Was there ever a simple time to do business? Probably not. Marketplaces and business environments have never been static. Something is always changing. Someone is forever inventing. New competition appears. New markets unexpectedly encroach on old businesses. Today it’s technology. Digital is changing everything:

• Greater access to customer data.
• Tools and platforms for enhancing the customer experience.
• Monitoring tools and analytics to track our results down to the pennies.
• And then there’s the new kid on the block—artificial intelligence.

We live and work in a “digital everything” world. And your survival and advancement depend on your ability to adapt. If you’re currently overwhelmed, read on, because we’ve tamed the digital marketing beast for you with our advisor secret strategy.

Are You Lost in Transition?

You’re not alone. We hear from successful financial professionals all the time that they’re not sure how to cope with digital marketing. They want to know what to add to the marketing mix…what to leave out…where to focus…how to get the best ROI…and what all those fancy marketing terms even mean. Some days agents and advisors feel as though they’re getting left behind. They’re standing on the edge of the action,  unsure of how to join the digital revolution. So let’s calm your concerns first. You’re not the last analog dinosaur on earth. Most business owners are still trying to figure out how to integrate digital with traditional marketing. According to a Smart Insights survey earlier this year, only 15% of respondents reported that they had fully integrated digital with their traditional marketing programs. Another 13% admit that their efforts are totally ad hoc. And the rest fall somewhere in between. That’s good news for you! You’re not impossibly behind the curve. But you do need to act fast. Now, even.

It’s Simpler Than You Think

Digital has totally disrupted our traditional outreach paths—print, radio, newspaper and television—but… Our branding and messaging—and the processes we go through to develop them—still rely on time-tested marketing principles. And here’s the secret: Mastery of digital outreach is pretty easy once you’ve done the heavy lifting of positioning your brand and developing a consistent message. That’s what I want you to take away today. Because the #1 reason sales are lost is a lack of perceived value. And value starts with branding and messaging. This is so critical to your marketing strategy that done right it can actually make your competition irrelevant. Best of all, you can do this.

Why Do I Need a Strategy?

I have a simple answer to this question: Because most of your competitors don’t have a strategy. They prefer to copy other people’s tactics, rely solely on swipe files and apply someone else’s “quick and easy” formula. There’s nothing wrong with learning from others and using a good swipe file. But… These are just tactics and techniques you should be building onto your own, rock-solid foundation. So if most of the world isn’t willing to put in the extra effort to think through and develop a strategy and foundation—and you are—you go straight to the top of the class.

The 6-Step System for Structuring and Building a Business In a League of Its Own

It may surprise you, but I so completely believe in the POWER OF STRATEGY that I invested five years and $150,000 to develop the Advisorist Superior Positioning System.^TM It’s a 6-step system for exploring the deepest level of your prospects. My advisor secret strategy can help you:

• Identify the type(s) of customers youI prefer.
• Develop ways to reposition your business outside the box to deliver maximum value.
• Learn first-hand what clients really need to resolve their business pain.
• Discover how to use market trends and the power of story to speak to customers’ perceived pain and needs.
• And finally how to link your benefits and features together to create an irresistible brand and message that cuts through the market clutter and speaks directly to your prospects.

By starting with a strategy, you will end up with a consistent message you can use over and over, across every channel – digital or not. Best of all, you can stop being a reactive tactical machine and become a proactive,  strategic, systematized business owner consistently reaping the rewards found on the leading edge. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Identify Your Ultimate Client

Let me start by asking you a question: To whom do you sell your financial products and services? The typical answer I hear is something like this: Everyone needs what I sell. So I can sell to anyone who wants a secure retirement and financial freedom. While it’s true that most adults will benefit from working with a financial services professional, not everyone is your ideal or ultimate client. Some people have personalities that make them easier to work with. Or they work in industries you understand. Maybe their geographic location or number of employees is ideal for you. There are many variables you might consider. Most importantly, you’re identifying your firm’s sweet spot—that corner of the market that consistently delivers your best profit stream. Once you can define that client group, you can begin to develop ways to best address them.

Step 2: Move Outside The Box To Deliver Maximum Value

“How Is It Even Possible to Make My Competition Irrelevant?” I get this question every time I discuss MVP (Maximum Value Possible). To make your competition irrelevant, start by throwing out the rulebook. Forget about conventional thinking…about what a financial services firm is “supposed to be.” Instead, expand your thinking:

• How can you do more than meet prospects’ immediate needs?
• What can you deliver that customers never even imagined possible?
• Are you overlooking opportunities to expand either horizontally or vertically?

The key to this exercise is to remove all barriers and restrictions on your imagination. If you can deliver the maximum value to your clients, you’ll be performing in a league of your own. And that’s how you make your competition irrelevant.

Step 3: Identify Your Customers’ True Needs

This step quite possibly will take you outside your comfort zone. Don’t let that stop you. Every couple of months, get out there and talk to four or five customers. Make other members of your team do the same. It’s the best way to discover what’s really on people’s minds. So stop guessing and start asking your customers about their top worries and frustrations. You’ll be surprised how inspiring and invigorating the process can be.

Step 4: Apply the Power Of Market Trends to Your Business Story

We’ve talked about storytelling before. Every message related by way of a story is infinitely easier to remember than facts and figures. The science supports this. Stories calm the lizard brain, build a powerful connection with our emotions and leave the brain more receptive to a few facts and figures that support your message. When you know how to lace market trends into your story, you can provide prospects with insight (not just product information). Plus you can craft your message in your favor. That’s when you begin to break away from run-of-the-mill marketing messages.

Swipe this Bonus Takeaway

While I’ve shared a few concepts that are part of my 6-step Superior Positioning System, Advisorist members have access to the complete process. But here’s one bit of inside information that I want you to have. And you can take this one to the bank! Never challenge the immutability of established mindset. In other words, don’t try to change firmly held beliefs. For example: Toyota cars have many excellent features and millions of happy owners. But do you think you could get anyone to believe a marketing line like this: “My Toyota is just as good as a Rolls Royce.” Learn from the lesson of 7-Up. When 7-Up first came to market, their marketing department called it “The Uncola.” Rather than try to challenge the well-established colas, 7-Up created a new category and built its story around that message. You too can make your competition irrelevant by creating a brand and message built on a strategy and market position that is uniquely your own.

Steps 5 and 6: Link Your Benefits to the Features

While most people tend to start with features and benefits when developing their marketing message, that’s where we end up. It’s the thing you do to pull everything together into a brand and message after you’ve done everything else… Once you’ve identified your ideal customer, explored your maximum value and discovered your customers’ top pain points, you can then link features and benefits to cut through the noise and speak directly to your ultimate clients. Now it’s your turn. And if you’re interested in getting the step-by-step execution playbook and expert guidance for putting this into action, send us an email at [email protected].