The New Rules of Client Acquisition – The Game Has Changed. Part 1

Whether you like it or not, you are a brand like never before, and the key to client acquisition is owning your personal brand.

“Are you owning your brand? Are you taking control and owning the narrative or are you letting it happen to you?” – Sallie Krawcheck Co-Founder and CEO of Ellevest, Chair of Ellevate Network, the global professional women’s network.

Social media + mobile devices = an increasing focus on the individual and more importantly how that individual fits within the bigger picture. Regardless of whether you are part of a larger entity with an established brand, the questions prospects are going to ask are:

Who are YOU and what’s YOUR story?

Why should I trust YOU?

What is it that YOU do that makes you so special from everyone else?

Through your brand, people find you, get to know you, and feel confident in making a decision to work with you. Humans are moved by emotion and tools are available to each one of us to shape our brand and to move others like never before. And those who’ve embraced these tools are gaining a clear advantage (even if their skills & experience as an advisor don’t compare to yours) simply by owning and controlling their personal brand.

Now the big question is always, “Where do I begin?” In this series I’ll be covering how to properly leverage social media for client acquisition without becoming overburdened – focusing only on what’s essential. Naturally, we’ll start with your personal brand.

Build your brand (or revisit it)!

The most important component is how you describe your practice – your value proposition. It is the foundation of all your marketing efforts, including client acquisition. Say what you mean and do what you say - you want to send a clear and consistent message about what you do, how you do it and what sets you apart from other advisors.

Six key ingredients to a killer value proposition:

Your mission statement – brief summary (1-2 paragraphs) used to introduce yourself

Elevator speech – 1-2 sentence version of your mission statement

Client experience – how you work with clients

Your investment management process – process you use with clients

Your wealth management services – strategies and services you offer clients

Your service offering – customized menu of services based on client segmentation

To quickly create a powerful value prop, click here .

Don’t want to write it yourself? Use a professional copywriter, Bob Anders does a beautiful job.

Stay tuned for part 2 - how to get your brand out there!