A financial advisor is someone who can help improve and manage your overall finances. They use their knowledge and expertise in helping you come up with a financial plan that is fine-tuned to your income, business and lifestyle.

Financial advisors can help you build up your savings, set up a budget, find insurance plans with competitive rates and work out tax strategies that work for your business. And all these can change your business and entire life positively as long as you stick to the financial plan recommended by the advisor.

Prospecting happens when a new lead enters the sales pipeline or business. After a person looks at services or products, and he/she shows interest, that person is now a prospect. In short, prospecting happens when someone shows interest in a product or service.

There are different prospecting methods depending on the type of business that you are promoting.

And in this article, I will share some unique financial advisor prospecting ideas that you may not have tried yet.

As a financial advisor, you should learn more about the different prospecting methods that can help bring ideal clients to the business, which I wish to enlighten as we go along.

Also, we'll tackle the importance of hiring an expert who can provide effective financial advice.

First off, let's get to the prospecting activities and prospecting techniques that can help you find the target audience and new prospects.

Networking events

Social media is a powerful tool that can help promote brand awareness and expand your financial advisory firm's reach.

Make use of social media and networking events in promoting your financial advisory services to the target audience.

Social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Snapchat are useful sites that can help business owners reach out to their target audience to promote a specific brand.

Creating unique posts, videos, and other marketing campaigns with compelling messages is a great way to attract new clients and turn prospects into regular clients.

Joining networking events is also recommended if you want to gain new insights about the latest niches and marketing ideas that can help promote the business and generate new leads.

Referrals

Referral is another prospecting strategy to consider. Financial advisory firms with many referrals are associated with excellent customer service and support that clients are looking out for.

It would be best to give out complimentary discounts to previous clients who have referred your services to their friends to show your appreciation.

Referrals are one of the best financial advisor prospecting ideas that you should always consider. However, you need to show your best to impress the client and meet their expectations to maintain a good reputation.

Phone calls

Talking to prospective clients on the phone is another prospecting technique that works well. Once you talk to the person on the other end, you'll know the situation and explain what financial solutions you can offer.

Anyway, it is highly advisable to talk to the client in person to build trust and develop a harmonious client-advisor relationship.

In that way, you can also assess and analyze the situation firsthand.

Messaging

Messaging is another prospecting techniques that can be done to find potential clients for a financial advisory firm. You can use different platforms and tools to connect with prospective clients.

Direct mail, emails, Messenger, Twitter, websites and other messaging software are a few ideas that you can try to send out your message to old and current clients.

Webinars and podcasts

Webinars and podcasts can bring a new audience to your business. And some of them could be interested in using your services - prospects to be exact.

Podcasting is a new way of letting your audience experience your content differently. It is easy to create, and it allows you to expand the benefits that you can offer to the audience once they decided to use your financial service.

Webinars, on the other hand, is an important prospecting method because it educates the audience about market changes, firm news and other related events. The goal of webinars is to help the audience understand the problem and arrive at a solution that allows them to take action.

Getting your message out with podcasts and webinars can be a great substitute for in-person presentations and meetings.

Why should business owners hire a financial advisor?

Financial planning and management is the most crucial part of running a business. It involves various decisions to take and strategies to implement. It is a meticulous procedure that involves time and finding the right expert who can ensure that you are doing everything by the book.

It is important to take the right decision for financial stability, better wealth management and reduced business risks.

That is why finding the right financial advisor is important and practical for any type or size of business.

Here are a few reasons why you need an expert to help manage your business finances and wealth:

Less stress

Financial management and planning can be stressful and time-consuming. It takes up too much time and effort, which leads to distraction and losing focus on your business.

Plus, the amount of stress that you may experience can be extreme. It takes a toll on your health, which prevents you from managing the business effectively.

The financial advisor will simplify the financial planning strategy to help you run your finances better.

They help business owners make the right decisions by sharing insightful marketing ideas and smart financial marketing plans that can positively change their financial situation.

Proactive service

Financial advisors regularly assess your financial situation and get back to you with positive and negative reviews to warn you about upcoming losses and ways to stop it.

If your financial situation is at risk, they can quickly provide a strategy and solution to improve the situation and prevent you from losing your money or investment.

Expertise

Financial advisors are trained professionals. They specialized in dealing with finances and providing solutions that can improve your financial situation. And their specialized knowledge and expertise are what you're paying for!

Coordination

if you are working with a CPA, lawyer, taxman, and other professionals, the financial advisor will coordinate with them on your behalf, saving you time and effort.

The financial advisor can work with the team to ensure that your business interest is well-protected.

Return on Investment

Think of it as an investment that can allow you to earn money in the future. The financial advisor can help you save money and time - you can earn more, which means that the money you have spent is worth it, and you can expect a quick return on investment.

Try these 7 financial advisor prospecting ideas now

#1 Use a CRM.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a type of software that informs you who you have contacted, who you need to follow up with and the prospecting method you should use.

Having your data in a CRM is the best way to streamline your prospecting process. It is a practical tool that can help save time and ensure a smooth process of locating prospective clients. The tool can manage centralized data, which can help improve customer satisfaction, experience, service and retention.

CRM allows you to track interactions with prospects - this includes emails, phone calls, voice mails and face to face meetings. Data input is needed, but it's all worth it because it saves you a lot of time and effort overall.

#2 Use a script.

No script will make a difference if you are talking to the wrong person. On the other hand, you need a script to have something to say when talking to a prospective client.

In reality, we tend to look for magic words to convince others. But that's not the case if the person you're talking to is not interested.

That is why getting to know your target audience in terms of location, age, gender, hobbies, interests, and demographics is important before starting any prospecting activities.

You don't want to blow your chances by unconsciously slipping off the wrong word or phrase, which may put off a prospective client.

Plan what to say, review your script and practice it before talking to new prospects.

You need to sound fluent, confident and convincing. In that way, you can attract more clients, and they can become more curious about what you can offer to improve their financial situation.

Not all scripts work. Do not rely on it too much. You need to show your new prospects that you can help them achieve a financial plan that can change their business and life in general.

#3 Host a client appreciation event.

The purpose of a client appreciation event is to let advisors express gratitude and appreciation to their clients. Successful client appreciation events can lead to more referrals and new clients for the financial advisor.

Allow your old and current clients to feel appreciated by hosting an appreciation event. If clients feel valued and appreciated, they will stick with you for many years and refer your services to other people.

Take note that you do not want to invite everyone because you need the guest to feel special, and if there is a big crowd, they will be uncomfortable and awkward.

A target attendance of 20 to 30 people is a good number - you'll have plenty of time to chat with them and perhaps raise a celebratory toss.

Apparently, client appreciation events are common in most industries. So, you need to stand out when hosting one and during prospecting occasions.

Think of memorable activities that will make your clients remember your advisory firm for a long time. You need to differentiate yourself to get the attention of a prospective client.

You can try out-of-the-box ideas such as providing complimentary dinners, movie nights, wine tasting and exclusive tours as a part of the event.

Invite the old and current clients, including dream prospects to the event. Make sure to talk to each one of them and let them know that they are important to you.

It is also important to show them what you can offer and make them realize why they should consider your financial advisory firm.

#4 Use direct mail.

I know what you're thinking...

Direct mail is underrated. People hate direct mail as a prospecting method because they don't know how to work it out. What you are missing is, it can be converted into money if readers engage and you know how to do it well.

One of the most effective technique in ratcheting direct mail is the lumpy mail. Lumpy mails have a 100% open rate, which means that there is a fat chance that messages will reach the target audience effectively and more people can see what you can offer.

Some ideas for lumpy mail are:

• A worry doll (I am worried about you...)
• A message in a bottle (Find the buried treasure in your budget)
• A stress ball (Stressed about your finances?)

Take time to plan the content of the direct mail. Get help from professionals to ensure that messages are related to your services and the target market.

#5 Try cold calling.

Cold calling is the oldest form of marketing salespeople use. It is a type of telemarketing that involves calling someone who does not have prior interaction with your business.

You should be more persuasive and confident if you choose to integrate cold calls into your prospecting methods and techniques.

You might think cold calling will not work, but it will as long as you engage with the right audience and have the right script to help get you through the process.

Of course, cold calls may not work sometimes, but it is still a viable financial advisor marketing strategy that can help you gain new prospects.

Tailor your value proposition by identifying and promoting your niche and showing the prospect specific outcomes.

You can open the conversation by outlining success stories and identifying effective solutions. In that way, you can draw out the attention of the person on the other end.

#6 Target a niche.

Target a niche by researching the target market. These include studying the target market closely and gathering data that can help improve your marketing strategy.

It is vital to know your target audience to launch a financial advisor marketing strategy that works easily. You should target certain niches to find an ideal client that will stick with you long-term.

Moreover, it is important to target a niche because it tailors the value proposition to reach the target audience.

Some of the best niches that are worth considering include occupation niche, specific companies, products, insurance, etc.

#7 Create strategic alliances.

Form alliances with the people in your industry. These include developing a good relationship with referrals, attorneys, CPAs, insurance agents and other financial advisors in the same field.

It is important to build a strong rapport with people you will be working with because they can provide you with useful data that can help marketing your advisory firm.

And think about it, you need to coordinate with them from time to time. So, building a good working relationship and forming a strategic alliance is wise and practical. That way, you can also have a healthy working environment, increasing success and productivity rate.

Do you need help on the logistic part?

Launching prospecting techniques and methods requires time and effort. Plus, the business needs your management skills.

So, getting help from a company that can take away the burden of managing the business's logistic side is an attractive idea.

B12.io is a company that uses artificial intelligence technology in managing the logistic aspects of the business. These include the use of invoicing software, project management tools and invoicing software.

We can help you run your financial advisory firm by offering our state of the art AI technology to lessen your business's logistic effort.

You can use our AI website builder to develop your website and optimize it for the search engine. Try it here and see how it works.

If you're looking to integrate a new design to your website, sign up here! We can help you.

Takeaway

Running a financial advisory firm is not easy, especially if you just founded the business. It takes a lot of effort to keep your services running and finances flowing. Plus, finding regular clients who can help grow the business.

Prospecting is crucial to find new clients interested in your financial services and promote them simultaneously.

The truth is, prospecting is the hardest part of running an advisory firm because you need to define the best marketing strategy that is a win-win for the client's mind.

You must find a way to turn those prospects into long-term clients. It will not be easy, but if you put your mind to it, you will succeed!

So, now it begins!