach that critical moment feeling apologetic—as if asking a client for a referral or a prospect to act on their recommendation may seem offensive. It’s a bigger problem because it stems from a mindset that can be more difficult to overcome. It demonstrates a lack of conviction in what they are proposing or, worse, in what they do for a living. They’re not convinced they are providing genuine value. If you don’t believe in yourself at that moment, how can you expect your prospect to have conviction in your solution or your client to believe in you when you ask for a referral?
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4 Tasks You Should Not Delegate if You Want to Grow Your Business
May 6, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
In a previous post we looked at how delegating routine or specialized business tasks can help clear the way for you to focus on the important aspects of your business. In this post we’ll look at tasks that unfailingly require your personal input – here are four things that should never be taken for granted.
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11 Best Practices for Gathering Referrals
January 21, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
People trust recommendations from people they know, and the lifetime value of a new referral customer is higher than of a client acquired in another way. Despite this, advisors shy away from asking for referrals – citing that to be one of their most awkward tasks.
The good news is that, if asked at the right time, most clients would be happy to advocate on your behalf. Less than a third of advisors ever ask though. Don’t act like the majority – because referrals are at the core of growing your business.
In this post we’ll look at some best practices for gathering referrals.
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Why You Need a Referral Strategy and How to Develop One
October 8, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 3 comments
Many advisors are uncomfortable asking clients outright for referrals, finding it hard to strike a balance between being aboveboard about wanting to acquire new business and being pushy or needy.
If that sounds like you, then you need to change your mindset because there are only three ways to gather new clients: From existing clients, people you know who are not yet clients, and people you don’t know yet. The best way by far to find new clients is via referrals.
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New Advisors: Learning to Cope with These Five Things Will Help You Persevere
September 25, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Outstanding advisors possess sustainability; they have the ability to overcome mental and emotional obstacles in a way that average advisors can’t. Simply passing the relevant exams won’t help you develop these coping skills – they don’t get taught in training. So, if you too want to reach the top of your profession, you’ll need to develop a tough mindset and overcome difficulties that others cannot.
Here are five things you’ll frequently encounter in your practice that you need to cope with to stay the course.
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How to Get More Referrals
October 12, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Referrals are integral to growing your business. They are one of the most profitable sources of new clients. So asking for referrals is a priority – even if the thought of doing so fills you with trepidation.
In order to get more referrals be selective where you focus your energy. Determine the right time to ask your clients and try these different approaches in order to make asking for referrals more natural – and more productive.
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