Month: August 2016

Valuable impressions generated from years of in-depth interviews with Advisors. 

Many Advisors tell us:

1. They are growth challenged. They have tried new marketing ideas to grow their business but wound up doing much of the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result.
2. That sales/referral systems are not delivering. Though there are many systems, incarnations and approaches – consistently producing qualified prospects remains a huge challenge.
3. That they don’t feel in control of their business and they end up relying on the markets, new business with existing clients and a few quality 1st appointments for growth.
4. That they are skeptical of any new marketing ideas because up till now, none have worked or made much difference.
5. That change feels a little risky. It’s not worth it.

We tell Advisors:

• To break away from what isn’t working no matter how comfortable it feels because if it isn’t working, it inhibits growth.
• To look to methods that may be different and even uncomfortable at first.
• To look beyond the sales/referral model.
• That an open mind, thinking more broadly, is key to this process.
• That there are effective, consistent reliable growth strategies that do work – strategies that don’t only rely on the markets, new business with existing clients and a few quality first appointment.
• To give a new idea a reasonable segment of time to provide measurable results. Then, if the numbers aren’t there… Look for another idea.

The Bellis Method™
The 60 day plan to consistent warm qualified activity and 1st appointments.

Thats, right…. Their Friendly Local Average Millionaires.

Focusing on and marketing to your FLAM clients is the simple, most effective way to grow your practice. Your FLAM clients are likely the most affable, cooperative and easy to work with. They are the very clients you want to duplicate. But you have to know how to market to them, how to turn them into your biggest advocates.

Here is how we define FLAM:

• 45 – 60+ and not yet retired
• Married with kids
• One or two income household
• $150,000 – $250,000 average HH income
• Self-employed or working for a company
• Up to $2.5 million average net worth
• Live slightly below or significantly below their means
• No debt
• Own their home
• Promote their kids’ educations
• Savers and/or investors

More importantly, they are your best qualified clients who will most reliably agree to warmly introduce you to their closest friends and colleagues. People just like them. They are down to earth, respect hard work, believe in those who believe in them.

We always ask our clients this question: “When thinking about growing your business, who do you consider your best clients, the clients would want to duplicate?” And we get an interesting, wide range of answers, all focused on how much the Advisor’s client has invested with him/her. But, guess what. That qualification is only one piece of equation. Besides being financially qualified, there are additional qualifications. To be growth champions for your business, they must possess the right characteristics… they have to be the most affable, cooperative, easy to work with individuals in your client book. When you know how to approach and market to your FLAM they become the very clients who will agree to warmly introduce you to their friends and colleagues, people just like them.

Every Advisor we’ve met, whether high, medium or moderate income, desires consistent, controlled, predictable qualified growth.

So, light a fire under your FLAM.

The Bellis Method™
Simple and effective marketing for consistent, controlled, predictable qualified growth.

The 4 essential steps that create client advocates, consistent warm qualified activity and business growth.

Imagine having a business where many of your best clients warmly and personally introduce you to one or two of their qualified best friends or colleagues on a consistent and regular basis – the warmest introduction possible.

We call these best clients “client advocates”.

• Client Advocates are far more likely to introduce you to their friends and colleagues in order to help their friends and colleagues – if you are all about service.
• They are less inclined to make these introductions to help you increase your bottom line – if you are all about sales.
• They are more likely to truly listen to your story (not a sales pitch) if it is one about service, if the story is about who you are rather than what you do.
• If you have a great story, one of service, many of your clients will agree to become your client advocate. We know this.

This can be your business if you build around the following basic components:

1. Developing A Marketing Story
This is a story that subtly focuses on the client worldview and, as such, becomes the energizing influence that changes the dynamic of Advisor/client communication.

2. The Concept of Raising Capital.
Identifying the top 20% of a client base using nuanced ways of finding deeper opportunity within a client base.

3. Permission Based Marketing and Reciprocity.
Learning and practicing Permission Based Marketing, where nothing is ever done without prospect/client permission.

4. The Five Minute Open and One Hour Close.
Create permission-based relationships, where clients advocate and champion for you by making warm, qualified introductions. This is accomplished by having a telephone call and an in-person meeting with a client you would like to duplicate. In these meetings the Advisor shares their Marketing Story and asks permission to have a discussion about the client becoming an advocate.

Client Centric Marketing
Building business from the inside out