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100 best sales & marketing ideas: 61-70

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70. Organize targeted events.

Rather than having an event for all of my clients, I’ll have very small, targeted events. I haven’t had a lot of success hosting a happy hour and inviting all the clients. I don’t think they feel special. Where if you have a very targeted event, they know each other, they know who’s going to be there, they’re comfortable and they feel special because you planned for them.

—Andrea Blackwelder

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69. Add value in personal ways.

Check out the refrigerator door when you are in someone’s home. Children and grandchildren usually fill it with pictures and drawings. Learn about these kids. If one is in Little League think about sponsoring the team. Does one have a school trip coming up? Donate money for lunch on the trip or sponsor the entire trip. Give the client something to remember the business by not dealing with the company.

— Marvin LeBlanc

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68. Send a tangible (edible) thank you.

After a sale, no matter the amount, go to local grocery store or bakery. Buy a sheet cake. Have them write, in icing, thank you. Deliver cake to your new client’s office or place of work. Be sure to scatter your business cards all around the cake and on the cake box. Sounds quirky, but I have gotten more new clients and even just people calling to ask questions about their situation. By the way, make sure your bakery has good cake. Bad cake is not good.

— Victor F. Hallman

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67. Take control of your prospecting.

Rather than asking clients to do your prospecting for you, do it yourself. Let me repeat: do it yourself. That might sound simple or trite. But, it’s the truth. Don’t sit by the phone waiting for your clients to do the work for you: do it yourself! And do it this way: Ask your clients for direct introductions to hand-picked prospects. That’s it: Ask for direct introductions. This method gives you complete control of the referral process, takes the burden off your clients and delivers an introduction to someone you already know is a great prospect for you.

— Paul McCord

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66. Try the 3/3/2 knockout method.

How often and for how long should you follow up with a prospect? Make three follow-up attempts to connect with a prospect, spaced three business days apart, utilizing both email and voicemail. Before you leave a message, make multiple attempts at various times of the day to connect with your prospect (i.e., 8:15 a.m., 10:20 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.). You may think this is overkill and too much follow-up too quickly. However, it is critical to remember that your prospects receive dozens of calls and hundreds of emails every single day. The likelihood of them remembering your “touch” three days later is very slim indeed. Keep your message brief and targeted, suggesting you might have a solution to a potential pain point of theirs.

— Kelley Robertson

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65. Pique curiosity in a cold call.

Even the best cold calls are rarely returned, but they are 100 percent certain not to be returned if the message you leave is a generic one. Many advisors don’t leave messages at all, but you’ve made the call, so why not? Leave a message that might pique your prospect’s interest: “Mr. Jones, I’m calling because I have some ideas to help people who are worried about having enough money to retire. If this means something to you, please call me back at 555-1234. I promise I won’t waste your time.”

— Sandy Schussel

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64. Use the right tech tools.

Here’s a simple, yet very effective method you can use to get your prospect to take a peek at your practice. Google “Join.me.” You will discover a way to present your practice to prospects in just 15 minutes. They will be engaged and interested in an appointment. Join.me allows you to show someone what is on your computer screen. You will control the discussion because you will control the mouse. Here’s the call: “Hi, John, this is Kim Magdalein. Our mutual friend, Bill, said that you might be able to use my service. Do you have just a few minutes now or would another time be better? Fifteen minutes will get you everything you need to determine whether I can be of benefit. Great, can you get to your computer for just a few minutes?” Why this method? Prospects will be more comfortable going to their computer than making an appointment right away. Their computer is a small commitment and won’t be threatening. Taking this step helps to move the process along without losing them.

— Kim Magdalein

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63. Be thorough in your analysis.

Do a complete financial analysis / plan on every client. Even if they have had had one done before, or if they have another advisor they are working with, it is imperative that you do a complete plan on each and every client. Why? Many reasons, but let me go over a few: Because a client’s situation can and will change from time to time; the clients risk tolerance will change from time to time; life insurance coverage could lapse; net worth could dramatically increase due to inheritance or retirement, and could decrease due to market losses or life changing event; retirement goals change from year to year.

— Ed Cofino

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62. Plan your questions in advance.

The only way that you’re going to have a valuable sales conversation — for both you and your prospect — is to plan your questions ahead of time. Think about what you can ask that will get your prospect talking about her situation. What are her issues? What are her challenges? Think about questions that might provoke your clients into thinking about things they haven’t considered before. Ask questions to determine whether making a change makes good sense for them. Then write everything down. That way, when you actually do meet, you can say “In preparation for today’s meeting, I wrote down a few questions.” And then you can relax and listen to the answers.

— Jill Konrath

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61. Ask consistently.

Top producers know that they can’t quit if they ask once and don’t get the response they’re seeking. In prospecting, for example, there are usually four or five “no’s” before you get a “yes.” If the approach you’re using doesn’t seem to be working, try a different way of asking and keep asking until you find the answers you need. For example, if you find that a co-worker is reluctant to offer an opinion when you seek feedback about your performance, ask another team member who is more receptive. People don’t normally go around asking others how they’re doing, so be prepared to ask more than once before you hear a clear — and useful — answer.

— Jack Canfield


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