Tag Archives: Referral Coach

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Ep. #12: Using the “Wow Factor” to Maximize Client Engagement & Create Advocates with Scott Miller

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

An engaged client is someone who feels connected to your value and connected to you as an advisor.

Is your business truly maximizing client engagement?

In this episode, Bill Cates speaks with E. Scott Miller, Vice President and Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Advisors. Scott shares how he has created the “wow factor” in his business relationships, and how his client engagement strategy has led to incredible loyalty and, in many cases, a number of referrals.

Scott discusses:

  • The positive impact of using the ‘wow factor’ in your business
  • Some examples of how he has created incredible client engagement and loyalty
  • What he does differently in his business to build loyal business relationships
  • And more!

Connect With Scott Miller:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Scott Miller’s experience focuses on the construction and execution of investment strategies for long range retirement and estate planning strategies. His fee-based approach enables him to create tailored financial strategies to help meet specialized wealth management needs. He assists in the design and implementation of qualified retirement plans, and helps plan sponsors manage their fiduciary liability. He advises plan participants how to effectively allocate their retirement investments for maximum diversification and growth potential within stated risk parameters.

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Ep. #11: How to Grow Your Business Without Prospecting With Randy Carver

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

Stop prospecting … and let your clients prospect for you! 

Creating great relationships with your clients who value the work you do and value you as a professional will open up the doors to many more in-segment clients.

In this episode, Bill Cates speaks with Randy Carver CRPC®, CDFA®, President and CEO at Carver Financial Services, Inc. Randy discusses how he and his team have brought in 25 new relationships along with $100 million in assets over the last three months without doing any prospecting.

Randy discusses: 

  • How he has found incredible growth in his business over the last few months
  • Why it’s important to differentiate yourself from other investment firms
  • How to get your clients to do the prospecting for you

Resources: 

Connect With Randy Carver:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Randy Carver was born in New York City, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and spent his teen years in Toronto, Canada. As a teenager, Randy started and ran several successful businesses, including a catering firm and two home renovation companies. He attended Oberlin College where he earned his degree in economics. Upon graduating in 1987, Randy opened a branch office for a regional brokerage firm in Mentor, Ohio. The office became one of the company’s most successful within three years.

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Ep. #10: Adding a Target Market to An Already Successful Practice with Tiffany Charles

Education, Finance, Marketing, Speaking, , ,

Even advisors who are already successful may consider turning some of their focus to a specific target market. They often wonder if they should create a new company name and/or a new website to reflect that specific niche.

There is no right or wrong answer here. 

In this episode, Bill Cates speaks with Tiffany Charles, Chief Growth Officer of two financial firms; Destiny Capital and Entrepreneur Aligned. This interview focuses on the process that Tiffany and her partners went through to establish an entirely new target market and brand for their business without losing the traditional part of their practice.  

Tiffany discusses:

  • Why she decided to focus on serving certain types of entrepreneurs.
  • The fears, risks and opportunities of the new business approach.
  • The decision to create an entirely new website so as to convey the right messaging that would attract their Right-Fit Clients™ within that specific target market.

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Tiffany Charles:

About Our Guest: 

Tiffany Charles is the Chief Growth Officer of two financial firms; Destiny Capital and  Entrepreneur Aligned. Her role is all about growing and expanding opportunities to deliver an unparalleled experience for her clients and team. Her passion is to empower entrepreneurs to live their highest vision and have the opportunity to positively change the world!

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Ep. #9: Attract More Ideal Clients Using Reputation Marketing with Malcolm Ethridge CFP®, CRPC®

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

The right mix of reputation marketing strategies, such as target marketing, hosting a podcast, and even getting paid to speak at events, all work together to bring more right-fit prospects into your business.

In this episode, Bill Cates is joined by Malcolm Ethridge CFP®, CRPC®, Executive Vice President and Financial Planner at CIC Wealth Management. Malcolm discusses how his reputation marketing efforts have changed his business dramatically over the last six months, including how he has continued to get qualified prospects contacting him because of the reputation he has created in a very specific target market.

Malcolm discusses: 

  • Why he chose to target the technology market––and what specific value he brings to clients
  • How his reputation within the market benefits his business
  • How much easier it is to get referrals by focusing on a narrow target market
  • Two strategies which played a significant role in building his business reputation

Resources: 

Connect With Malcolm:

Connect With Bill Cates:   

About Our Guest:

Malcolm Ethridge is a Certified Financial Planner™, speaker, blogger, and self-proclaimed personal finance nerd. His areas of expertise include retirement planning, investment portfolio development, tax planning, insurance, stock options and other executive benefits. He leverages that expertise to help senior managers and small business owners in tech make sense of some of the most complex financial situations that working professionals tend to face.

 

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Ep. #8: How to Ensure an Authentic Client Experience with Albert Fox CFP®, CIMA®

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

Financial advisors who focus on an authentic client experience, tend to form the strongest bonds with their clients – where the clients see their advisor as irreplaceable. 

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates is joined by Albert Fox CFP®, CIMA®, executive director and financial advisor at Fox, Penberthy & Dehn. Al discusses how he worked to boost engagement with his clients and maintain truly authentic connections that maximize their client experience. Al also shares how he leverages those connections into introductions to more right-fit prospects.

Albert discusses: 

  • What keeps him performing as a top advisor.
  • What client engagement and an authentic client experience means to him.
  • How he has worked with his team to make authentic connections.
  • How he leverages a great client connection into new clients.

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Albert A. Fox: Albert Fox CFP®, CIMA® is an executive director and financial advisor with Fox, Penberthy & Dehn, who works directly with high-net worth individuals, families, and small business owners to help them achieve their financial goals. He’s ultimate mission is to inspire a level of confidence in his clients’ financial well-being, so they may pursue their passions and enjoy and preserve the wealth they’ve created. Experience, insight, action. These intrinsic qualities serve as the foundation of Albert’s practice.

Connect With Albert Fox:

 

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Ep. #7: Build a Successful Business Operating By Referral Only With Diana DeFrate CFP®, CLU® and Katriina Paavola CFP®

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

Advisors often ask, “Is it possible to build my business that runs by referral only?”

The answer is, yes! 

However, not every advisory team has been able to create a “by referral only” business where the quantity and the quality of clients have been exactly the right fit.

Are you getting enough in-segment clients through referrals and introductions? 

In this episode, Bill Cates speaks with Diana DeFrate CFP®, CLU®, chief executive officer and founder, and Katriina Paavola, CFP®, founder at DeFrate & Paavola, LLC. Diana and Katriina share how their successful business operates by referral only, sharing how they do so WITHOUT asking for referrals.

Diana and Katriina discuss: 

  • How the changes in their target market have affected their business and caused them to make the decision to become “by referral only.”
  • The marketing strategies they tried that didn’t work, but led them to what does work.
  • Why you should have a ‘wow master’ on your business team to build client relationships
  • How they get referrals WITHOUT asking.

Connect With Diana DeFrate and Katriina Paavola:

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Diana DeFrate: A former financial executive in media, Diana is a Certified Financial Planner certificate (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), CPA, and the second in a family legacy of wealth managers and financial planners. An avid wine enthusiast, Diana is a WSET Advanced Certificate holder, director and co-founder of the Geshtin wine club. 

Katriina Paavola: A Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), MBA, and former media professional, Katriina is a strategic director and financial consultant with specialties in retirement planning and investment management. A native of Finland, Katriina studied international business in London before coming to the U.S. as an executive strategic planner. 

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Ep. #6: Client Appreciation Events: Using Retirement Parties to Grow Your Business with Joe De Sena, CFP®

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

Retirement is such a major milestone in everyone’s life. And while there is no shortage of ideas for client appreciation events, retirement parties are definitely one worth considering. Hosting one of these unique client events not only helps financial advisors create client loyalty for life, it also provides an excellent opportunity for reaching new qualified prospects.

In this episode, Bill Cates interviews Joe De Sena, CFP®, MBA, private wealth advisor at Siena Wealth Advisory Group, about how Joe has leveraged this event marketing strategy to build and extremely successful financial practice. 

Bottom Line: Joe De Sena’s retirement parties yield new clients almost every time. These are not just “feel-good” events. These are business-building client engagement, client appreciation events. 

In this episode, Bill and Joe discuss: 

  • The success Joe has found in hosting retirement parties for his clients – to help him exceed the $1 billion in AUM mark.
  • What it truly looks like to organize these client appreciation events, whether they are virtual or in-person.
  • How retirement parties lead to appointments with qualified prospects right at the event – without asking for them.
  • Other events Joe’s firm has used to enhance client engagement.

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect with Joe De Sena

About Our Guest:

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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Ep. #5: Use The 90-Day Dazzle for Client Onboarding and Win Referrals Fast with Bryan Sweet, CLU, ChFC

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

Most advisors have an internal new client onboarding checklist, but few have discovered the value of a comprehensive client onboarding process that creates both a value connection and a personal connection. 

Done well, the client onboarding process will help your new clients feel great about their decision to work with you and make you super referable quickly.

In this episode, Bill Cates is joined by Bryan Sweet CLU®, ChFC®, founder and CEO of Sweet Financial Services, to discuss how he uses his program called The 90 Day Dazzle for client onboarding. He explains how implementing this program has drastically increased his referrals earlier in his new-client relationships.

In this episode, Bill and Bryan discuss: 

  • How The 90 Day Dazzle brings value to both the client and his firm.
  • The three small niches his firm works with that have kept his business thriving for 42 years
  • What other advisors are doing in the client onboarding process.

Resources: 

“Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Connect With Bill Cates:   

About Our Guest:

Bryan Sweet: Bryan Sweet, is a cultivator of opportunity and that is reflected in his passion for serving the clients of Sweet Financial Services. Beginning his career in 1979, Bryan has done more than create lasting wealth plans for wonderful clients. He has created a movement in this industry to help people realize just how much they are capable of and just how much they can put their money to work for them.

Connect With Bryan Sweet:  

 

 

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Ep. #4: Building a Financial Advisor Business Plan that Aligns with Your Ideal Life with Peter Oldziey CFP®

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

Most financial advisors get into this business to create freedom and flexibility in their lives. The problem is, very few actually achieve that. Instead, they are tied to their business. The business owns them.  Can you relate to the pain of this unhealthy scenario? If so, how do you create a financial advisor business plan that is actually in alignment with the life you WANT to lead?

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE is joined by Peter Oldziey CFP®, of Peter A. Oldziey & Associates. Peter discusses his vision for his ideal life and business, and how he executed a business plan that created both.

Peter discusses: 

  • What triggered his decision to pursue his dream business and ideal life. 
  • How he homed in on providing unique client experiences.
  • How his financial advisor business plan evolved into being “by-referral-only.” 
  • Why and how he used different forms of accountability to ensure his success.

Resources: 

Connect With Bill Cates:

About Our Guest:

Early in Peter Oldziey’s CFP® education career he realized he was an entrepreneur at heart and embarked on a career as a financial advisor. Peter has had his own practice in Dover, Delaware since 1986. Along with building a flourishing practice, Peter has put a high premium on professional development earning the designations of Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) in 1990 and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant in 2000.

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Ep. #3: How a Business Friendship Can Turn a Loyal Client into an Advocate with Lester Matlock CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®

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

Many financial advisors like to keep an arm’s length distance between themselves and their clients, keeping everything strictly on the professional level.

But many of the most successful financial advisors are doing the opposite.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE is joined by Lester Matlock CFP®, CRPC®, APMA®, private wealth advisor. Lester discusses his Bucket List Campaign and how he creates a business friendship with clients, so they become his biggest advocates. 

Lester discusses: 

  • Why he sold part of his practice to focus on a more targeted market.
  • How he got started helping his clients accomplish some of their Bucket List items.
  • What the Bucket List Campaign is and how it works.
  • An example of how his business friendship with one of his clients made a huge difference for her and her family.

Connect With Bill Cates:

Connect With Lester Matlock:

About Our Guest:

Lester Matlock’s CFP®, CRPC®, APMA® first passion is being a financial advisor and mentor. Mentoring students has afforded him the ability to pay forward the guidance and counseling he received as a student. Extreme fitness and mixed martial arts are his most common pastimes when he and his wife are not traveling. He’ll confess, collecting cuff-links (especially vintage) has fast become a favorite hobby of his.

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