With the New Year upon us, many business owners are seeking fresh ideas to increase growth and productivity in 2016. Acquiring new clients is one of the most effective ways for financial professionals to experience improved levels of success at their practice. For advisors looking for ways to expand their clientele, NEXT Financial Group, Inc. (NEXT) has outlined three marketing strategies that may help you accomplish your business building objectives.

Network

Join industry groups for your particular area of expertise as an avenue to demonstrate your skill set and stay on top of industry trends. Networking is a way for business professionals to connect with potential prospects. At any networking event, have business cards on hand and your “elevator pitch” polished and ready.

Organizations can also provide additional resources and training to allow you the opportunity for career growth. Professional organizations bring together like-minded individuals within the same industry, stimulating business conversations of various topics and ideas.

Keep your ears open for business building strategies and ideas. A great way to further develop your clientele is through the expansion of services offered. A few national organizations to consider joining in 2016 are below:

• Chamber of Commerce
• Alumni organization
• Association for Financial Professionals

Offer Incentives

What better way is there to catch someone’s attention than by offering a discounted or no cost service? When prospecting, offer a complimentary consultation or informative white paper to let your potential customer know the value you place on building mutually beneficial customer relationships. This allows the prospect to get an idea of how your business operates prior to making any commitments. This may also entice any curious prospects who have considered working with you in the past to call and follow up.

Implement a Referral Program

Speaking of incentives… Do you offer your customers any rewards for referring a friend to you? If not, you may want to consider implementing a referral program that encourages your current customers to spread the word about what your practice offers.

Sometimes, the best clients are those who have been referred to you by an existing customer because they are already familiar with the many positive aspects regarding your company. Since references generally know your value proposition, all you have to do is close the deal by showing them how you help your clients reach their financial goals.

However, references will only come if you have a program in place that asks your happy customers to refer your business, and this will likely occur more if your current customers reap a reward for bringing you business.

For more information on how to build your clientele in 2016, please contact our Marketing Department by emailing Marketing@nextfinancial.com.

Source:

Dudzic, D. (2014, Sept. 24) “Top 10 Wats to Expand your customer Base” LinkedIn Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140924013352-341415005-business-top-10-ways-to-expand-your-customer-base