How to get qualified prospects through an online brand

When I joined the financial services profession in 2011, the biggest challenge I faced was how to succeed with a limited marketing budget in the face of overwhelming competition. I was a client who became a financial advisor, and all I knew was that I had to differentiate myself from the competition. I didn’t want to cold call or chase clients; I wanted them to call me instead. I chose to create an online brand to encourage clients to contact me.

I came up with some steps to get qualified prospects to contact me and buy from me online. You can pick one or more of these methods that best suit your personality, but the first three steps are important. Without them, these concepts will not work.

Step No. 1:

Read the full issue of Round the Table.

Create your own hero story. In our profession, people don’t buy our products or services, they buy our story and our personality. Know your story, which includes who you are, what you believe in, the reason you got into this business and what you specialize in. It can help to talk about a struggle that you faced in real life and how you overcame it. The story has to be real, believable and — most importantly — it has to be about you.

Step No. 2:

Know your audience. Your online message will only be as effective as the clarity you have about the person you’re talking to. Create a detailed profile of your ideal client and include things such as their sex, social status, age, interests and hobbies, as well as the type of family they have and what cars they drive.

Step No. 3:

Decide what problem you will solve. You cannot be everything to everyone. Identify the one major problem that you will solve for your ideal client. Think about the pain they’re going through because of this problem and write about it in detail. Then, consider how your solution will help solve this problem.

Amitab Mitbawkar, MBA, CWM, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been an MDRT member since 2016.

Find five more steps in May/June 2021 issue of Round the Table or watch “Getting qualified prospects to contact you and buy online.”