Ideas to attract referrals and improve your marketing

Try these ideas from MDRT members around the world to find more clients and build relationships.

Reciprocating referrals

I mainly work on estate planning for high-net-worth clients. To get to know them, I collaborate with salespeople of condominiums and apartments. I ask the salespeople to refer the apartment and condominium owners to me as prospects, so I can meet to discuss comprehensive estate planning measures with them. To develop my friendship with the salespeople, we go out for lunch or dinner, play golf, etc. In return, I refer my clients to them when they are interested in becoming a landlord of a condominium or apartment building.
—Chikara Nozawa, CFP, Tokyo, Japan, 18-year MDRT member

Marketing skills

Without a marketing assistant, I chose to utilize a carrier’s marketing skills to help us build familiarity and name recognition. My carrier has a marketing department that analyzes names and determines if people are the right candidate for me. I hired them at a fee per month to send out weekly emails to all our clients and prospects. They track clickthroughs on the website and provide materials that I can send to clients rated as highly engaged. Once I see they are clicking through or completing materials, I send them an invitation to connect. The ones who respond are highly qualified prospects for our firm. We review the data monthly to discuss how our numbers stack up with others from around the country.
—Kerry Therese Wallingford, RICP, ChFC, Seattle, Washington, USA, 22-year MDRT member

This article was excerpted from “12 ideas to get your mind right, attract referrals and improve your marketing,” which is in the May/June 2022 Round the Table magazine.

Lucky draw

I do a lucky draw for clients with attractive prizes. A social media post recounting an experience with me or introducing a referral qualifies clients for an entry to the draw. This contest generates light-hearted touchpoints and conversations, which soften the ask for sales appointments in stressful situations. As the pandemic has made Singaporeans travel-starved, staycations are very popular. My top prize is a two-day stay at a five-star hotel; other cash prizes allow them to shop online.
—Naomi Chua Yi-shyan, ChFC, Singapore, 9-year MDRT member