SOMETIMES YOU CAN JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
Have you ever been to an airport waiting for a flight only to find yourself perusing a bookstore to pick up the next title you just might read? Of the hundreds of titles to choose from -what makes one book stand out over the other? You might go to the section you are interested first – let’s say to the business or fiction section. Then, you’ll likely start with the books on the display table (the ones who paid to be there btw – aka advertising!) and scan the titles and cover images.Now, translate this analogy to the financial services industry, and more specifically your practice.
Your prospect needs financial advice(if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be a “prospect.”) And they’ve likely even narrowed it down to the type of advice – like investment or retirement, but there are dozens to hundreds of options of advisors to work. How does your story stand out over the others?
CREATING YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
For a book, it will start with the book title, explainer text and images. Everything you see on the front cover. This needs to be compelling to get someone to take the next step—pick up the book! For an advisor, this would be your company name, tagline and brand image like logo or colors. This is the first introduction to your firm, and it needs to be professional and
resonate with your ideal audiencefor them to be interested in learning more.
INTRIGUING YOUR AUDIENCE
Back to the bookstore…You’ve selected the title that speaks to you. Now what? You take the next step. You pick it up. You turn it over and read the back of the book. The “about the book” summary paragraph can be enough to get you to take the next step. This book overview is designed to give you the highlights – just enough of the key points to entice you to take the next action. For advisors, this “About Us” information – often the marketing boilerplate that lays out who you are, what you do, who you do it for, why you’re better and how to contact you – is designed to entice prospects to take the next step with your firm: request more information, sign up for your newsletter, or register for an upcoming event. The “About Us” needs to be riveting enough that the prospective client commits to wanting to learn more.But that’s not where the sales process ends. A compelling synopsis isn’t going to close new business; it’s just going to set you up for the opportunity. The final hurdle comes from moving a prospect to a client. Now you need the compelling, more in-depth “About Us” overview.Related:
3 Ways Advisors Can Attract the Attention They Deserve GAINING BUY-IN TO YOUR STORY
Think of it like this – even though you bought the book, you’re not fully committed to reading it through until you do. Before you can truly determine if this purchase is a good investment of time and money, you may venture as far as reading the introduction in a book. This is where you would find a more robust overview of the story narrative (if it’s nonfiction) or a more detailed introduction to the why, what, how, when, who, etc. of the book that you’re maybe, or maybe not, going to read. This gives you all of the pertinent information you would need to make an informed decision of whether or not you want to commit to reading all the way through.As an advisor, you want your prospective clients to see the process through as well. And to do this effectively, you’ll need the more expansive version in your own repertoire of information. Just because someone commits to a first appointment, it doesn’t mean they’re sold. Your brand will need to help them through the purchasing process. They’re listening. They’re interested. You have their attention. You need to tell them what they need to hear at each step for them to commit to finishing the process.It’s really quite simple. You have to get their attention, pique their curiosity and then deliver on their needs and expectations. Your “About Us” funnel, structured correctly, should do just that.For more ideas on delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time,
check out our past blog on building your marketing funnel, or
contact us to learn more how AdvisorPR can be of help!
