Tag Archives: Referral Coach

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Ep. #28: Building a Referral Only Practice on a Powerful Story With Tyson Vines

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

When it comes to building a referral only practice, you want to attract prospects and build client relationships by making two intertwined connections. You want to make a value connection and you want to make a personal connection. Both are necessary, though the mix of the two may vary from client to client.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Tyson Vines, Founder & Financial Advisor of V Financial Partners, to talk about his process for attracting and winning new clients and building highly referable relationships with them. 

Tyson and Bill discuss: 

  • Tyson’s commitment to a referral only practice – and how he nets an average of 3.5 referral prospects per week!
  • Two tragic events of Tyson’s life, and how he connects these stories to his client acquisition process.
  • His “secret sauce” for creating advocates that provide great unsolicited referrals.
  • Tyson’s mission to change the wealth management industry.
  • The core values that guide his referral only business. 
  • How he tackles the “dreaded” conversation around fees & commissions.
  • …And more!

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Tyson Vines:

About Our Guest:

After a strong Wall Street career helping sovereign wealth funds, pensions and private banks globally, Tyson Vines wanted to own a financial planning practice. He founded V Financial Partners in 2012 with the mission to care for people and their businesses through personal finance and increase financial literacy in an enjoyable, open and honest way.

Tyson’s father passed away when he was in college. Caring for his widowed mother was the top priority. The moment they met a financial adviser, emotions calmed, and comfort flowed with a sound financial plan of investments and insurance solutions.

Tyson believes everyone deserves an institutional Wall Street experience. Leaning on his global investment experience navigating the world’s largest investors through the Great Recession, V Financial Partners aims to deliver the same heightened experience to everyone. V Financial Partners offers stability and confidence to their clients.

For six years, prior to establishing his practice, Tyson was a Global Consultant Relationship Manager with Victory Capital Management, an investment management subsidiary of KeyCorp. He also worked as a sell-side equity and investment banking associate with KeyBanc Capital Markets.



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Ep. #27: Triple Threat: The Exponential Power of an Effective Financial Advisor Website, Podcast, and Target Market with Jeremy Keil, CFP®, CFA, CIMA®

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Is your marketing strategy a Triple Threat?

There are three important marketing strategies that every top advisor should consider using in their effort to attract more Right-Fit Clients:

  1. A well-defined, profitable target market.
  2. A financial advisor website focused on client acquisition (not just a “digital brochure.”)
  3. A podcast that creates credibility in your target market.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates sits down with Jeremy Keil, founder of Keil Financial Partners, to discuss how Jeremy employs the above 3 strategies, and how they work together to create an impact greater than the sum of its parts.

Jeremy and Bill discuss: 

  • How focusing solely on the category of retirement planning has made a big difference for his clients and the growth of his business. 
  • How Jeremy built and utilizes his financial advisor website to turn visitors into clients.
  • How working with his target market (clients employed by publicly traded companies like Harley Davidson and We Energies) translates into his unique value proposition.
  • Why he started his podcast Retirement Revealed and the impact it has made on his business.
  • How by applying this triple threat marketing strategy, his referrals have significantly increased.
  • … And so much more!

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Jeremy Keil:

About Our Guest:

Jeremy Keil is the founder and financial advisor at Keil Financial Partners and the host of the Retirement Revealed podcast. He works to simplify complex financial decisions so you can make smarter retirement, investment, and tax planning decisions.

Jeremy loves helping people learn more about and feeling more confident about their money.

After graduating from college, Jeremy started out by selling suits at Jos A. Bank and working on different political campaigns.

While serving as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin (Cedarburg), and Wisconsin Lutheran College (Milwaukee), Jeremy learned how to take complex financial topics and explain them in a way that anyone could understand.

If he could keep college seniors awake during 8 a.m. Friday classes about corporate finance, you can be sure that while working with Jeremy you’ll know more about, feel better about, and make better decisions about your money.

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Ep. #26: How to Target Millennials as Financial Advisory Clients with Ivory Johnson, CFP®, ChFC

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , ,

According to Forbes, “Millennials will hold five times as much wealth as they have today, and the group is anticipated to inherit over $68 trillion from their Baby Boomer parents by the year 2030. This will represent one of the greatest wealth transfers in the modern times.”

There are already approximately 618,000 millennial millionaires. Millennial millionaires make up approximately 2% of the total U.S. millionaire population. The majority of millennial millionaires have a net worth that ranges from $1 million to $2.49 million and fall  between the ages of 34 and 37.

Due to inheritances, trusts and estate planning, there will be a steady flow of Millennials getting very rich soon.

The reality is that many millennials and younger clients with huge upside want to work with financial advisors, just not in the traditional way. And, you don’t necessarily have to hire younger associates to attract these younger clients.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Ivory Johnson, CFP®, ChFC, and founder of Delancey Wealth Management. Ivory and Bill explain the importance of attracting a younger clientele, how to target millennials by adjusting your approach, and how this will benefit your business.

Bill and Ivory discuss:

  • Why Ivory believes it’s important to work with younger clients – especially the adult children of his older clients.
  • How to target millennials as advisory clients. 
  • 2 important questions Ivory asks every client in order to become more relevant and helpful to them.
  • How Ivory deals with younger clients and the fun part of working with them.
  • Why advisors need to have a social media presence to attract millennials.
  • Ivory’s optimism for technology and digital assets.
  • and more

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Ivory Johnson:

About Our Guest:

With over two decades of helping families and small businesses create and protect wealth, Ivory Johnson has seen the benefits of developing a financial game-plan. Ivory combines his extensive professional and academic experiences to diagnose an increasingly complicated world. He believes that if you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it, choosing the colloquial in favor of formal.

Ivory has a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and has been recognized by the Global Blockchain Association and RIA DAC for his proficiency in blockchain technology and digital assets. He is also a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council made up of 20 high-level financial professionals, and regularly contributes articles to CNBC.com, and has been quoted in Investment News, the Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise, Money Magazine, Kiplinger’s and other publications.



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Ep. #25: How Your Personal Brand Story Helps Attract New Clients with Deirdre Van Nest

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Do you have a Personal Brand Story Do you know your “why” – as in, why you believe in the importance and value of your work?

And are you using it to connect with your prospects and clients in a meaningful way – that leads to winning their business and generating referrals?

In this episode of Top Advisor Podcast, Referral Coach Bill Cates welcomes Deirdre Van Nest, Founder of Crazy Good Talks. Deirdre tells us why she works with financial advisors, a touching story that revolves around a personal tragedy. She also highlights the power of advisors telling their “why” stories to clients.

Bill & Deirdre discuss: 

  • The difference between a personal brand story and a bio story.
  • How one advisor increased his “win rate” from an already high 85% to almost 100%.
  • How an appropriately vulnerable story can help you connect with prospects and clients. 
  • Where and how successful advisors are using their personal brand stories to attract and convert new clients.
  • And more

Resources:

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Deirdre Van Nest:

About Our Guest:

Deirdre Van Nest doesn’t believe in boring you with a laundry list of credentials. She is the go-to expert for ‘Mission-Driven” financial professionals and entrepreneurs on how to Make An Impact when you express yourself.

Deidre is a top-rated International Keynoter, Trainer, Story Strategist & Artist, and the Creator of the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint and the Emotionally Engaging Advisor™two practical communication systems that have taught thousands how to capture attention, connect emotionally and Make An Impact.

She is passionate about this work and feels blessed every day to help my clients succeed. On a personal note, Deirdre is an Italian & Irish New Yorker living in Minnesota, where she tries hard not to scare people with her loud voice and enthusiastic hand gestures.



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Ep. #18 – How to Produce Results at Levels Most Advisors Dream of With Robert Petrocelli

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, , , , , , , , ,

If you ever doubted that hard work, along with a competitive mindset doesn’t pay off, you will want to listen to this episode.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates talks with Bob Petrocelli, founder and managing director of Petrocelli Financial Services, LLC. With 42 years in the business, Rob will discuss what has brought him to the top of his game and kept him there for many years.

Robert discusses how: 

  • his business is growing from meeting with accountants and attorneys to create productive relationships
  • his key staff person supports his process for client acquisition
  • he uses his competitive nature shows up in his business
  • one of his largest clients came to him from cold calls

Resources: 

Connect With Robert Petrocelli, Jr.:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Since 1979, Robert Petrocelli, Jr. has been providing holistic financial strategies to business owners, individuals, and families that help them protect their assets and meet their long-term financial objectives. Building his own business from the ground up, he has a complete understanding of what it takes to create and conserve wealth while managing the taxation of income and assets during the working years and in retirement. His experience and ongoing education have provided him with great expertise in all areas of estate planning, employee benefits design and management, and investment services.

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Ep. #17 – How One Top Advisor Uses His Personal Facebook Page to Win New Clients with Joe De Sena, CFP®

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, , , , , , ,

When I heard how Joe De Sena was using his personal Facebook page to build his business (and have fun in the process) I was skeptical. Boy was I wrong.

In this episode, Bill Cates is joined (for a second time) by Joe De Sena, CFP®, MBA, private wealth advisor at Siena Wealth Advisory Group, to discuss Facebook marketing for financial advisors. Joe discusses his success in using Facebook as a tool for enhanced client engagement, business growth, and lots of fun, without running Facebook Ads.

In this episode, Joe discusses: 

  • The challenges advisors face in using Facebook to market their businesses.
  • Why he decided to open up his personal Facebook page to clients and event prospects.
  • How his variety of fun and uplifting posts have built a “community” of clients, prospects, and allows Joe to be his genuinely social self.
  • The significant results of converting prospects into clients by being omnipresent.
  • Lessons he has learned from his experiences with using social media.

Resources:

Connect With Bill Cates:   

Connect with Joe De Sena

About Our Guest:

Joseph S De Sena: Joe De Sena CFP®, MBA is a private wealth advisor at Siena Wealth Advisory Group. Joe has been a financial advisor for 27 years. Joe is passionate about protecting his clients and their families from the unexpected. Joe loves to travel, read, run marathons and do charity work.

 

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Financial Advisor New Client Onboarding Process: How to Deliver a “Wow” Experience With Rod Gibbings, CFP® (Ep. 16)

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Having a very specific financial advisor new client onboarding process can get your relationship off to a great start – help them feel good about choosing you and create referrals early in the new relationship.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Rod Gibbings CFP®, senior executive financial consultant with Gibbings and Associates Private Wealth Management. Rod discusses how he uses his proprietary Transition Navigator financial advisor new client onboarding process to deliver a wow experience. He also shares how he produces a regular flow of video messages to boost client engagement, gain new clients, and acquire more assets to manage.

Rod discusses: 

  • Why he created the Transition Navigator for his new client onboarding process.
  • How he gets many great referrals within the first six months of a new relationship.
  • What prompted him to start recording videos to send to his clients and prospects
  • His amazingly simple production process for recording his videos.

Resources: 

Connect With Rod Gibbings:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

As a Certified Financial Planner professional, Rod Gibbings provides sound financial advice and support for high net worth families and retirees. He specializes in the areas of intergenerational wealth transfer, comprehensive estate and retiree income planning. His philosophy is simple: “put people and service first.”

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The Truth about Social Media for Financial Advisors with Kristen Walker (Ep. 15)

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, , , , , ,

What is your relationship with social media? 

Social media for financial advisors means different things.

Some advisors have embraced social media as a concept, posting content and occasionally engaging with others, but wonder why they bother because they haven’t seen any noticeable results. 

Other advisors have embraced social media as a way of strengthening their client relationships AND can see a straight line from their activity to acquiring new, in-segment clients. 

In this episode, Bill Cates invites Kristen Walker, vice president of marketing at Michigan Financial Companies to discuss several marketing ideas, including how advisors can implement social media and target marketing into their marketing plan to increase client engagement and attract new clients.

Bill and Kristen discuss: 

  • How much time and energy should advisors dedicate to social media—and where they should be focusing their attention
  • The importance of targeting your in-segment clients
  • What virtual and in-person events are producing results these days
  • Other best practices you can employ in terms of social media for financial advisors 
  • The creative methods her 90 advisors are using to engage with clients

Resources: 

Connect With Kristen Walker:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Kristen Walker is the VP of marketing at Michigan Financial companies. 

Her purpose is to help advisors become successful business owners by providing the sales and marketing support, materials, training and expertise to generate new, and retain existing business. She works closely with the marketing department to ensure each of their representatives have their own unique marketing plans that are customized to their specific goals and objectives. As the VP of Marketing, she also oversees the brand image for our firm to increase awareness of Michigan Financial Companies and its affiliates. She places a special focus on the growth and development of their marketing initiatives to help the firm stay ahead of the curve throughout the financial services industry.

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Ep. #14: Financial Advisor Best Practices – What’s Working (and What’s Not)?

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Despite all the challenges in reaching qualified prospects, some advisors are doing quite well, while others are not rising to the challenges that we all face. So, what are the financial advisor best practices that separate the wheat from the chaff?

In this episode, Bill Cates interviews Mark Williams, president and CEO of Brokers International, to discuss what we need to think about and do to connect with more Right-Fit Clients™.  Mark speaks to hundreds of financial professionals each year, so he’s in a unique position to see what’s working and where advisors are wasting their resources of time, energy, and dollars.

Bill and Mark discuss:     

  • The top 3 challenges that financial professionals face in terms of client acquisition today.
  • The financial advisor best practices that he believes are gamechangers.
  • Is LinkedIn the “New Cold Calling?”

Connect With Mark Williams:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Mark Williams is the President and CEO of Brokers International, one of the industry’s largest field marketing organizations — providing annuity and life insurance solutions to independent insurance and financial professionals across the nation.

Few executives have Mark’s breadth of experience as a differentiator and success across every aspect of the industry. He grew up in an insurance family and has licensed, sold and had exposure to almost every financial vehicle that can be used as a solution to a customer need. He has held crucial roles as an agent, stock broker, independent distributor, captive agent, and head of an FMO.

Mark has a proven track record driving transformation, having helped transform companies such as Allianz, The Hartford, and GamePlan from the inside out. He has spent his career leading sales growth in fixed indexed annuities, life insurance and fixed universal life products as well as directing mortgage leads, developing marketing programs for independent financial professionals and leading strategic initiatives.

Currently, Mark is focused on the future of the insurance industry: from the disruptions of InsurTech and robo-advisors to the changing demographics and needs of customers. He also is an avid mentor helping financial professionals navigate the industry.

 

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Ep. #13: Using Philanthropic Leadership to Grow Your Business and Serve Your Community With Jeff Chaddock

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

It can be personally rewarding to make a contribution to a philanthropic cause to impact your community. But can philanthropic leadership be professionally rewarding as well?

In this episode, Bill Cates speaks with Jeff Chaddock, a private wealth advisor at Envisage Wealth. Jeff has philanthropy in his DNA, which has been extremely helpful for the charities and people in his community, and has been instrumental in making him a go-to advisor for many.

Jeff discusses:

  • How Jeff uses philanthropic leadership to grow his business
  • What the elements of ‘the trifecta of difference’ can mean for your business.
  • How Jeff has created his incredible business––and what kept him going through doubt
  • Why you should create experiences that have a ‘shelf life’


Resources:  


Connect With Bill Cates:


About Our Guest:

Jeff Chaddock: With over 32 years as a Private Wealth Advisor, Jeffrey Chaddock, CRPC® , APMA® is the CEO of Envisage Wealth, with four offices across Ohio. Jeffrey’s firm manages over 2.5 billion in client assets.  Jeff differentiates his practice by providing numerous civic, social, and educational opportunities for his clients and their guests.  Jeffrey is heavily involved in numerous charitable organizations and serves on the board of trustees at The Ohio University Foundation, where he established the Jeffrey D. Chaddock Endowed Scholarship program.

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