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Communication in a Post-Pandemic World: How to Connect with Prospective and Current Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

All of us are affected by the coronavirus and the shutdowns. The virus is slowly running its course but social distancing will be with us for a very long time to come.

That means most of us are going to have to change the way we market and sell our services. “Meet and greet” networking events will be out of the picture for a while. When they do come back, they’ll be different. They may look more like ‘show and tells’ with slide shows than mingling sessions.

Even walking into businesses and asking for the owner is going to be fraught. The small ‘handshake’ ritual that has been with us since antiquity will be changed as we figure out our new forms of etiquette and social conventions.

So, what’s the best path forward?

Financial Advisors and Social Distancing: How to Keep Prospecting and Servicing Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

Traditionally, being a financial advisor has been a face-to-face business. We are creatures of the working lunch, the handshake, the coffee meeting. Appointments are the lifeblood of our business, because we’re in the business of personal relationships. That’s our real advantage over the low-cost robo-advisors, and a big part of how we justify our fees.

But social distancing is changing all that in a flash. I’m optimistic about the economy and the stock market long-term. But this bug isn’t going away anytime soon. We are undergoing a rapid cultural shift where social distance may very well become the norm for a good, long while.

And all of us old-school financial advisors, as well as brokers, planners, insurance agents, all of us, are going to have to adjust.

I’ve talked with a lot of people, and I’ve seen a lot of economic cycles. Here’s what I suggest you do to keep growing your business even with social distancing.

The 4 Pillars of Great Client Service

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Great client service should be a given. But according to a recent study from Cerulli Associates, less than a third of advisors strongly agreed that their practices go above and beyond to serve their clients, or that their clients offer repeatable and consistent client experiences.

At the same time, 72% of advisory firm principals say client service is a key differentiator.

Folks, if 72% say great service is a differentiator, it’s no longer a differentiator. It’s now the industry standard.

That said, some firms are clearly doing a better job than others. And those are the firms that are attracting bigger clients, with more assets to manage.

Let’s have a look at what they do differently and what are some key components to delivering great client service.

Poor Communication Is The #1 Reason Advisors Get Fired

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

The chief reason clients fire their advisors is not, as you may have thought, poor performance – it’s poor communication. A survey by Financial Advisor Magazine revealed that 72% of clients said they fired their advisors due to their advisor’s failure to communicate on a timely basis.

The best advisors put their communication strategy at the very heart of their business – and so should you. Not only should you build in time to communicate with clients – but take time to develop your soft skills so that you communicate effectively.

Why Is Online Reputation Important for Your Success as a Financial Advisor

/ by Diana Marinova / Connelly Corner, Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

As Don Connelly always says, only three things must take place for you to get a new client: that person must like you, trust you and think you are smart. But how could prospects like you, trust you and think you are smart if they never met you? How do you come across as likeable, trustworthy and smart if you have no prior relationship with them?

The answer lies in your online reputation.

5 Email Marketing Trends for Financial Advisors

/ by Diana Marinova / Connelly Corner, Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Contrary to what many business owners believe, email marketing is not dead and it is still one of the best communication channels to keep in touch with prospects, especially in the Financial Advisory industry.

Nothing can beat connecting in person but let’s be real. It’s impossible to meet and talk on the phone with hundreds of people who have your business card and might open an account with you one day. Here’s when email comes in handy.

Digital Marketing Trends 2015 for Financial Advisors

/ by Kirti Anand Sharma / Connelly Corner, Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

Did you know that according to recent Gartner research, digital marketing accounted for 25% of all the marketing dollars spent in 2014 and it is expected to reach 33% in 2015?

Though traditional marketing methods like seminars, telemarketing, trade shows, print media, exhibitions, and networking groups are still effective, let’s face it – Top Financial Advisors have stayed ahead of the game by adapting their marketing initiatives to the digital world we live in.

So don’t get left behind! Update your marketing strategy for the year ahead and build a competitive advantage by following the digital marketing trends of 2015. Start with these four areas of improvement:

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