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January 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
30. Use mobile-optimized websites.
No one wants to be knocked out of the game before it starts, but that can be exactly what happens to organizations that don’t have mobile-optimized websites. Right now, 50 percent of smartphone users use their phones as their primary or exclusive Internet device. So it goes without saying that people who run searches on their mobile devices will choose to visit advisor websites that are mobile-optimized. Also, with mobile users making enrollment decisions more and more frequently from their phones, companies who don’t conform are missing a considerable sales opportunity. Another important consideration is click-to-call, which has the potential to double or triple the number of calls from prospects that a practice receives, and by extension, its number of conversions.
— Chris Marentis, founder and CEO, Surefire Social
29. Recommend others.
Add a “Recommended Community Resources” page to your insurance website where you list and link to your current and potential referral sources. Then, ask each of them for a link from their site back to yours. This helps you generate leads in three ways. First, it will bring a steady stream of new leads to your site. Second, it gives you an introduction to new referral sources. And third, adding links to your site should help improve your search engine rankings.
— Aaron Kassover, co-founder, AgentMethods
28. Use a “Don’t miss the boat” referral strategy.
One of the most successful strategies for generating immediate referrals is an event called, “Don’t Miss the Boat.” Advisors begin telling clients about the big event 3 months beforehand through a letter. For example, we’ll say, “We’re doing this big event on May 15th on the Detroit Star, the dinner boat on the Detroit River. It’s going to be a gala event with music and dinner and dancing. But, don’t miss the boat; because the only people we’re inviting are those that have introduced us to others by the event date.” This event gives clients an immediate incentive to think of someone. Yes, it may be a little gimmicky and you may think your wealthy clients may not go for this. But, we’ve never seen this strategy fail. It has consistently produced referrals of 40 or more per event!
— Maribeth Kuzmeski, marketing strategist, author, speaker, Red Zone Marketing, LLC
27. Try local PR.
Many service businesses think they need to hire expensive agencies or PR firms to publicize their companies when it’s easy to create a press release. Simply search the Internet for PR templates and add your news. Use press releases to spread the word about your everyday success such as new client wins, new products you’re offering, new hires or even an event you are speaking at. Look for any news you can use to promote your company in a cost-effective way. Press releases can and should be posted to your website, helping to drive traffic. Also provide PR to your sales team and staff as news to share with clients/prospects. Obviously you will want to email your PR to all the local newspapers, magazines and websites.
— Sandy Barris, CEO, chief accelerant, Sales Goals on Fire
26. Create a buzz piece.
A buzz piece is digital collateral you create that offers valuable information to prospects. These can include e-books, white papers, how-to guides, special reports, or even simply a list of tips. It can be downloaded via a form on your website or sent by email. Either way, the objective is to capture that lead’s email address and other pertinent information which you can use later to market your services. If promoted correctly, the buzz piece can act like a magnet and attract new leads for your business.
— John Pojeta, vice president, business development, The PT Services Group
25. Celebrate your clients.
With a client who is retiring, tell them you’d like to throw a celebratory luncheon in their honor and all they need to do is invite 10 of their peers to the restaurant of their choice. At the luncheon, toast your client (who will hopefully acknowledge you and the work you’ve done to get them to retirement) and announce that you will be happy to sit down with anyone attending and offer a consultation at no cost. During the lunch, take photos of the guests with your client, get everyone’s email address, and send out the photos of the event to all who came. Do not put on any presentation — just have a social event. This has resulted in me obtaining additional recommendations via clients in a fun and festive way.
