18 Places Advisors Learn More About Your Ideal Clients

Congratulations! You’ve invested time and thought into determining the type of clients you want to work with. Your niche is set. You’re so far ahead of all the other financial advisors! Great going!

You’ve created your Ideal Client Profile using demographics, technographics, psychographics and geographics. You’ve checked out your assumptions. You’ve also created a five high-priority question list to ask prospects in a discovery interview; these questions are designed to learn if indeed you’re sitting across from an ideal client (or a prospect from hell).

You are one of the proactive advisors who “gets” the importance of focusing your time and talents on the best type of client for your business.  You’ve also set yourself apart from other “plain vanilla” advisors — marketing like everyone else is marketing and not making themselves memorable (or remember-able).

NOW WHAT?

During one of my presentations, about how advisors can become the obvious choice for prospects, I was asked if I had a list of resources that can be used by advisors who are proactively targeting prospects.  The list below is what I created to help you learn more about your ideal prospects before you meet with them.

Give your assistant their name, address, and any other information you have. Put the date on the form that you need back. Ask them to create an Initial Client Web Info Sheet that includes the websites where they’ve gotten the information. When it’s as complete as possible they should return it to you. Use the information you learn to better connect with the person you’re about to speak with. Knowing a bit about the person shows that you care and that they’re more than just a number or just another prospect. It also shows that you’re a professional and lets them see that research is part of what you do for your clients.

Instead of having to make a lot of calls to do it… you can learn a lot about prospects from the comfort of your computer.

Where to learn more about prospects:

1. Their website (in addition to the obvious, many families have websites, too.)

2. Their marketing materials.

3. Dunn and Bradstreet dnb.com.

4. Check LinkedIn for information about them but also search for people who have worked for them and look for their company profile, too.

5. Websites such as Jigsaw.com, CEOExpress.com, BizStats.com, InfoUSA.com.

6. Association trade publications and Tradepub.com.

7. Thomson Reuters

8. Hoovers

9. Gales List of Associations (Usually available free and online through your library.)

10. Searches and alerts on: Google, Twitter or SocialMention.com.

11. Ask family, friends, clients, or colleagues.

12. Ask your librarian for resources available at the library or its online database (usually Resource USA but they could have other databases online to help you find your demographic, too).

13. Local economic, rural or small business development corporations.  Sometimes called EDCs, or RDCs.

14. Association Executives Directory http://www.associationexecs.com/

15. The local Better Business Bureau.

16. A search on your favorite search engine, plus one with the word “complaint” in it.

17.  Facebook.  Many people tell us about themselves personally on FB.  See what you find.

18. The person that referred them to you.

Good luck! Remember that all the time and effort to develop your Ideal Client Profile will pay off. In droves.   You’ll attract new clients easier, retain them longer, and you’ll be more profitable with less effort!

Special thanks to my LinkedIn Colleagues, around the world,  who helped me add to my original list.

(c) 2009.  Elevating Your Business.  As an unstoppable business strategist and former Wall Street retail trader, Maria Marsala specializes in helping RRs and advisors increase their productivity and production.  For 20 years on The Street, she helped financial professionals sell more bonds and secure loyal clients.  Today, they attract higher-quality clients and grow their businesses to serve their lives – not the other way around.  Uncover the  areas of your business screaming for your immediate attention and those that deserve a big hurrah!  Request Maria’s Business Builder Kit (free) at www.CoachMaria.com

What other places could you add to my list?  Comment below