So many financial advisers are sceptical about social marketing. It's a fear response. Like your clients who can't contemplate their own demise and so baulk at your wealth protection plans - YOU can't get your head around using a different set of tools to communicate.
Social marketing is just like a mail box drop or sending out random flyers and mail outs with a BIG difference - social marketing actually works and is targeted and demonstrates who you are and connects you directly with your end customer.
All you need to to ......is a little work.
Here's how in a few easy steps:
1) Do your research on your community. I love census data....I love census night ...what? Am I the only one? Here's why I love it you get gold quality information.
Here's one we prepared a little earlier:
Demographicss of a suburb in good old Melbourne.
According to the 2011 census:
- population 23,814
- 48.6 percent makes
- 51.4 percent females
- median age is 33 years
- 60 percent born in Australia
- 65 percent have english as their first language
- 30 percent married
- 55 percent not married
- 69 percent full time workers
- 21 percent part time
- 4.4 percent unemployed
- 39 percent are professionals
- 16 percent management
- 14 percent clerical / admin
- 8 percent sales people
- 12 percent manual workers
- median rent is $369 per week
- median mortgage repayment is $2383 per month
- 20 percent fully owned homes
- 24 percent mortgage
- 54 percent rented
- individual income $905 per week
- households $1697 per week
2) How to engage your community
- Check out the local council website and twitter account and see how many followers they have and what the topics are
- you will probably find mostly the tweets are about projects and what's on
- often the key issues seem to be transport
- nothing too exciting
- but the followers are quite engaged in the community and comprise journalists, politicians, councillors, and generally people who care about and are involved in the community
- when you look at facebook pages in the suburb of your interest- they are small businesses, community groups, clubs : and there are lots of them
The idea would be that:
- you create a twitter account and facebook page under your business name
- in the profile you describe what you do and who you are
- you follow the local council twitter account
- you follow some of their followers - look for the most active, better tweets, those who are promoting the community and engagement
- "like" local Facebook pages
- then respond with "likes" when they post stuff (twitter or Facebook)
- write comments when they post stuff (twitter or Facebook)
- when someone follows you on twitter - thank them
- your own content should be : information, education, comments on community issues, inspiration, humour, and lots of local photos (demonstrating you are involved in and observant of your community)
- this should take you no longer than 15 minutes a day : We can help you with content ideas
3) What's the vibe in the community?
Maybe:
- community
- sustainable
- diverse
- inclusive
- progressive
- dynamic
4) Pitch
Who you are:
Make sure your pitch is shaped to who you are and the vibe.
Critical in a clients trust of a brand is : what do they do and who are they : and situationally where are they. Remember what you are: a local business engaged with your community......you are aren't you?
For help on the specifics check out www.positiveclientengagement.com under the coaching page.
Sunday 27 January 2013
Wednesday 23 January 2013
WOW factor client seminars - cutting through decision conflict
So we're going to digress a little from the next step in our journey : which was planned to be centre of influence / referral source education sessions.
Why?
Well something else took our fancy today during a discussion about connecting with clients. Seems there are some pretty good sales engagement courses out there that delve into and explore client motivations and values.
That is PCEs passion. Understanding how a client makes a decision and what their motivators are - are indeed critical components in understanding how a client makes decisions and how you can positively influence them to make a decision that maximises the possibility of them reaching their goals.
But how about we aim higher?
How about thinking less about client manipulation and more about client manifestation in that you become the coach that mentors a client to make real and meaningful change in all areas of their life?
So few clients let alone professional advisers understand and I mean truly understand how to manifest peak performance. What if you had the secrets to the step by step process of how a client could plan, audit, action, review and adjust all the components of real and meaningful change?
It's possible.
And it works most brilliantly in tailored client and prospect events.
So just as we have discussed previously referral source "mixers" then a client mixer of your existing ideal clients and their ideal client friends works equally well if not better.
Content?
You need to present on peak performance on making real change and just what that requires and on self reflection, self assessment and on setting a standard for your clients to aspire to making a real positive impact on other people during their day.
You need to present on just what characteristics such leadership requires and how you can model that behaviour. You need to present on how daily stressors and how people react to those stressors takes them into substandard performance. Substandard performance at work, in relationships, in their finances.
You need to present on how your clients can defend and protect themselves against those stressors and how they can reignite positive energy.
And if you think well PCE that's a bit left of centre....think again. The daily stressors that stop peak performance, the habitual negative stories people tell themselves, the lack of time to think, reflect, express gratitude to self assess and to grow are at the core of why people have trouble making real meaningful change in their lives and causes decision conflict.
And no sales training course is going to change your ability to cut through that.
For our Australian friends : for more information on client engagement seminars that WOW and delivery of same: contact PCE.
Till next time.
Why?
Well something else took our fancy today during a discussion about connecting with clients. Seems there are some pretty good sales engagement courses out there that delve into and explore client motivations and values.
That is PCEs passion. Understanding how a client makes a decision and what their motivators are - are indeed critical components in understanding how a client makes decisions and how you can positively influence them to make a decision that maximises the possibility of them reaching their goals.
But how about we aim higher?
How about thinking less about client manipulation and more about client manifestation in that you become the coach that mentors a client to make real and meaningful change in all areas of their life?
So few clients let alone professional advisers understand and I mean truly understand how to manifest peak performance. What if you had the secrets to the step by step process of how a client could plan, audit, action, review and adjust all the components of real and meaningful change?
It's possible.
And it works most brilliantly in tailored client and prospect events.
So just as we have discussed previously referral source "mixers" then a client mixer of your existing ideal clients and their ideal client friends works equally well if not better.
Content?
You need to present on peak performance on making real change and just what that requires and on self reflection, self assessment and on setting a standard for your clients to aspire to making a real positive impact on other people during their day.
You need to present on just what characteristics such leadership requires and how you can model that behaviour. You need to present on how daily stressors and how people react to those stressors takes them into substandard performance. Substandard performance at work, in relationships, in their finances.
You need to present on how your clients can defend and protect themselves against those stressors and how they can reignite positive energy.
And if you think well PCE that's a bit left of centre....think again. The daily stressors that stop peak performance, the habitual negative stories people tell themselves, the lack of time to think, reflect, express gratitude to self assess and to grow are at the core of why people have trouble making real meaningful change in their lives and causes decision conflict.
And no sales training course is going to change your ability to cut through that.
For our Australian friends : for more information on client engagement seminars that WOW and delivery of same: contact PCE.
Till next time.
Monday 14 January 2013
6 Steps to Running a Networking Event
So in our last post we looked at how you can get refferals of the ideal client from an ideal referral source.
The idea at it's core was a meet and greet to determine which businesses have a similar raison d'etre to yours: that is a great client experience and true value and partnership and collaboration with clients. (stop reading now if you don't want that as an outcome!).
So who do you invite and how do you structure it?
Here are 6 steps that work!
1) Who to invite:
- existing referral contacts
- ask them to bring a peer
- ask them to bring key staff
Next layer of invitation:
- your local business networking group contacts : ask them to refer to the event their accountant / solicitor/ mortgage / general insurance broker
Next layer of invitation:
- any business contact who could add value in engaging on the night ie: they have a service that the attendees could utilise
Next layer of invitation:
- local businesses that you think could refer to you : check out websites to see if they offer in house services like yours
- then call them and see if they do lets say you make a discrete inquiry as if you were a potential client
Next layer of invitation:
- existing clients : who are their accountants etc? : ring your best 10 client and ask
2) Speaker: who are you going to get that will be free!!??
- local politician
- travel / lifestyle sourced from local business
Remember you are positioning yourself as a facilitator so getting a local memberof parliment is a great coup.
3) Invitation
- as per our previous post ......the key aim is "meet local businesses who face similar issues/challenges"......and secondary "our special guest(s)......."
4) Format
- no business pitch
- know who is coming
- strategically introduce people on the night
- let the evening flow
5) Location
- room / side room / adjoining area of bar/ local hotel - somewhere with atmosphere and sight and sound that does not drown you out but layers the senses
6) Follow up
- we can discuss that later in our next post
The idea at it's core was a meet and greet to determine which businesses have a similar raison d'etre to yours: that is a great client experience and true value and partnership and collaboration with clients. (stop reading now if you don't want that as an outcome!).
So who do you invite and how do you structure it?
Here are 6 steps that work!
1) Who to invite:
- existing referral contacts
- ask them to bring a peer
- ask them to bring key staff
Next layer of invitation:
- your local business networking group contacts : ask them to refer to the event their accountant / solicitor/ mortgage / general insurance broker
Next layer of invitation:
- any business contact who could add value in engaging on the night ie: they have a service that the attendees could utilise
Next layer of invitation:
- local businesses that you think could refer to you : check out websites to see if they offer in house services like yours
- then call them and see if they do lets say you make a discrete inquiry as if you were a potential client
Next layer of invitation:
- existing clients : who are their accountants etc? : ring your best 10 client and ask
2) Speaker: who are you going to get that will be free!!??
- local politician
- travel / lifestyle sourced from local business
Remember you are positioning yourself as a facilitator so getting a local memberof parliment is a great coup.
3) Invitation
- as per our previous post ......the key aim is "meet local businesses who face similar issues/challenges"......and secondary "our special guest(s)......."
4) Format
- no business pitch
- know who is coming
- strategically introduce people on the night
- let the evening flow
5) Location
- room / side room / adjoining area of bar/ local hotel - somewhere with atmosphere and sight and sound that does not drown you out but layers the senses
6) Follow up
- we can discuss that later in our next post
Saturday 12 January 2013
More Referrals From People You Like
One of the key ideas that will drive referral and revenue success for you in 2013 is:
- holding a centre of influence engagement session
In other words break bread with all of your referral sources.
Regardless of how successful the referral relationship has been over the history of the relationship you need to invite them.
Who do you invite:
- anyone who has the possibility of being able to refer to you clients who fit you ideal client profile in 2013
The format:
- this is a social engagement : think of it like the TV show "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette"
- here they all are in one place, all the referral sources you and your business have ever previous dealt with
- even better there are some new names and faces : people drawn from your client base : ie ask your clients who their accountant / solicitor is and invite them
Are you selling anything? No.
This is an event for like minded financial services professionals to get together over a drink and a few canapés for the reason of engagement, connection, collaboration, networking.
The pitch: "With the issues facing us this year FOFA, APES......we all face a busy year ahead....Stepping out from our own businesses to listen to how others are approaching their year in a social and relaxed setting provides a great opportunity to find that new idea or reinforce your thinking......"
Now, you might think "oh they won't go for that". But here's this thing. Wouldn't you like to work with referral sources who would unreservedly respond "Yes, I'll be there" to an opportunity to share a drink amongst peers?
So invite anyone who can refer in the perfect clients for you.
On the night you will not pitch who your ideal clients are, what you do, or anything about your business.
On the night you are the host so play the perfect host:
- introduce people (no name tags please)
- do your research and introduce people to others who may actually add value to their business eg the auditor to the SMSF accountant
- work the room
- but generally just ensure people are connecting
- you can formalise this by offering a set piece ie: OK people the next 15 minutes : talk to someone you don't know and find out about them : women leave men for dead here....women are more genuinely curious in situations like these.
- consider a speaker : travel, positive psychology, small business success story, sporting identity ......this may also be a draw card for your event.
The aim:
- watch people in the room
- who are the genuinely nice people?
- who is having a good time?
- who interacts well and seems to thrive in the situation?
- who did you get on well with?
- who would you have no hesitation in inviting them back?
And answering those questions will mean you have just found the referrals sources that you should be working with this year.....and most likely the ones that you will have most success at adding value to as well.
- holding a centre of influence engagement session
In other words break bread with all of your referral sources.
Regardless of how successful the referral relationship has been over the history of the relationship you need to invite them.
Who do you invite:
- anyone who has the possibility of being able to refer to you clients who fit you ideal client profile in 2013
The format:
- this is a social engagement : think of it like the TV show "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette"
- here they all are in one place, all the referral sources you and your business have ever previous dealt with
- even better there are some new names and faces : people drawn from your client base : ie ask your clients who their accountant / solicitor is and invite them
Are you selling anything? No.
This is an event for like minded financial services professionals to get together over a drink and a few canapés for the reason of engagement, connection, collaboration, networking.
The pitch: "With the issues facing us this year FOFA, APES......we all face a busy year ahead....Stepping out from our own businesses to listen to how others are approaching their year in a social and relaxed setting provides a great opportunity to find that new idea or reinforce your thinking......"
Now, you might think "oh they won't go for that". But here's this thing. Wouldn't you like to work with referral sources who would unreservedly respond "Yes, I'll be there" to an opportunity to share a drink amongst peers?
So invite anyone who can refer in the perfect clients for you.
On the night you will not pitch who your ideal clients are, what you do, or anything about your business.
On the night you are the host so play the perfect host:
- introduce people (no name tags please)
- do your research and introduce people to others who may actually add value to their business eg the auditor to the SMSF accountant
- work the room
- but generally just ensure people are connecting
- you can formalise this by offering a set piece ie: OK people the next 15 minutes : talk to someone you don't know and find out about them : women leave men for dead here....women are more genuinely curious in situations like these.
- consider a speaker : travel, positive psychology, small business success story, sporting identity ......this may also be a draw card for your event.
The aim:
- watch people in the room
- who are the genuinely nice people?
- who is having a good time?
- who interacts well and seems to thrive in the situation?
- who did you get on well with?
- who would you have no hesitation in inviting them back?
And answering those questions will mean you have just found the referrals sources that you should be working with this year.....and most likely the ones that you will have most success at adding value to as well.
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