Most Popular Articlesinto Prospecting Success
May 19, 2009
Targeted content The three participants agreed to put together short talks that directly addressed the concerns of those who had just been laid off. Each presenter had 15 to 20 minutes to hit a few key points and then they opened it up for a short question and answer period. This advisor prepared by familiarizing herself with the company’s pension plan and the specifics of the termination notice and buyout offer. (In this company’s case, some employees were simply terminated, while others were given a choice as to whether to take a package.)
Call to action All the employees attending were given a ten page workbook. At the end, everyone was asked to complete a short evaluation in which they were asked if they wanted more information from any of the three speakers.
Effective follow-up The day after the session, the advisor followed up with everyone who attended. She asked if they had any additional questions and if they’d like to meet. If not, she thanked them for their time – and asked whether they had found the workshop worthwhile.
Most said yes, so she sent them an email about upcoming sessions that she was running –  saying that since they’d said the seminar they attended was valuable, she’d be grateful if they’d spread the word about these to other people they knew at the company.
Results
These workshops created a steady stream of appointments and a number of new clients for this advisor and her partners.
Equally important, she’s well on the way to becoming the “safe choice” for employees of this firm. Her clients at this firm are referring their co-workers to her.. And the more clients she has at this company, the more entrenched her reputation as the go-to advisor for people working there is becoming, to the point that she’s started receiving calls from people who’ve heard about her from co-workers.
This advisor did everything right. She made it easy for people to attend by offering the session across the street at a convenient time. She built credibility by involving a lawyer and accountant. She spread the word from within the firm rather than trying to market from the outside, and worked to create word-of-mouth referrals. She followed up effectively after the workshops.
And last but certainly not least, she invested the time upfront to build her knowledge of the company’s pension and termination offer and ensure that people attending the workshops got real value for their time.
In Summary
Each approach used a different way to attract new clients who lost their jobs, were being laid off, or were concerned about losing their jobs.
However, these five advisors had three key things in common.
They began with the determination to capitalize on the real concerns created by corporate layoffs.
They crafted an approach to position themselves based on their expertise for people with targeted problems and important and urgent decisions to make.
And finally, they put plans in place to spread the word about their expertise to prospective clients.
Whether your target market is people worried about being laid off or prospects with other concerns, these five advisors offer important lessons on what it takes to attract clients. Position yourself as offering credible solutions to prospects’ hot button concerns and you too can build prospecting momentum in your practice.
* Dan Richards conducts programs to help advisors gain and retain clients and is an award winning faculty member in the MBA program at the University of Toronto. To see more of his written and video commentaries and to reach him, go to www.strategicimperatives.ca.
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