[/quote]

I found 10 people over 60 who weren't on the DNC list in about 15 minutes. 

[/quote]

spiff i appreciate all the great advice, but you lose this 1. you are telling the guy to manually make his list using whitepages.com as opposed to buying a list. you can talk circles all you want about efficiency v. effective, calling v. knocking, blah, blah, blah, but there is no way in hell that this will be more effecient than sitting in front of a phone with a premade spreadsheet broken down into age and available assets. those 10 people are probably living off of ss. call 'em and let us know how it goes. then when you are done spend another 15 min pulling another 10 names. meanwhile i'll stick to dialing 55-65 $150k+ in investable assets and within an hour i will have AT LEAST double the amount of contacts. period.

[quote=pimpin_aint_easy]

[/quote]

I found 10 people over 60 who weren't on the DNC list in about 15 minutes. 

[/quote]

spiff i appreciate all the great advice, but you lose this 1. you are telling the guy to manually make his list using whitepages.com as opposed to buying a list. you can talk circles all you want about efficiency v. effective, calling v. knocking, blah, blah, blah, but there is no way in hell that this will be more effecient than sitting in front of a phone with a premade spreadsheet broken down into age and available assets. those 10 people are probably living off of ss. call 'em and let us know how it goes. then when you are done spend another 15 min pulling another 10 names. meanwhile i'll stick to dialing 55-65 $150k+ in investable assets and within an hour i will have AT LEAST double the amount of contacts. period.

[/quote]

If you think you kind buy a list that verifies this information (actually verifies not computer modeling) then I have some stuff to sell you too...

Though i agree with you, I also agree with Spiff, since I have done both

squash...how many calls did you make last month? huh, huh, huh....thats what i though.

So, you paid someone for a list of people with $150k in investable assets?  How can they prove to you that there are $150K in assets in that household? 

I've always been suspicious of lists like that.  I bought one last year.  It was supposed to be people with $150k in investable assets who are looking for a new advisor.  I asked the list people how they confirmed that the people had the $$.  They told me some crap about how they did it.  Sounded legit.  Sent out intro letters to the people on the list, then went to ring their doorbells.  The very first door I knocked on the lady opened the door and told me they were flat broke.  The second, same story.  Hmm...something's fishy.  So, I took a different approach.  I started cold calling them.  90% of the phone numbers were disconnected.  One even rang through to a detective's desk here at our local sherriff's office.  

I'd bet that if you gave me that list and I doorknocked those folks instead of calling them, when we're both through the list, I"ll have made double the number of contacts as you have.  It's goes back to doorbells don't have caller ID.  And while I was at that one door on that street, I'd also look for the open garage doors and ring those doorbells too, just to see what shakes out. 

You guys can down play doorknocking all you want, but it's a great way to meet people and gather real prospects. 

Find a community you think has money.  Whitepage it.  Knock on the houses that have phones numbers.  Ask the people if its okay to contact them again with a good idea. You've address the DNC concern, have their number and don't have to ask for it, and you are very targeted in your approach.  This is not rocket science.

[quote=pimpin_aint_easy]

squash...how many calls did you make last month? huh, huh, huh....thats what i though.

[/quote]

Really from the guy who couldn't hit first quarter goals at a wire (Goal 1: Have a pulse, Goal 2: Don't be a dick Goal 3: Open an account in 3 months)...

[quote=SuperMan]

Find a community you think has money.  Whitepage it.  Knock on the houses that have phones numbers.  Ask the people if its okay to contact them again with a good idea. You've address the DNC concern, have their number and don't have to ask for it, and you are very targeted in your approach.  This is not rocket science.

[/quote]

How many people really remember you knocking on their door? Is it fairly high if you call back in two weeks?

Door knocking is something that I find difficult to do because i hate people that come to my door. I am respectful because I know they are trying to make a living but still I just can't bring myself to bother someone in a way that I would find bothersome.

ND ... Almost everyone remembers you.  Think about it, how many professionals actually take the time to go out and meet people these days.  Its odd.  It can be a competitive advantage, if you embrace it and make it so.

When I was full on door knocking every day 80+% of the people I met gave me their numbers.  It's really not a bothersome process, just uncomfortable to for the sales person doing it.  My goal these days is to find 1 - 2 people that really need my help each day, that appreciate what I can do for them.  Low hanging fruit.  Damn I need to prospect some next week :)

Ok, so the last time I used CIS in a big way, was in about 2002. My leads included the month and year the client was born. When I checked, or opened a new account, they were always accurate. I did buy a list from CIS within the last two years, but didn't do much with the list. I think we had about 2500 names and addys, but only about 200 phone numbers. I've concluded for my biz, that cold calling is something our practice isn't going to be doing. Networking, alliances, referrals, and acquisition is how our firm is going to grow moving forward. Due to a variety of situations, I'm probably not going to be able to focus on that til next year. And, if Bond Guy says something, it pays to listen. That guy is like EF Hutton....

That was exactly what felt about doorknocking.  I had maybe 2 situations that were unpleasant.  One was a big dog that just missed my Achilles tendon, but got the cuff of my pants instead.  I sent the homeowner a thank you card with a bill for a new pair of pants.  For some reason he's not a client.  The second was a guy who worked with AGE.  I jokingly told him he was working with the wrong STL based brokerage firm.  He didn't like that and yelled at me all the way to the next house.  The fact that I was chuckling and waving at him while he was doing it probably didn't help.  For some reason he's not a client either.  There was that time when the woman came to the door wearing...well, we'll leave it there. 

My goal when I go doorknocking, which isn't anywhere near as much as it probably ought to be these days, is to find one person who I think I can turn into a client in the next two months.  SuperMan and I are thinking the exact same way.  And even in an area like mine where we have a ton of new FAs who are doorknocking the crap out of the neighborhoods around my office, people do remember who I am when I call back.  I've had people that I doorknocked 4 or 5 years ago show up in my office with my old business card and open accounts with me. 

SuperMan - I also need to do some prospecting next week.  Maybe I should buy some long underwear and just get out there. 

[quote=Spaceman Spiff]

I always doubt the leads people who say they've got 357 people who have 401k rollovers to do right now or that have more than $250K in managed money they'd like to move in the next 3 months.  Really?  If you're that good at finding those people, how about you and I go into biz for ourselves.  You get that info, call the people, schedule the initial appointment, and I'll take care of the rest.  We'll kill it. 

I know it's a bit more time intensive, but www.whitepages.com will let you search by street and identify all the residents of the street.  Their ages are also listed. How about you pick 5-10 streets a day and call everyone over the age of 50.  I think your results would be just as good as buying a leads list. 

[/quote]

Wouldnt most of the people be on the DNC list though?

Anybody other than EJ FA's using doorknocking as a method of prospecting?  It seems like a decent way to target residential without worrying about the DNC list....

Wondering if incorporating this into the mix or just use that DN time into more cold calling business would result in more prospects...

[quote=Kresge]

Anybody other than EJ FA's using doorknocking as a method of prospecting?  It seems like a decent way to target residential without worrying about the DNC list....

Wondering if incorporating this into the mix or just use that DN time into more cold calling business would result in more prospects...

[/quote]

Exaclty I think door knocking or mailing would be the best way to reach residentials that are off the DNC list and effectively un reachable to new FA's that cant get refferals to these people. I would target wealthy negihboorhods with my mass marketing and door knocking

Cold calling is great for businesses

[quote=harkkam]

[quote=Kresge]

Anybody other than EJ FA's using doorknocking as a method of prospecting?  It seems like a decent way to target residential without worrying about the DNC list....

Wondering if incorporating this into the mix or just use that DN time into more cold calling business would result in more prospects...

[/quote]

Exaclty I think door knocking or mailing would be the best way to reach residentials that are off the DNC list and effectively un reachable to new FA's that cant get refferals to these people. I would target wealthy negihboorhods with my mass marketing and door knocking

Cold calling is great for businesses

[/quote]

[quote=Hacksaw]

[quote=harkkam]

[quote=Kresge]

Anybody other than EJ FA's using doorknocking as a method of prospecting?  It seems like a decent way to target residential without worrying about the DNC list....

Wondering if incorporating this into the mix or just use that DN time into more cold calling business would result in more prospects...

[/quote]

Exaclty I think door knocking or mailing would be the best way to reach residentials that are off the DNC list and effectively un reachable to new FA's that cant get refferals to these people. I would target wealthy negihboorhods with my mass marketing and door knocking

Cold calling is great for businesses

[/quote]

Two things: Mailings won't do jack. Unless they are expecting it, they won't open it and/or read it. Hell even if they know it's coming they won't likely read it or open it. Most "wealthy" areas and neighborhoods have a "no solicitation" sign and policy. Just know you could be pissing people off. Door Knocking can work, but also remember what most EJ advisor's books look like. Just figure out what kind of client base you want, then figure out how to contact those people. There is no magic to this. You just have to work hard and hope for some luck, which is created through hard work.[/quote]

I appreciate your advice but this is exactly what frustrates me about this business. When a sugegstion is given 

1) Mailers

2) Door Knocking 

The immediate result is no it wont work. Then the advice that follows is "all you have to do is try hard and work toward the business you want....."

Honestly its kind of pointless to tell that to a person who realizes that and is trying to figure out a way to reach people that are not in his market space, which will result in a response such as "go find your market space"

other than door knocking or mailing all that is left is trying to join events and groups that rich folks attend and trying to connect with them socially and slide business in. Like meeting people in an art gallery and striking up a conversationg with a man who is thinking about buying a 100k piece of art.

This strategy is good except we have hurdles, that means money needed now and social prospecting takes a while to build so you cant pin your hopes on it. You need to do something with faster results.

Man...Harkkam...dude,

There is no one out here trying to talk themselves out of this business more than you. Geesh.  I think we should all hang it up if it's a hard as you say.  Gooolllllyyy.

If it's this hard for you 3 months before you start, what is it going to be like when you are actually in production?

All of it works.  Mailers cost $$ and compliance maze. Get your licenses and learn your company policies and try to make it work. 

DNC is fluid and people are transient.  People will hang up on you; and not take your calls.  Get your licenses and learn your company policies and try to make it work.

Doorknocking works. The weather gets in the way and your feet will stink. Get your licenses and learn company policies and try to make it work.

Seminars work.  They take time, energy and money. Get your licenses and learn company policies and try to make it work.  

Networking works.  It takes time, energy and money.  One needs to fend off unqualified people and people who only want to sell to YOU.  Get your licenses learn company policy and try to make it work.

What he said....

Everything works.  Nothing works.  You've been told this before.  I'd work on my listening skills before jumping into this career.  The best advice I was given was from a really odd guy that also happened to be a million dollar producer.  He had almost no social grace or skills.  What he had was work ethic.  He said early in his career a very large producer gave him one single bit of advice.  "Figure out what you like to do and are decent at and do a ton of it."

In his words ... he brute forced prospected his way to the top.  What did he do?  It does not matter!  All that matters is he did a ton of it.  If you are looking for the recipe to making it in this business, that's it.  If you are tying to figure out what works... all of it and none of it.

Bought a list from CIS last week 2084 numbers. When I got the list back from in-house scrubbing only 583 left. Hahaha. That's terrible. 

[quote=DonkSlayer]

Bought a list from CIS last week 2084 numbers. When I got the list back from in-house scrubbing only 583 left. Hahaha. That's terrible. 

[/quote]

If you dont mind how much did you pay for that list just a round figure, just so I can get an idea.

Thanks bro

[quote=Takingnames]

Man...Harkkam...dude,

There is no one out here trying to talk themselves out of this business more than you. Geesh.  I think we should all hang it up if it's a hard as you say.  Gooolllllyyy.

If it's this hard for you 3 months before you start, what is it going to be like when you are actually in production?

All of it works.  Mailers cost $$ and compliance maze. Get your licenses and learn your company policies and try to make it work. 

DNC is fluid and people are transient.  People will hang up on you; and not take your calls.  Get your licenses and learn your company policies and try to make it work.

Doorknocking works. The weather gets in the way and your feet will stink. Get your licenses and learn company policies and try to make it work.

Seminars work.  They take time, energy and money. Get your licenses and learn company policies and try to make it work.  

Networking works.  It takes time, energy and money.  One needs to fend off unqualified people and people who only want to sell to YOU.  Get your licenses learn company policy and try to make it work.

[/quote]

Sorry about my post earlier, I was a bit rough I know you are trying to help just frustrated. I think the mantra that "everything works and nothing works" is beautiful and simple rather than getting bogged down in the details of one method try all and stick to what works best.

I appreciate your help its just as a young broker who is 25 years old, doesnt have any rich network, rasing 10 million my first year is very scary and daunting and makes  you doubt yourself and ask "How the hell am I going to do this?

Thanks for taking the time to respond guys