Good Branding enSUREs Referrals

Are referrals your primary source of new clients? That’s not a surprise. Some 90% of the clients we’ve served over the last 10 years answer “yes” to that question. What is somewhat surprising is the number of advisors who don’t perceive the link between branding and referrals.

People REFER for two reasons:

1 – They want to look good to the people they are referring. They want to feel confident you will impress the person they are sending your way.

2 – They want to look good to you. They want you to know they appreciate your service and that in return, you appreciate the referral.

Where Branding comes in:

Have you ever wondered what your clients say about you when referring you to their colleagues, friends and family? Most advisors agree that their clients would likely have many different stories to tell. Imagine one of your clients telling a potential ideal client that you are honest, easy to work with and that you offer comprehensive financial planning. You may be all those things, which are great, but they in no way differentiate you from most other financial advisors.

The question is: have you taken the steps to truly differentiate you and your business so that you maximize referrals, the life-line of your business?

Are you leveraging your brand to gain way more ideal client referrals?
TAKE BRAND NURTURING QUIZ AT FREEDOMARKETING.COM/BRANDING

If you’re not nurturing your brand in a way that engrains your message in your clients’ minds, you will have no say or control over your best sales force; happy clients telling the right story to the right people, all for you. It’s critical to making an impact in the prospects’ minds and it also helps solidify your relationship with your client. They too want to feel like they are getting something from you they can’t find around the corner.

Just think for a few minutes how powerful it would be to script you message for your clients. Imagine how comfortable they would be in sharing your story with the right people, your ideal target audience.

Do your clients…
o Know who you work best with?
o Use keywords that create intrigue and buzz about your service or approach?
o Truly understand how they benefit from working with you?
o Know how to refer people to you?
o Know how you are compensated?
o Know your professional credentials and experience?

You wouldn’t send a sales force out into the streets without having a full and complete understanding of the above. Why would you send your clients out to refer you without the same level of understanding?

There are four key branding criteria to BEING REFERABLE:

Special
How are you different or the same as everyone else? You need to be memorable first and foremost.

A compelling message is the ONLY story that gets told. If you aren’t nurturing that message and ensuring clients know exactly what to say and to whom, you’re leaving lots of quality opportunities on the table. If you rely heavily on new clients from referrals, it’s integral that you invest time, energy and money into nailing this aspect of your business.

Useful
Does your point of differentiation benefit them and how?
A flashy message that has no clear and relevant benefit will not endure further investigation. Make sure the usefulness of your offering is simple and relevant.

Reliable
Are they sure about your professionalism and expertise?
No one wants to work with a financial advisor that works out of a VW Van who also sells encyclopedias. You need to be professional, be rooted and be trustworthy. If you’re marketing doesn’t quickly answer these fundamental concerns, you won’t even need to have a phone number or office. It’s not as simple as having a cookie cutter web site like every other financial advisor. Your site needs to look say you invest in your business, you’re the expert they need and you are a true professional they can trust.

Economical
Does working with you make economical sense? Are you an affordable and profitable decision?
Lastly, you need to be an economical choice. This doesn’t mean cheap; more like appropriate for the type of people who you’ll be referred to. Do your message, marketing and perceived value reflect your fees?

Most advisors look at asking for referrals as an art, something they need to feel inspired and passionate about. They need to take their time to paint the perfect picture of what asking for and getting referrals is all about. Getting consistent great referrals is simple:
o brandish a compelling message
o establish a repeatable process that is easy to understand for you, your team and the client
o implant the idea of referrals in your clients minds
o follow through with asking and getting referrals

Be S.U.R.E. and you’ll get more referrals.



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