Financial Marketing

REAL FACE TIME – THE VERY BEST THING

Face-to-face communication is best, so whenever you can build a relationship that way, especially in a group setting, I strongly encourage you take the old-fashioned, personal approach. Town hall meetings, which are generally less formal than seminars, are also less costly. Consider bringing in a lawyer or accountant you work with to help field questions from your clients. Encourage them to invite their own clients too.

I firmly believe that financial advisors must constantly strive to find new and creative ways to connect in person. With all the hoopla surrounding social media and the online world, don’t forget that marketing events can bring people together in relevant circles. Rather than host a “seminar,” organize a “fireside chat” or a “lunch and learn,” perhaps in December as part of your year-end community outreach or during Financial Literacy month in April. Less formal, more interactive gatherings are typically well received. Your clients and guests will value the opportunity to ask questions and get specific answers, so even if it's not in your nature, try hosting an informal meeting and reach out to people.

Here’s a great new way to hold a Town Hall Meeting: Show a 1-hour docudrama called “Broke and Famous” (airs November 5, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. New York time on VH1 television channel). Read about the docudrama at http://blog.vh1.com/2009-10-05/broke-and-famous-coming-soon-to-vh1/. If you can’t get this particular show in your area, think about another movie or television show that would bring the horrors of financial illiteracy to life. Then gather your clients and other special guests for a Financial Literacy Town Hall Meeting. To read about a large financial literacy campaign being launched in the USA on November 5, 2009, click here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iafsca-kicks-off-financial-literacy-campaign-with-vh1-docudrama-65757827.html This may be a US campaign but I don't see why you couldn't use the same principles and maybe the same materials in the UK

Download client-ready invitations and talking points for your Town Hall meeting, free of charge, here: www.iafsca.com.

My next post will provide tips on using virtual face time to build relationships.

Marie Swift is president and CEO of Impact Communications, a marketing and PR firm that for over 17 years worked exclusively with independent financial advisors and the institutions that serve them. She is a popular speaker and coach for the Garrett Planning Network, Kinder Institute of Life Planning and FinancialPlanning.com. A frequent contributor to industry publications, her articles appear regularly in Financial Planning magazine, Bank Investment Consultant magazine, Research.com, Transitions e-zine and MorningstarAdvisor.com. Follow her on www.Twitter.com (marieswift). Read her Best Practices in the Financial Services blog at www.marie-swift.blogspot.com.