Five ways to attract new clients

Profile your ideal client – and then recruit ‘lookalikes’

• Create a profile of your ideal client and focus your marketing on this target audience. Once you can visualise your target clients, it becomes much easier to identify and recruit more of them.
• Ensure your website makes it clear how you can support them and their finances.
• Encourage potential clients to exchange their email address for relevant and useful emails that focus on the areas they’re most interested in. Reassure them that this won’t result in an avalanche of financial services spam, but will be tailored to them individually.
• Most importantly, invest time and energy building a relationship with them so that when they are in need of advice, they think of you.

 

Focus on developing individual relationships with each of your clients

No one likes being thought of as just another source of income. Treating your clients like this may get you a quick win, finance-wise, but it won’t lead to a long and fruitful relationship.

The more you invest in a client relationship, the more opportunities you’ll have to guide and support that client. Knowing more about their life means you’ll also be able to spot when a client might need a new product which you can advise them on. 

Building rapport and trust between you and your clients will help you adapt your approach to suit their changing situation.

 

Focus on increasing numbers of local clients

People like to support the local economy and are more likely to trust a local business to deliver. Clients tend to recommend their adviser to family and friends who live in the local area. It gives you an established connection to potential clients before you’ve even met.

Visiting local clients also requires less travel for both you and them, leaving more time for valuable conversations with your clients.

 

Get back in touch with out of touch clients

Adviser/client relationships are important and starting from scratch can take significant time and effort. Clients who have fallen off the radar already have aspects of that relationship in place.

Sometimes, contact with clients lapses simply because policies have come to an end or the client no longer feels they need financial advice. Getting in touch again can be all you need to re-establish that relationship, and could help trigger a request for new advice from the client.

 

Asking for referrals – if you don’t ask, you won’t get

Happy customers will sing their praises and potential clients will look for personal recommendations.

Even with all the comparison websites and directory searches available now, there are some services where the personal touch is still extremely important. We can find out about a company through its literature and even read any number of reviews online, but we trust more in a recommendation from someone we know.

It might not feel entirely comfortable, but ask your clients to refer you to others. If they’re happy with the service you provide they’ll be equally happy to spread the word. If they’re not, now may be the time to find out why.