Are you looking for the fast track to reaching your goals, the latest and greatest lead-generating idea, the no-fail marketing strategy? Aren't we all?
Successful business-building strategies are already in place all over the industry. And, if a seminar, direct mail, advertising or referral strategy is working for someone else in a similar business environment– if done the same exact way– wouldn't it work for you?
Our first instinct is to take what's working for someone else and envision how we would do it just a little differently. The reality is that often we take those successful strategies working for someone else and rewrite and tweak the strategy. This can make strategies more effective, but more often changing a successful strategy can have disappointing results.
The key is to identify strategies that are working and implement them. Ask other advisors or your broker/dealer, network with top advisors, read industry magazines, and seek out the ones having noticeable success. Find out what is working and do it as they are doing it. Instead of spending time recrafting ideas, spend time to find businesses that look like yours and beg, borrow and offer to pay for the ideas that are working. Look for strategies that fall into three areas of sustainable success.
1. Identify a system and process for acquiring referrals. Some advisors generate all of their new business through referrals. Find out what's working for them, how they ask, how they promote referrals, how their staff asks, and how they thank those that give referrals. Inquire as if you're an investigative journalist who wants all the facts for the story. If others can build a successful firm from referrals only, you can, too.
