Ellis Communications, L.L.C.

Advisors Who Ask Questions About Clients’ Needs, Frustrations
Will Reap the Reward of Generating More Sales

One of financial advisors’ most important keys to successful sales is knowing what their clients want.  But how will they know if they don’t ask?

“The old saying ‘you won’t get anything if you don’t ask for it’ is true when it comes to making a sale with clients,” says Martin R. Baird, president of Annapolis, Md.-based Advisor Marketing and author of The 7 Deadly Sins of Advisor Marketing.  “ If financial advisors don’t ask questions, they hamper their ability to get the business.”

Baird offers the following seven tips that will help financial advisors turn questions into revenue. 

Tip Number 1 – Questions open doors to opportunities.  “Questions help you learn about your clients’ needs and frustrations,” Baird says.  “That knowledge creates an opportunity for you to work your magic.”

Tip Number 2 – Open-ended questions encourage clients to talk.  “You will be surprised at what your clients tell you if you give them the chance,” Baird notes.  “They will often tip you off to an opportunity without even knowing it.”

Tip Number 3 – Good listening is a must.  “Listen for hints of change and not just with your clients, but with people they know,” Baird suggests.  “Change is a perfect opportunity to introduce solutions to their problems.”

Tip Number 4 – Take control through questioning.  “The person who asks the questions is in control,” Baird says.  “You want to be in control because that allows you to steer your clients toward sharing useful information.”

Tip Number 5 – Face-to-face meetings get things going.  “Create the opportunity to ask questions by calling and inviting clients to your office,” Baird says.  “This also satisfies another need – the client’s need for personal contact.”

Tip Number 6 – Chat with more than a couple of clients.  “Make a list of 10 clients to invite, have coffee with or visit over the next week,” Baird says.  “These visits help keep you in front of your clients.  It’s also a great time to get more referrals.”

Tip Number 7 – Make these visits a habit.  “Set aside time to visit with more clients each week,” Baird suggests.  “You may be amazed at what a little face time on a regular basis can do for your business.”

Advisor Marketing provides a variety of services to financial advisors to help them improve their marketing methods and increase revenues, including seminars and conference speaking engagements on such topics as referrals, marketing, client communication and transitioning to fee.  The company also provides a service that tests multiple variables of a marketing campaign simultaneously so advisors will quickly know which elements of a marketing effort offer the best opportunity for success before they launch the campaign.

The company’s Web site, www.advisormarketing.com,  is the premiere Internet-based source for marketing advice, information and tools for self-driven, success-oriented financial advisors who are demanding information that helps them market their practice, meet the needs of their clients and increase sales.  It offers such services as a free weekly electronic newsletter and reports on how to conduct different kinds of marketing. 

Advisor Marketing may be reached at 480-991-6421.