From the friend I have who calls the DNC, I think people just don’t want to hear from telemarketers, but don’t mind hearing from professionals.

If they tell you they are on the DNC and want to know why you called tell them they checked off a box on a postcard at some tabling event asking for a follow-up.  If they say they don’t remember, tell them I’m sure it wasn’t a hallmark moment in their life and they probably shouldn’t remember.  If they say they absolutely didn’t and want you to go to hell, tell them that it was probably someone that cared about their financial well-being that put their name and number on the postcard.  Corny, but it’ll prevent the awkward “Ohh, umm, I’m sorry your name must have slipped through our firms DNC database.”

The only success I have ever had mailing is muni bond postcards. 1 phone call from prospect per 1000 mailed.

If they are a high net worth client you can google them and sometimes find where they work. Then, you can call their office number. Again, its better than sending out a mailer. Instead of a mailer, I send out a hand written note. I do this with DNC people in affluent neigborhoods. I send out a very non-threatening note telling them I help HNW people with tax management and recovery strategies. I then invite them to call or email if they ever have any questions. In the note I say I will follow up in two weeks to see if they want to learn more. This gives them a chance to expect my call. Everything is much less threatening. I sent out 50 of these cards over 10 days. No clients to date, but I have people who I can now talk to that other advisors aren’t calling. I can now drip on them every two weeks.

If you are already cold calling and doing seminars, focus your mailings on your siminars to drive attendance. If you have a good topic, send a mailer and follow up with a quick call to see if they can attend. I have seen the best response doing this.

[quote=newguy44] If they are a high net worth client you can google them and sometimes find where they work. Then, you can call their office number. Again, its better than sending out a mailer. Instead of a mailer, I send out a hand written note. I do this with DNC people in affluent neigborhoods. I send out a very non-threatening note telling them I help HNW people with tax management and recovery strategies. I then invite them to call or email if they ever have any questions. In the note I say I will follow up in two weeks to see if they want to learn more. This gives them a chance to expect my call. Everything is much less threatening. I sent out 50 of these cards over 10 days. No clients to date, but I have people who I can now talk to that other advisors aren’t calling. I can now drip on them every two weeks.

[quote=chief123] [quote=newguy44] If they are a high net worth client you can google them and sometimes find where they work. Then, you can call their office number. Again, its better than sending out a mailer. Instead of a mailer, I send out a hand written note. I do this with DNC people in affluent neigborhoods. I send out a very non-threatening note telling them I help HNW people with tax management and recovery strategies. I then invite them to call or email if they ever have any questions. In the note I say I will follow up in two weeks to see if they want to learn more. This gives them a chance to expect my call. Everything is much less threatening. I sent out 50 of these cards over 10 days. No clients to date, but I have people who I can now talk to that other advisors aren’t calling. I can now drip on them every two weeks.

[quote=Wet_Blanket] [quote=chief123] [quote=newguy44] If they are a high net worth client you can google them and sometimes find where they work. Then, you can call their office number. Again, its better than sending out a mailer. Instead of a mailer, I send out a hand written note. I do this with DNC people in affluent neigborhoods. I send out a very non-threatening note telling them I help HNW people with tax management and recovery strategies. I then invite them to call or email if they ever have any questions. In the note I say I will follow up in two weeks to see if they want to learn more. This gives them a chance to expect my call. Everything is much less threatening. I sent out 50 of these cards over 10 days. No clients to date, but I have people who I can now talk to that other advisors aren’t calling. I can now drip on them every two weeks.

Okay, I read his post wrong.  I thought he was calling them at work, then sending them a note to call them again at work.  That doesn’t make sense now.

[quote=chief123] [quote=Ron 14]

The only success I have ever had mailing is muni bond postcards. 1 phone call from prospect per 1000 mailed.

The only success I have ever had mailing is muni bond postcards. 1 phone call from prospect per 1000 mailed.

****************************************

I used to use Bill Good Mkting. Sent Thousands and thousands of mailers.
Campaign after campaign. Had 2 part timers working for me to help run
the system. BGM cost me $10k for the software alone. The mailers cost
the firm many thousands more. DID NOT WORK. BGM may be good for client
communication, but that is it. No easy way to get clients.

Seminars…most all looking for free advice. I occasionally get a
client come in for a review with an idea they liked from a seminar and
they wind up implementing with me. I have run night school investment
classes at the local high school. Did many seminars (started with 
dinner seminars. Attendees all looking for a free meal, deserts or
whatever) Did the yellow pages. WASTE of $. Did advertising through the
VAL Pac coupons, nada. Adds in newspaper, WASTE of $. Ghost written
articles in local paper…no biz but great for name and face
recognition. Involved in many community svc orgs.They pretty much will
bleed you dry of your time and you will generally have little to show
for it. Did the networking groups…very long process to get referrals
for investment professional, if you get any, and they are usually
someone who wants to start a 529 with little $. Did the cold canvassing of businesses (owners were often shocked or pissed off to see a ML guy at their door prospecting them. I often got encouragement but no biz)Of course did the cold calling,
when you could call anyone you wanted. I cant really say why none of
these things really worked well. It honestly wasnt for lack of
enthusiasm, blood, sweat and tears, willingness to invest in my business, knowledge or the
likability factor. The best thing I did to build my business was go to
a good bank platform and there I was able to build a solid book with a
decent amount of it fee based, and without all the headaches and
letdowns of the prospecting grind.

Well THAT was an uplifting post.

Shoot me now…

The only success I have ever had mailing is muni bond postcards. 1 phone call from prospect per 1000 mailed.
****************************************
I used to use Bill Good Mkting. Sent Thousands and thousands of mailers. Campaign after campaign. Had 2 part timers working for me to help run the system. BGM cost me $10k for the software alone. The mailers cost the firm many thousands more. DID NOT WORK. BGM may be good for client communication, but that is it. No easy way to get clients.

Seminars…most all looking for free advice. I occasionally get a client come in for a review with an idea they liked from a seminar and they wind up implementing with me. I have run night school investment classes at the local high school. Did many seminars (started with  dinner seminars. Attendees all looking for a free meal, deserts or whatever) Did the yellow pages. WASTE of $. Did advertising through the VAL Pac coupons, nada. Adds in newspaper, WASTE of $. Ghost written articles in local paper…no biz but great for name and face recognition. Involved in many community svc orgs.They pretty much will bleed you dry of your time and you will generally have little to show for it. Did the networking groups…very long process to get referrals for investment professional, if you get any, and they are usually someone who wants to start a 529 with little $. Did the cold canvassing of businesses (owners were often shocked or pissed off to see a ML guy at their door prospecting them. I often got encouragement but no biz)Of course did the cold calling, when you could call anyone you wanted. I cant really say why none of these things really worked well. It honestly wasnt for lack of enthusiasm, blood, sweat and tears, willingness to invest in my business, knowledge or the likability factor. The best thing I did to build my business was go to a good bank platform and there I was able to build a solid book with a decent amount of it fee based, and without all the headaches and letdowns of the prospecting grind.

Dudes…didnt mean to get you down. Just sharing that its realy tough no matter what. Myself and many others been there too. I’m in my 12th year. I’m sure you guys, particularly the newer FA’s are killing yourselves prospecting. I  know I did. I spent an awful lot of my own money on marketing myself. Probably the best marketing I did and still do is through the newspaper articles the local paper runs for me. A lot of recognition from those and costs me nothing. They put my pic in the paper next to the article and at the end of the article a very brief bio on me and where and whom I work for (its local). Clients will cut them out and they bring them in to show me. One client hangs them up at work in his break room. Yes, they are compliance approved. Many firms offer these ghost written articles for FA’s to run if they can get the paper to run them. I was lucky in getting that “in” with the business editor. Also as I stated I went to a bank platform and now I spend my time working with people who actually want my help. I no longer have to convince everyone I can help them. Its not without its drawbacks, but I’m building a decent managed book this way and have a decent stream of referrals. Although biz down about 35% this year overall to date, its survivable.  

[quote=newguy44]The only way mailings will have any success is if you plan on following up. Keep it short and simple. As stated above, not really worth the postage. [/quote]

people who think this way are bound for meritocracy.  fisher investments mails millions of letters offering free info and directing people to websites and following up via email and somehow manages to bring in billions each year.  they do call also, but only if you give a phone number - which most direct mail studies show is done less than 1/3 of the time.

my best advice - look at what the great direct marketers do and replicate it to your market.

so offer something to people with a qualifier
send them the info a few times
mail to them every month for a year
email if you can get that too
offer videos via a website or dvds in the mail
and call if they’ll give you a valid phone number

don’t expect people to respond to a single mailer looking for an appointment.  this is a pipe dream and the main reason people say direct mail doesn’t work.  it works; most people just don’t know how to do it.

doing something wrong doesn’t mean the process doesn’t work.  i’m glad though, that most people can’t get good marketing to work - business is easier for me.  btw - i’m not a bgm fan, but marketing does work as my whole book is based on marketing; don’t have any clients from cold calling and i’m truly independent - no bank or other bs to deal with.

lastly, when your banks go broke or payouts go to 10% from nationalization - shoot me a pm and maybe i can offer you a job with better marketing, asset management and payout.

[quote=Ron 14][quote=3rd ID]The only success I have ever had mailing is muni bond postcards. 1 phone call from prospect per 1000 mailed.
****************************************
I used to use Bill Good Mkting. Sent Thousands and thousands of mailers. Campaign after campaign. Had 2 part timers working for me to help run the system. BGM cost me $10k for the software alone. The mailers cost the firm many thousands more. DID NOT WORK. BGM may be good for client communication, but that is it. No easy way to get clients.

Seminars…most all looking for free advice. I occasionally get a client come in for a review with an idea they liked from a seminar and they wind up implementing with me. I have run night school investment classes at the local high school. Did many seminars (started with  dinner seminars. Attendees all looking for a free meal, deserts or whatever) Did the yellow pages. WASTE of $. Did advertising through the VAL Pac coupons, nada. Adds in newspaper, WASTE of $. Ghost written articles in local paper…no biz but great for name and face recognition. Involved in many community svc orgs.They pretty much will bleed you dry of your time and you will generally have little to show for it. Did the networking groups…very long process to get referrals for investment professional, if you get any, and they are usually someone who wants to start a 529 with little $. Did the cold canvassing of businesses (owners were often shocked or pissed off to see a ML guy at their door prospecting them. I often got encouragement but no biz)Of course did the cold calling, when you could call anyone you wanted. I cant really say why none of these things really worked well. It honestly wasnt for lack of enthusiasm, blood, sweat and tears, willingness to invest in my business, knowledge or the likability factor. The best thing I did to build my business was go to a good bank platform and there I was able to build a solid book with a decent amount of it fee based, and without all the headaches and letdowns of the prospecting grind. [/quote]

So how did you do it… give us some marketing tips.

brandnewadvisor -  Get an original thought. Banks aren’t going broke and they will not be nationalized. I am sure you also think we are in the Great Depression because CNBC told you so. Im glad you have better marketing. Advisors in banks DONT NEED IT !!!

don’t watch cnbc unless i’m depositing a large check at my local bank branch as they have it on in the lobby.  i’ll say hi next time i’m in if you’re not too busy opening a $25/mo ira for joe sixpack.