Not too long ago, really good advertising could sell boring, ho-hum every day products. But not anymore.
Today, competition is so fierce that you actually have to create something remarkable in order to succeed. Not to put too fine a point on this, but for something to be remarkable, it has to be worth remarking … worth noticing, worth talking about.
In short, it or you have to be interesting and different.
The competition isn’t limited to other advisors. We live in a distracted (be right back) world, where every one of us has a lot of things competing for our time, attention and, when appropriate, money.
Create demand by being an outlier.
Pay attention to the fringe. Everyone needs financial planning, and every advisor offers it. What do you think people need? How do you help them achieve it? Every financial advisor on earth sells investments, insurance, financial plans and reporting. That was boring just to type.
Selling is pushing. Don’t push. Pull.
You pull people with your purpose. You pull people with an idea. You pull people when you offer a way to help them solve a problem, improve a solution or do something they can’t do.
Who are you helping your client become?
What are you asking them to buy into?
Playing it safe is risky.
When the room is crowded, the last thing you want to do is sit down.
Make people say wow.
Service is fast and efficient. Experiences are slow and deliberate, designed to make you look and look again.
Consider the complete customer journey for every interaction they have with you, from long before your point of contact until long after. Eliminate all the places where you ask your client to sacrifice something, then consider all the ways you can do what you do well, even better and finally, consider how you can work in a little surprise.
That’s it for now. I’ll pick this up later.