Real Talk: Are Keynote Speakers Worth It?
Let’s be real. Getting a keynote speaker to come in and give a talk is such a hassle. Getting the right person, paying for transportation, meals, and their speaker fee, and coordinating the actual event – it’s no minor commitment. Above all, how do you know that the person is going to be able to […]
Creating a LinkedIn Community that Rocks – Vid 6
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a way to be constantly in front of the people you want to do business with, in a way that allowed them to get to know you and have fun at the same time? Follow me and I’ll show you how to rock this with real life examples! […]
The Fun Way to Meet Prospects in LinkedIn Groups – Vid 5
LinkedIn Groups are a great way to meet people and develop relationships over time that convert to new business. Here’s how to do it the right way while being yourself and having fun! Like this:Like Loading...
How to Look Cool (not Sleazy) in LinkedIn Groups – Vid 4
LinkedIn Groups are a great opportunity to build your brand and become part of a community, but most of the garbage that gets posted into them gets ignored. Here’s how to be the exception and post cool content to LinkedIn Groups that will get attention and make you look cool (not like a sleazy salesperson). […]
December webinar: Revving up Technology in 2019
Advisors, get your engines revving! I’m teaming up with eMoney Advisor to present the ultimate guide for advisors who are looking to jump start 2019 with powerful technology decisions that put them ahead of the pack. Join me and eMoney’s Connor Sung, CFP on this December 19th webinar at 12:30 PM EST to learn: How […]
The name of the game in 2019 is going to be meeting clients where they are. How can financial advisors adopt a more flexible business strategy to get ahead of the competition in 2019 and beyond? eMoney Advisor and I will discuss this and more with industry standouts Pam Capalad and Lucas Winthrop who will […]
The Easiest Possible Way To Get A COI’s Attention On LinkedIn – Video 3
Vid #3: The Easiest Possible Way to get a COI’s Attention on LinkedIn: Hint, this is not the way that you’ve probably already heard about. I’m going to show you the path of least resistance to these COIs so you can work the list you’ve been developing in the last two videos. Watch the video […]
How To Not Screw Up Talking To A COI On LinkedIn – Video 2
Vid #2: How to Not Screw Up Talking to a COI on LinkedIn. Most of the messaging that people get on LinkedIn isn’t worth paying attention to. I’m going to teach you how to figure out what to say to the 20 people you identified in video #1. Watch the video here: Like this:Like Loading...
Getting Center of Influence Leads through LinkedIn search – Video 1
Vid #1: Getting Center of Influence Leads through LinkedIn search – Financial advisors will learn to do what their competition is most likely in the dark about – how to use the search and filter functions in LinkedIn to find centers of influence. The end result is that you will learn how to create a […]
The Painful Truth about Your Marketing Budget
If you haven’t gotten the results you wanted for the money you spent, here is where you went wrong and how you should change your marketing budget to fix the problem.
How to Meet Prospects in an Elevator
Here’s how I nabbed a prospect while scaling 20 floors – and some steps you can follow to meet prospects in an elevator.
Should You Outsource to a TAMP?
If you're considering outsourcing to a TAMP, please read my interview with a former HighTower executive here.
Roboadvisors are the Solution to Fee Compression
Roboadvisors don’t cause fee compression; when used correctly by advisors, they are the solution.
The shot clock was a rule that came about because basketball teams would waste time once they got a lead. The team with the ball gets 24 seconds to take a shot or their opponents get the ball. What if advisors followed a shot clock when it came to building their pipelines – one with 24 hours instead of 24 seconds?
Should I Be Outsourcing My Investment Management?
The size of your practice will be limited if you try to be responsible for both investment selection and sales and marketing. Find a good external manager, take the cut on fees, and outsource the management of the investments. Then turn around and be obsessively thorough with your marketing efforts. In the long run your practice will be better for it.
I recently started a modestly successful podcast, so here are my suggestions for those who are thinking of doing the same.
Summer Wardrobe Tips for Female Advisors
After I published my last article on whether you should wear a necktie, I had an overwhelming response from female advisors seeking fashion “inspo.” In response, here are a few summer fashion tips.
Advisor Transitions Don’t Have to be a Vortex of Pain
Transitioning to a new broker dealer or RIA firm is as appealing as using someone else’s toothbrush. I interviewed Grier Rubeling, the founder of Advisor Transition Services, to get some insights about how advisors can lessen the pain.
After I wrote an article about which business suit to wear if you're a financial advisor, several asked me about casual dress, the biggest concern being about whether you should wear a tie. I’m going to unbutton that question and provide insight about what you could do to pull off this look successfully.
What Nobody Tells You About Your Social Media Personality
Every advisor falls into these five social media profiles. You may fit into all, some, one or none of these categories.
How to Get Your Business on Google Page One
Here’s how I was able to rank on Google page one in less than a year with a low domain authority website, zero Google Adwords spend, no consultant support, and very little other than basic knowledge of SEO...and I was seven-and-a-half months pregnant.
How to Get Through to Big Shots on LinkedIn
Can you connect to big shot prospects through social media? Most advisors don’t even try. That’s a shame, because I’ve found an extremely effective way to reach just about anyone.
What’s the Best Hairstyle for Advisors (Women and Men)?
As someone who is in contact with a ton of advisors each month, I’m constantly amazed at how so many of them will spend six thousand dollars on a Brioni suit to make them look successful and pay zero attention to their hair.
Is it Okay for Financial Advisors to Swear in Front of Clients?
Swearing is a big no-no for advisors to do in front of clients, but if done correctly (and that’s a big “if”), swearing can set you apart from other brands that may not have the courage to be so raw. Just as the famous financial disclaimer goes: higher risk, higher potential reward.
Is it Okay for Financial Advisors to Cry in Front of Clients?
I’ve talked before about how instead of being shrouded and veiled, advisors should come across in a more human and relatable way with clients and prospects. But how raw can get you before you step over the line --is it okay to cry in front of clients? Sometimes the authenticity can say more about your authenticity than any marketing pitch.
To Crack into Prospects, Try Cracking Them Up
To connect better with your audience, refresh them, relieve tension in stressful situations and be more relatable and real to the people you want to impress, here are ways to infuse humor into your business, and some that you’re better off leaving out.
How to Convert an Acquaintance to a Prospect without Being Awkward
How should you approach a casual acquaintance and open the dialogue about working together? This is the quintessential “asking for the first date” question – major awkwardness potential here!
Which Business Suit Should Advisors Wear to Win More Clients?
How to dress is not something they teach you in the CFP curriculum, but maybe they should.
6 Phrases that Hedge Funds Should Never Use
These hedge fund phrases are clearly ridiculous and any fund who is using them should think about replacing this jargon with language that carries more meaning.
How to Tell If Your Office Set Up Is Killing Your Financial Advisor Lead Generation
As I’ve put forth in past blogs about fee compression, higher activity will expand the pipeline, boost financial advisor lead generation, and allow advisors who are willing to fight to prove their value in a market that is supposedly racing to the bottom. This is a brutal task so make it easier by doing everything […]
The Office Design that Maximizes Success
I’m not sure financial services is ready to follow Google’s lead and plant beach volleyball courts (with real sand, by the way) adjacent to the Bloomberg terminals. But there are a few elements of this model that advisors can use to improve sales success when prospects visit your office.
While I agree with Kitces’ point, I also see a few ideas that this article didn't mention which are important for advisors to consider if they are creating a digital marketing strategy.
Am I the Only One Who Thinks Fee Compression is Hogwash?
Everyone keeps saying that advisor fees are on the decline. Hogwash!
The Right Way to Make a Small Advisory Firm Appear Larger
Somewhere in the deep recesses of the Internet, a crafty little marketing consultant figured out how to make a small advisory firm look bigger than it is. I’ll show you a few ways to present the scale of your business based on your true merit. But first I’ll go over a few commonly used and slightly-less-than-scrupulous tactics that you should avoid.
7 Signs Your Financial Planning Website Is Outdated – Guest Post
We get asked the question a lot – “Does my website need to be updated?” If you haven’t touched your website in a year or more then it’s likely likely your technology is lagging. But more importantly, you may be losing customers. Still unsure if your website is past it’s prime? Our team has put together a list of the top seven signs your website may be in need of a redesign.
Social Media is Like an IRA, Not a Cash Register
If you’re not getting leads from social media, it’s because you are investing your time in the wrong way. Here are five tasks to do on a daily basis that will eventually yield clients and assets.
Six More Phrases Advisors Should Never Use
Toss these six marketing buzzwords in the never-to-be-used jargon dumpster.
Five Photo Shoot Tips for the Perfect Website
Here is what to do (and more importantly) what to avoid to have your website photos come out like the perfect Ansel Adams.
A Compliance-Friendly Social Media Strategy
Even if your ability to post to social media is restricted, it is still a very powerful prospecting tool if you use these methods.
The Honeymoon of Free Social Media is Over
Social media won’t be free much longer. Here’s how I see it happening and what it will mean for those who are counting on it.
The Two Ruinous Mistakes Advisors Make When Following Up with Prospects
Advisors grow their businesses through word of mouth and referrals. But when it comes to active prospecting, most have no clue how to engage a prospect from discovery to closing.
How to Avoid the Mid-Sized Firm Trap
Mid-sized advisor firms, upon graduating from being a one- or two-person operation, find themselves contending with all sorts of growing pains. All of a sudden they have the marketing issues of a larger firm – with an infrastructure that hasn’t caught up. Here’s my best advice to escape the trap of the mid-sized advisor firm.
What To Do If Your Social Media Stinks Like the Cleveland Browns
For those of you who think that social media is a useless tool for financial advisors, I’m going to tell you a story about my success back when I was an advisor.
Five Fully Pregnant Email Subject Lines and how they can work for your RIA Newsletter
The title of a newsletter is like the frosting on a cupcake; if it doesn’t look good then the whole thing becomes quite unappealing.
Six Legal Risks that will Zap You when Publishing Content
Advisors improperly cite or don’t cite their sources. Most advisors do this without even realizing it. This is a boring topic, but please read this to protect yourselves from legal problems.
Why Flat-Retainer Fees are Doomed to Fail
I’ve heard a new paradigm coming into the market: advisors who charge no commissions or tiered fees, just a flat, annual retainer. It’s a nice idea but in reality they’re trading one bias for another – and I’ll explain why.
The Death of Roboadvisors has been Greatly Underestimated
Here’s my call for 2018: Most roboadvisors are going to fail.
Hey Girl! Meet Badass Businesswoman Jessica Kizorek
I was so honored to speak with someone whom I really admire, Jessica Kizorek. To me this woman embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship. She’s using her skills to make the world better, and doing it in such a smart and sassy way that I like and appreciate.
Hey Girl! Shouting Out Ladybossblogger
Ladybossblogger is a "must visit" website for any woman entrepreneur and is too good not to write about – so I had to interview her.
Five Advisor Analogies That Are as Tired as the Mother of a Newborn Baby
If you’re using these tired analogies in your marketing, put them to rest.
Three Ways Female Financial Advisors Can Help Other Women
I love seeing successful female financial advisors because they have the potential to change the world.
How to Create a Financial Advisor Lead Generation Website
Here’s how to put some zest into your website without stirring up the compliance demons and by doing so create a Financial Advisor Lead Generation Website.
Should You Drop Your Broker-Dealer Status?
The more I talk to dual-registered advisors, the more I hear that many of them are looking to get out of the brokerage business entirely and operate as a fee-only RIA firm. If this is something that has crossed your mind, here are the pros and cons and what you should consider.
When somebody you are chasing finally gives you their attention, don’t mess it up.
Six Sweet Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas
Here are some ideas to get the love connection going on with some new prospects this February 14th.
Eight Questions to Answer When Naming Your RIA Firm
This article will clarify what you need to understand about your brand before you can come up with the words to capture it.
My CFA® Story: Started from the Bottom
Taking the CFA Level I exam when you’ve got no financial background can be a daunting task.
The real value of the CFA program to me came in ways that had nothing to do with the technical skills I gained and everything to do with the way it changed my attitude and how I relate to other people.
Five Buzzkills that Don’t Belong on Advisor Websites
Let these five unbecoming blights collect dust instead of allowing them to appear on your website.
Biggest 2017 Marketing Screw Ups
As you put together your marketing strategy for 2018, here’s how to avoid screwing up.
Can Social Media Save Your “Graying” Practice?
Financial advisors are confused, overwhelmed and in the dark about how use social media to reach the younger generations of wealth and rejuvenate a “graying” practice.
Six Words that Drive Compliance Crazy
Here are six phrases to avoid using in your marketing copy if you want your chief compliance officer to like you.
Seven Tips for a Firm Name Prospects Won’t Forget
Here are seven tips to give your advisory firm a name that means something.
How Advisors Can Get Leads Without Spending Money
Read on to hear how you can get attention on the Internet for your brand even if you have no money and only a small following.
Will I Lose Clients By Focusing on a Market Niche?
Despite what you may think, your current clients will not dump you, and you won’t lose wealthy prospects by targeting a vertical – if you do it right.
Six Phrases Advisors Should Never Use
If you’re using any of these six terms then kick them to the curb.
What Makes a Good LinkedIn profile?
Here are some examples of what you should and should not do with your personal brand on your LinkedIn profile.
Should I Move my RIA Firm to the Cloud?
This article covers what the risks and rewards may be for RIA firms considering moving to the cloud.
How to Meet Really Rich People
To actively grow your business, try these creative tactics.
Using Social Media Video for Financial Advisor Branding
This article will discuss the financial advisor branding obstacles that many face and reveal examples of some great brands who are overcoming them using social media video marketing.
How to Deal with Nonresponsive Leads
How do you bring back the phoenix from the ashes? First I'll explain the major reasons that prospects go cold and then I'll cover what financial advisors can do to warm them back up.
Good Financial Advisor Branding vs. “Anti-Branding”
Branding is probably the most misunderstood aspect of financial advisor marketing. This blog will discuss the elements of poor financial advisor branding (what I call “anti-branding”) that are commonly seen throughout the industry.
5 Financial Advisor Blog Hacks That Will Open The Sales Floodgates
If you want to open the floodgates so the sales rain down, here are the five blogging hacks I’ve found that have worked best for getting me and my clients the online attention we want.
The One Little Guest Blog That Lit My Business On Fire
Appearing as a guest writer on someone else’s blog wasn’t something I took that seriously until a recent successful guest posting blew up my business. Here are the steps I took to get surprisingly viral results.
Five Reasons Why Advisors Stink at Social Media
Finance is perceived as the driest and most boring industry on the face of the earth. So it’s no surprise that financial advisors whine about their failure to get anyone’s attention on social media. Yet this creates an amazing opportunity for the wise ones. Advisors who present themselves differently, even slightly, will succeed at getting […]
Is Social Media for Financial Advisors Just a Social Commercial?
I see social media hitting a corner, and I’m pretty unique in my vision because no other marketers seem to be saying the same thing.
The New Age of Advisor Seminars
Traditional seminars are bound for extinction because on-line technology gives advisors a better option to present to prospects.
Love the Brand that Vanderbilt Built
What makes a great financial advisor brand? I’ve written in the past on the deplorable lack of branding in the financial space. This blog will feature one financial firm who does it right and what financial advisors should emulate if they want to get a big brand.
What Rich Clients Really Want vs. What Financial Advisors Say = Total Disconnect
The results of this case study imply that most financial advisors have a long way to go before they are able to position themselves as attractive to affluent individuals. Read on to learn if you fall into the "out" group and if so, what you should do.
5 Painless Tips for Getting a Financial Advisor Blog Through Compliance
It doesn't have to be a nightmare every time. Here are 5 painless tips for getting your financial advisor blog through compliance.
The Small RIA Firm Poverty Trap (and How to Escape)
This blog explains the one thing you can do to escape the poverty trap that ensnares most RIA firms with $150MM or less in assets under management.
Is Your Online Brand Breaking the Walls Down? Take this Survey.
Take this quick 8 question Sara Purple Survey to get a good honest look at whether or not your online brand is strong enough to break down walls.
Three Things To Add To Your Brand to Increase Conversions Online
This article will discuss the three critical areas of your brand that you can customize for higher online conversions from your social media.
Are Lead Generation Services Worth It?
This article provides an objective, third party analysis of the major lead generation services as well as the pros and cons of outsourcing lead generation for financial advisors, RIA firms, CFPs, and wealth managers.
How to Get Ahead of 99% of Financial Advisors – Get a Big Brand
Lead generation is one of the biggest challenges for financial advisors. Learn how to fill your pipeline by creating your own unique and big brand.
From Chaotic Picasso to Marketing Masterpiece
His works were beautiful collages, so powerful that they brought to life an entire genre, a new idea that hadn’t existed in the world as a real concept until he made it so. While Picasso didn’t attend marketing conferences with titles such as “Brand Ambassador” on his name tag, we can all take a lesson from his success in marketing his product.
The #1 Marketing Asset every Financial Advisor should Hold in the Portfolio
With a little bit of creativity, which to be blunt is the last thing on any financial advisor’s mind given all the stress they’re under, you can refocus the lens through which the world sees you. Here are some market-beating social media strategies that are a core holding for all financial advisor and financial planner marketing portfolios.
3 Reasons Business Brands Fail to Break Through Walls
The truth is that strong brands sell themselves and weak brands fail to overcome barriers to growth. Most small and midsize business brands fall short in the following three ways.
If Social Media Video Marketing Is So Great, Why Isn’t Everybody Doing It?
Social media video marketing is the wave of the future and the best way to engage an audience online. If you're currently not using video marketing in your social media strategy, read this article to find out how to overcome the obstacles.
Sara Grillo @grilloinvest
14 Oct
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Sara Grillo @grilloinvest
14 Oct
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grilloinvest@gmail.com
