For, I guess 20 years more or less I’ve worked with Dan Kennedy who’s at the minimum a well-known “marketing guru.” Over the years I shared the stage with him, hosted him at my marketing bootcamp, hosted him and associates in my office, and participated for many years in his “highest level” master-mind team of others with similar businesses as mine stretching across various “niche’s” That included gentlemen (and, ladies) such as Ron LeGrand who’s a get rich in real estate “guru,” Frank Kern who’s an internet marketing “guru,” Joe Polish of “I love marketing” fame, and many others.
He used a term to describe most industries approach to their marketing as “marketing incest.” In other words they look around at what everyone else is doing, and do the same thing.
A personal development “guru” from an earlier generation: Earl Nightingale, said if you don’t have a success model, look around at what everyone else is doing and do the opposite.
I was having a conversation with an advisor today about several of the “done for you” CRM systems that have pre-written generic content for you to use.
In reviewing them and several others, I’d add a few thoughts other than which is best.
First. Email is dying a slow and painful death. Text messaging is working great. Direct mail (aka Snail Mail) is working better than ever. For any system that mostly brags about pre-written emails, misses several points of leverage.
Second. Look around at what everyone else is doing, and do the opposite. That’s sort of the opposite of utilizing someone else’s prewritten generic stuff.
When following up – and, if you haven’t I’d suggest to register into our system (www.AdvisorWealthMastery.com) for a lot of free content, if for no other reason to see what our follow-up system does. But, when following up I’d suggest that your follow-up include immediate text message, automated voice mail, email, retargeting in google (and google properties,) retargeting on facebook, and direct mail.
I’ve recently been following and paying attention to a BUNCH of financial advisors on LinkedIn as well. Occasionally, someone exhibits some “personality.” Shares or discusses something other than BLAND and Generic financial stuff. However, it’s RARE.
They all look and sound the same. Same photo, more or less. Same bland description of what they do for their clients.
I was listening to someone’s podcast (I’ve gone through probably 150+ in the past 90 days.) I think this ones was Michael Kitces. He made a comment that it’s sad that the industry treats advisors as so interchangeable that prospects choose an advisor by zip code (I believe in reference to various “lead services.”)
Well, for those who are “interchangeable” it is scary.
You’ve got to be different. Standout from the crowd. Have a unique specialty. Be idiosyncratic.
In your marketing develop your own “voice.”
Look differently, act differently and standout from the crowd.
