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Nearly every adviser I know appears on web based search tools like Vouched For and Unbiased. These online lead generators should form a component of the marketing efforts for most firms. If you’re not embracing them, you’re missing a trick.
Think for a moment about how you and your family find different products and services. Personal recommendation might be top of the list, but if that fails, or you need to look further afield, it’s straight to Google every time. More and more people are turning to the internet to find a financial adviser but despite that, I still regularly get asked, “Do you think we should cancel our subscription to Unbiased/Vouched For?”. My answer is always an emphatic “No!”.
Why?
Let’s put things into perspective. An annual membership to Unbiased or Vouched For costs just a few hundred pounds. How many leads do you need to convert into clients to break even? I’m thinking very few. What’s the real issue here?
The real issue is how you are portrayed online.
Just take a look at a quick sample I found when I searched on Unbiased in my postcode:
Firm 1: “An award winning firm of independent financial advisers. Please contact us to discuss any area of the financial planning process.”
Firm 2: No descriptor at all
Firm 3: “XYZ is an award winning Chartered IFA Firm providing independent advice, mortgage advice and wealth management for any individual.”
Firm 4: “Your Personal Independent Advisor – Advice for savings, investments, and pensions from my associated Chartered Financial Planner.”
Firm 5: “We give you the advice you want and need from a Chartered Financial Planner; helping you confidently make informed decisions.”
I could have done this search on almost any postcode and found a load of similar generic, boring blurbs.
Basically, these profiles all state they do anything for anyone. So when anyone with any old problem comes through as an undesirable lead, why are these firms so shocked? I’ve no doubt each of these firms know what good looks like when it comes to new leads, but these blurbs give me no indication of who they really want as a client.
Imagine if you did the same search and saw these profiles instead:
“We work with business executives aged 45+ who are ready to take their life and career by the scruff of the neck.”
or
“If you’re looking for bog standard advice, please don’t call. We provide the best advice on the planet for retiring executives and professionals.”
or
“We work with Business Owners; that’s it. Save yourself a load of time and hassle and just call us. We get you.”
Admit it – they piqued your interest, didn’t they? Yes, they might be a bit risqué, but there’s certainly nothing generic or boring about those descriptions.
So how can you get more focus and more personality into your profile? Let the real you shine through. Take a risk and stand out. People want to deal with those types of people. If you’re a bit weird, embrace your weirdness. If you’re a nerd, be nerdy. If you’re hilariously funny (and others agree with you), then let your humour come through in your description. You are looking to attract people who see the world the same way as you do.
Filling your funnel
Marketing your business requires you to have as many leads as possible in your funnel. In a perfect world you’d have 5,000 people outside your office trying to get in to see you. If you couldn’t physically handle that many people, you could simply cherry pick the best two or three leads from that group.
Web based search tools are used by a significant proportion of people looking for an adviser; it’s just what people do nowadays when they’re searching for a service. While web based leads may not be enough to keep your funnel overflowing on their own, they can certainly help top up other marketing methods like emails, seminars, events, sponsorships, client referrals and professional referrals, so the effort is worth it.
Don’t let the power of the web be wasted for you and your firm.
The team at VouchedFor kindly provided these top tips for getting more out of your VouchedFor membership.
How to turn your VouchedFor listing into a client generation machine
VouchedFor is the easy way to find new clients. Initially considered a lead generation site VouchedFor is so much more. Why? Because consumers using VouchedFor are actively seeking advice and they select the adviser they want to speak to.
Make sure that’s you by following these 3 top tips and you’ll be well on your way to meeting lots of potential new clients courtesy of VouchedFor.
1. The Golden Rule: get vouched for!
You need reviews and the more the merrier. Think about it from a customer point of view, the more quality reviews a professional has got the more credible they become. Plus, VouchedFor loves recommended advisers so more reviews means you’ll appear higher in search rankings.
2. Get a quality photo
There are 3 easy ways to make your photo a client-winner:
Look presentable/professional – an ironed shirt and being well groomed make a big difference
Use a headshot – photos appear relatively small so make sure your face can be seen
Smile!
3. Sign up for unlimited enquiries
The Professional Plan is the only plan where you can get unlimited enquiries and have the greatest exposure to new clients. Not unsurprisingly it is by far the most popular!
Click here for tips on how to knock your Unbiased profile into shape.
