Whether you’re new to the wealth management industry or your established business is struggling to find new clientele, knowing where to go for wealth management leads is crucial to a successful business. You likely already know about the generic advice to build a business website and grow your social media following. But, how can you take your growth one step further to ensure a bright future with new leads?
Consistency is key to generating leads. Consistent leads will make it easier for you to grow your business without wasting time on an endless search for new clients. These tips can help you gain a steady flow of leads that can turn into potential clients for your wealth management business.
Build Your LinkedIn Network
LinkedIn is an underutilized social network for many businesses. Business owners focus on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram before they turn to LinkedIn, but doing so can prevent them from generating some of the best leads for their business.
LinkedIn is an excellent way to establish yourself as an authority figure in the wealth management industry. You can not only connect with other financial advisors, but you can also publish content to your LinkedIn page that targets those in the wealth management industry and their clients, therefore pegging you as an expert and giving you an opportunity to network with your audience.
Connect with other financial experts and take note of their clientele and published material. See what they’re doing that’s working well for them and their clients and mimic that for your own business. Once you build your network and engage with other experts, you might even gain some referrals from companies that have overflow work.
Attend In-Person Networking Opportunities
Although the internet is a crucial platform to target for network-building, you should know that in-person networking is still alive and kicking. According to a GreatBusinessSchools.org study on networking, 95 percent of businesspeople say that in-person networking is essential to developing successful, long-term business relationships.
There’s something to be said about meeting with your potential clients face-to-face. It presents a more personal touch to your business and can help you establish trust with others. Additionally, you won’t have the barrier of a computer screen between you and others that can prevent limited communication and make it difficult for you and others to gauge nonverbal cues.
Seize the opportunity to attend local financial conferences for educational and networking opportunities that can generate leads and expand your business. Be prepared with business cards, white papers, and other handouts that can bring value to other advisors and potential clients.
Target a Unique Demographic
Many wealth management businesses target the same people in need of financial services, like those of retirement age or wealthy businesspeople looking to invest their hard-earned money with the best strategies. They know these people have a need for a financial manager, so it makes sense to focus on them.
Or, does it? Finding wealth management leads in a sea of people that other similar businesses are clamoring for can be an extremely competitive and challenging way to grow a business.
Instead, find a unique niche for your business by targeting a different demographic. Perhaps young Millennials who are saving money but don’t know how to invest it correctly is the right group for you to target? Or, maybe you’d like to help 30 to 40-somethings who are building their first small business and need real, actionable strategies to create a financial cushion for themselves and their business?
It may seem like you’re limiting your prospects, but in reality, narrowing your focus can help you scale your business growth quicker than you would with a broad focus.
Encourage Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Let your current client base work for you by opening the doors for word-of-mouth referrals. According to a Harris Poll Online survey, more than 80 percent of Americans ask for product or service recommendations before purchasing them. When your happy clients tell others how much they love your business, you have the potential to grab new leads without you spending time searching for them.
You can offer incentives for your current clients to be more inclined to refer others to you. A discount for each referral can go a long way to entice people to spread the word.
After you gain a referral, though, be sure to take time to cultivate that new relationship. Give the referral a quick call and ask about his needs or offer a free consultation to get to know each other better and establish a relationship.
Support Your Community
Your community can potentially house some of your most important clients, so it’s essential to get your name out there. A way to do it that benefits both your business and the community is by getting involved in community-based activities.
People want to support do-good businesses that give back. You can donate to a homeless shelter, volunteer your time for church activities, or sponsor a kids’ sports team.
Take advantage, too, of community networking, which also supports local businesses. Pay for radio or local television station ads, or run ads in the newspaper or by mail, all of which can generate local leads and create a buzz in your community with your name attached.
Create a Winning Online Sales Funnel
As a business owner, you likely know that having a website and active social media accounts is imperative to success in this digital age. However, the people who successfully generate leads from social media and a website have an online sales funnel that helps move people along from being part of an audience to become a potential lead.
Sales funnels are often a four-step process:
- Awareness: You’ll let others know about your business and what you do. Example: Use social media or blog posts to drive awareness and intrigue your audience.
- Interest: This is when your audience is interested enough to find out more. Example: Create an email list and prompt website visitors to sign up for a weekly newsletter.
- Decision: The decision piece of the funnel convinces a person in your audience to become a lead. This is when they decide that they may need what you offer. Example: You provide a link in an email to a sign-up form for a free consultation.
- Action: Your lead has now decided to officially take action by purchasing a course, service package, or product. Example: A landing page on your website that points your lead to your online store or service sign-up form.
Sales funnels can be tricky if you’re not a marketer, so be sure to outsource this work if you’re not 100% confident in your ability to build a winning funnel.
Conclusion: Gaining New Leads as a Wealth Manager
Wealth management leads can come to you in several ways, as leads can with any business. You just need to think outside of the box to create a consistent flow of leads from as many avenues as possible.
Online, in-person, and community networking are incredible ways to build your network in various areas and establish yourself as an expert in the field. Narrow your niche, build a winning sales funnel, and incentivize your clients to give you referrals so that you can continue expanding your network and leads.
