Sitting on my deck this afternoon felt like “paradise found” – right in my own backyard. Could have just been me, but it seemed that there were more birds chirping than ever before. And that Starbucks dark Verona roast, homebrewed and consumed on the deck, was a delightful treat. Since I always try to “walk my talk,” I thought you’d like to know that I’ve been practicing the art of being mindful as a way to stay more creative, intuitive and articulate.
Of course we can’t constantly be on vacation or vacation-substitute. When it’s time to buckle down and get things done, each of us must rise to the challenge. Back-to-business is my motto as we start a new week, as I am sure it is yours.
THE DRY-SPELL DILEMNA
A week before I left on my vacation, I was talking with a group of Garrett Planning Network members. One of the members was going through a dry spell, businesswise.
She’d been so busy she could hardly see straight for several months in a row. Prospective clients were calling. New clients were signing on. She had plenty of meetings and phone calls with strategic allies. She’d purchased a mailing list and had sent out a series of introductory postcards and was expecting some calls from that effort – but, sadly, no calls came from the mailing and things were a little quieter than she’d like.
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Paradise found... Right in my own backyard
We started brainstorming some things she – and you – can do when that inevitable dry spell hits.
TIP #1: FILL YOUR CALENDAR WITH PURPOSE-DRIVEN EVENTS AND TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE
There’s an old saying in marketing circles that’s just as true today as ever: The best time to be marketing and prospecting is when you don’t need the business. So, tip #1 is to create a marketing plan that will serve as an annual blueprint, with dates for events and promotional activities that will keep your pipeline full.
While I always recommend that financial advisors have a good mix of marketing tactics going for them and to focus on serving and prospecting in 2-4 niches over time, it is important to realize that there are really just three main ways that financial professionals generate new business:
1. Event Marketing
2. Referral Marketing
3. Credibility Marketing
Events are a great way to create partnerships with strategic allies, to build buzz in the community and to share news with journalists. The trick is to keep a steady stream of events on your calendar and to give yourself lots of lead-time for promotions related to the event.
Vacation-substitute: Spring flowers and fresh air
Just promoting the event can be as important as holding the event. It is also important that you fill your calendar with purpose-filled events – the more near-and-dear to your heart, the better.
THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN ADVISOR
Here’s a great example of an advisor who “gets” purpose-driven prospecting using an event marketing strategy at the core.
