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Successful financial advisors are excellent at self-promotion, using any opportunity to get their message out. They’re passionate about what they do and confident in their abilities so they’re not afraid or the least bit apologetic in letting people know what they do. They also understand that the worst that can happen is someone politely says they have no need for a financial advisor. Even if that happens four out of five times a day, that means one prospective client could emerge.
But for such self-promotion to be effective, advisors must have a unique value proposition (UVP) to share—one that clearly states the value your clients will receive from your services that they couldn’t get from other advisors. It should communicate to your ideal prospective client how you are on a different level than other advisors. Just having a well-crafted marketing resume is a differentiator because it gets directly to the point of why people should hire you.
How to use a marketing resume to boost your promotional power
A marketing resume can be a very potent tool because it can be used in unlimited number circumstances—at networking events, canvassing businesses, social events, speaking events, or anywhere you would normally hand out business cards. But you must be thoughtful about who exactly should receive your marketing resume. If your value proposition is too broad (trying to be everything to everybody) it may not resonate with anyone because it doesn’t differentiate you.
Here are three tips on how to get the most promotional power out of your marketing resume:
#1. Focus your messaging on your Ideal Client
Chances are your ideal client isn’t too keen on a one-size-fits-all approach to managing their wealth. If you want to replicate your ideal clients, use messaging that appeals directly to them. You know who your ideal client is—i.e., their challenges and concerns, how they think, what motivates them, their financial circumstances, etc. That allows you to hone your value proposition to target prospects who fit that persona, increasing the likelihood it will appeal to them.
If you have more than one ideal client or persona you want to work with, you can easily tailor the messaging on your marketing resume to target them. Just be careful to stay off the slippery slope of targeting too many different ideal clients because it can reduce your effectiveness.
#2. Narrow your marketing focus
Highly successful advisors have discovered that specializing in a particular field or niche is the key to massive client growth. By specializing, you can narrow your focus to what you’re passionate about and develop a highly marketable expertise which can be highlighted in your messaging. There are numerous ways to specialize, including:
- By demographics such as emerging affluent millennials, high-net worth seniors, or pre-retirees.
- By business type such as small businesses, family-owned businesses, or service businesses.
- By product or service such as retirement income planning, pre-retirement tax planning, or estate planning.
- By life stage or events such as post-divorce, college, or exit planning for business owners.
- By industry such as construction businesses, medical professionals, retail businesses, or restaurants.
Many advisors think that by specializing and narrowing their focus they will limit their potential for new business. However, the results show otherwise. By developing an expertise in a well-defined niche, you create a more compelling case for why people should work with you while increasing your word-of-mouth referral value.
#3. Swap your marketing resume for your business cards
If you haven’t included networking in your marketing strategy, you should. Typically, people at networking events are there to meet people. Many are equipped with their 20-second elevator speech to communicate their value proposition. Instead of exchanging a business card, use your marketing resume as a visual to accompany your 20-second elevator speech. As you hand it over, point to one part that highlights something the person may find interesting.
If you work with business owners and meet them at their place of business, take the opportunity to canvass nearby businesses, telling them you were meeting with one of your clients and wanted to introduce yourself to other businesses in the area. This can be even more effective if you visit businesses in your niche and present yourself as a specialist in their field. The marketing resume will make a bigger impression on them than a business card.
Related: 5-Step Approach To Addressing Mistakes With Your Clients