From the desks of Joe Bayliss & Roy Furr
You’re at your annual FMO event, and it comes time for the awards. The top-producing financial advisors are called up on stage, earning spots on the podium for hitting some truly massive numbers.
And as their names are called, you might wonder… What do they do differently?
What do these financial advisors know that I don’t that’s getting them this result? More specifically, is there any behavior I can model and replicate if I want results like theirs? What’s their secret sauce?
There’s no doubt there are many factors that go into their results. Any firm or business that reaches their level of success has to be doing a number of things right.
And yet, there’s at least one clear driving force we’ve found with all top-producing financial advisors.
And we actually found it in our client list.
Three of our clients are the # 1 financial advisors within their respective FMOs. And most of our other clients are in the top 10 — each vying for that # 1 spot.
That in itself is the secret.
These top-producing financial advisors have chosen NOT to use the marketing and advertising that their FMOs package with their other services (sometimes free is the most expensive).
Instead, when it comes to the all-important, critical job of generating new leads and clients for their financial advisory, they go elsewhere and invest in outside marketing expertise.
They recognize that marketing is the engine that drives the business. The advisor who generates the most pre-motivated, pre-qualified leads will almost invariably become the advisor that generates the most new clients and the highest production.
Marketing is a top priority. And they seek the best outside marketing partners to create a unique strategy and effective messaging.
The bottom line? This is what gives them a huge advantage over their competitors in the market.
We don’t dispute that FMOs serve a great purpose. They can be a valuable resource, and they serve a critical role in the success of an advisory firm.
But we have yet to find the FMO who obsesses over effective advertising the way we do. (Or anyone else serving financial advisors, for that matter!)
That’s why if you want to aggressively grow your business — perhaps even claiming your spot on top of that podium — you’ll need to look beyond your FMO.
Here are the five biggest complaints we consistently hear about FMO marketing…
They’re providing the same marketing platforms and same messaging to all of your competitors (including the one across the street). So, you all sound the same.
Their internal team is on the phone right now trying to recruit even more advisors in your backyard, who will also get the same “me-too marketing.”
Everything is a one-size-fits-all strategy. If it works in Denver, it will work in Phoenix. Even though the data proves that wrong. Every market requires a unique strategy based on the strength of each medium and competitive makeup in the market.
The marketing messages… are not good. This is the most important piece of the marketing puzzle. All messaging probably goes through a dozen compliance attorneys. This is necessary to protect them — not you. So, the end product is a watered down, ineffective message that doesn’t move the prospect.
They’re servicing so many advisors, they can’t possibly keep tabs on the performance of each campaign. And when nobody is watching the store, you’re wasting a lot of money.
The best FMOs are not threatened by independent marketing agencies. They welcome outside input. They want their advisors to grow. Because in the end, they recognize that when you grow, they grow.
If you have the courage to be different and are looking for a better way to generate real marketing results — we should talk. We offer a free marketing copy review to look at your current messaging and identify specific opportunities to drive more leads — using the same budget.
Please understand we’re currently only accepting new clients who are spending a minimum of $250,000 per year in marketing.