Financial Advisor Tips: Getting Caught with Your Links Down?

By Maria | March 17, 2013

Ezine Divider
©2013 123RF Stock Photos		 How annoying is it to go to a website, click a link and end up on an error page? Yeah, my website is guilty of this sometimes, too. I’ve done two things to fix this vexing problem:a) My web master set up a site map to appear instead of an error page. If a link is broken or has changed, my website visitors get my site map (a menu listing the main web pages on my sites) and information on finding what they’re looking for. You can go directly to my sitemap here
b) We use a no-cost link checker called Xenu to zip through all my websites and easily let it scour for broken links that need fixing. It creates a report and then we fix  the broken or relocated links.

Action

Tell your web master about Xenu so that he/she can use this resource to run through your website pages or blog. While you’re at the Xenu website, join Tilman’s newsletter list. He’ll only email you notices that he has updated the tool. The current version of Xenu is: 1.3.8 from September 4th, 2010. Download Xenu now

 

Our tips may sometimes contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

©2013 Elevating Your Business. Maria Marsala is a Business Coach to Financial Advisors and a former Wall Street Trader. She helps independent and fee-based financial advisors reach their 5-year business and personal goals in 24 months. Maria has been recognized as a thought leader whose ideas have been published in Financial Planning Magazine, RIA Biz, Advisor Max, Dow Jones, The Street, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous other books, trade journals, and magazines. If you liked this article, get them delivered to your Inbox every two weeks. Register here

Topics: FA Tactical Tips | No Comments »

Financial Advisor Tactical Tips: Sign Up for SUCCESS

By Maria | February 28, 2013

3. Sign Up for SUCCESS

As a financial advisor, chances are you read a lot of books, websites, and magazines about your industry. That’s important, but not enough for you personally. I recommend subscribing to SUCCESS Magazine. The magazine articles look at success the best way and only way, in my opinion — holistically. It includes both personal and business development tips and tools that will enlighten and inspire you. Topics include goal setting, marriage, leadership, life balance, giving back and more. Plus you’ll receive an audio CD each month on a topic that revolves around being successful.

Action

Register now for SUCCESS Magazine at a deep discount off the retail price. Listen to the CD in your car or home office and take action — a small or large step — each month on one thing you’ve learned. Recycle your copy of SUCCESS Magazine by giving it to your team to read and have a monthly discussion on the topic of the CD. Or put your business label on the cover and give it to your clients to share. Learn more here

 

Our tips may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

©2013 Elevating Your Business. Maria Marsala is a Business Coach to Financial Advisors and a former Wall Street Trader. She helps independent and fee-based financial advisors reach their 5-year business and personal goals in 24 months. Maria has been recognized as a thought leader whose ideas have been published in Financial Planning Magazine, RIA Biz, Advisor Max, Dow Jones, The Street, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous other books, trade journals, and magazines. If you liked this article, get them delivered to your Inbox every two weeks. Register here

Topics: FA Tactical Tips | No Comments »

Do You Know If You’re Making the Right Decisions for Your Business?

By Maria | February 28, 2013

Do You Know If You’re Making the Right Decisions for Your Business?

Stategic Business Coach, Planning Strategist Maria MarsalaSomething is stopping you from having the time to market to new prospects and service existing clients. Attend Maria’s next business growth planning webinar to find out what it is! Use our killer process to determine your firm’s priorities and become a more efficient business owner. Take one day to arm yourself with new strategies and insights you can immediately execute.

 

 

 

Attendees will walk away with a simple system for:

– Communicating a clear company vision for your team, clients, and vendors

– Planning for business growth and setting tighter priorities

– Marketing strategies that won’t break the bank

 

At the end of the day, you’ll print your plan and use it the very next morning! (If you can wait that long.)  Best of all you don’t have to travel to attend this program (unless you want to).  It’s a webinar!

 

Business Management & Marketing on Steroids. Learn how to create your company’s roadmap

Topics: Peer Groups | No Comments »

What exceptional customer service looks like…

By Maria | February 28, 2013

Special thanks to  Angle Tuccy of Experience Pros for posting this video on her Facebook site.  http://www.facebook.com/#!/ExperiencePros?group_id=0

When I lived in Brooklyn and then on Staten Island, I got to “know” many of my MailMan… and one MailWomen by first name.   I looked forward to seeing them on the weekends and holiday.  Their goodwill did go a long way.   Including putting mail in my mailbox that was addressed to another address on my street. 

 

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/4GKQ9kTnSg4” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

 

Topics: Leadership | No Comments »

Financial Advisors Tactical Tips: Somethin’ to Talk About

By Maria | February 14, 2013

2. Somethin’ More To Talk About

Do you have a checklist of talking points for meetings with prospects and clients — or do you just “wing it”? You’ll be more productive when you create a list of 100 important conversation topics. Include questions about their goals, family, hobbies, portfolios, challenges, wins since you last met, etc. Make sure the questions are geared to your “ideal clients”.

Once completed, your checklist can be used in ways that have nothing to do with client meetings. You can write articles on your topics. Mail the articles to your best clients, email them to your newsletter list, and bring them to networking events to hand out instead of business cards — or place them on your blog. Create short videos on the topics and place them on YouTube and your website. Design a mini-checklist to give out to prospects or place on your website. Bring in other experts (who share your ideal clients) to talk about a subject with your clients. Brainstorm with your team on the limitless ways you can repurpose your checklist.

Action

With or without a team, you can create or update your checklist for 2013. Don’t stop creating until you have nearly 100 items on it! To get you started, here’s an article from Investment-News about creating a Checklist for 2013 Client Meetings

 

©2013 Elevating Your Business. Maria Marsala is a Business Coach to Financial Advisors and a former Wall Street Trader. She helps independent and fee-based financial advisors reach their 5-year business and personal goals in 24 months. Maria has been recognized as a thought leader whose ideas have been published in Financial Planning Magazine, RIA Biz, Advisor Max, Dow Jones, The Street, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous other books, trade journals, and magazines. If you liked this article, get them delivered to your Inbox every two weeks. Register here

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The Top 10 Factors Which Contributed To My Success by Thomas Leonard

By Maria | February 10, 2013

I have had a few bosses who I remember fondly and only 3 that had such a profound effect on my life.   Thomas was one of them.  He was my boss for 3 years.  He was a CFP who is known as the father of the profession of coaching.   He lived a full life.  Born a few months before me, in July 1955, he died on February 11, 2003.  Ten years ago, but it seems like yesterday.  He still has lessons to teach us all.  What can you learn from his article?  Let us know by posting your comment below

Created on 11/21/96.

I was recently asked this question by a coach and I thought it would be fun to think “back” and identify the key factors.

1.  I had a vision.

Well, it wasn’t really a vision at first; more like something I was really interested in – - training coaches and creating new/better ways to serve my clients. I had this idea  that it would be possible to train a coach in an hour. Sounds silly, but this goal/vision has influenced and motivated me because it’s so BIG and would require a radically different approach to coach training. It’s called a vision, because it’s clear to me that this will occur, and hopefully during my lifetime.

2. I created a game that others could also win at.

In helping to “package and popularize” the coaching profession, I opened the door for thousands of professionals to become coaches and earn a great living at it.  When you give folks access/faster access to money and happiness, they’ll return the favor in many ways: personal support, gratitude, referrals, cash  contribution/gifts, etc. Value has been added and folks pay you back when they receive value. Simple as that. The funny part of it has been that the financial cost  of me adding this value to others has not been very expensive. It was very expensive, personally/emotionally/spiritually, however.

3. I was entirely selfish in my efforts, yet….

I was looking out for me and doing things (writing, teaching, etc.) that gave me pleasure or energy or money. When in doubt, I put myself, my intuition, my needs, my opinion first. I made plenty of righteous mistakes, but I’ve come to believe in my approach. Dangerous perhaps, but tempered by an EQUAL dose of ‘standing in the shoes of my  customers/clients/students’ and feeling/guessing/asking what would serve them most TODAY. So, I was being really selfish, but getting my inspiration/direction/guidance from my customers. This selfish/contributory dynamic works really well for me.

4. I asked my critics to take a hike.

I could definitely would have made fewer mistakes if I was willing to listen to my critics. But the fact is, I am too SENSITIVE to hear much criticism, even if accurate. And, some people just think that it’s their role in life to point out other people’s weaknesses and boo-boo’s. I got really tired of that and decided to surround myself with folks who agreed with me AND who could point out errors with LOTS of sensitivity. I’m a believer that my sensitivity/reactiveness has permitted me to create cool stuff. I’ve given up the conventional wisdom that you should be really open to criticism from all sources. No thanks.

5. I had several key coaches and partners who were incredibly supportive.

As I was building Coach University and my other ventures, I had lots of emotional support. I needed it, given my history with depression and other stuff. These folks kept my spirits up, endorsed me and even the dumb ideas I’ve had, etc., because they had FAITH in what I was up to. Plus, they were personally and financially benefiting from my efforts, so they had a vested interest.

6. I kept my personal and business expenses, very, very, very low.

I live on less than $40,000 a year; Coach University is primarily volunteer-run. Both mattered a lot. It’s hard to make money in the training business and I knew I was going to make mistakes rearing this baby. Mistakes are/were financially expensive — but because Coach U was volunteer-based, I could afford to incur/pay for those “learning curve” mistakes and not put the company at great financial risk.

7. I knew that I was going to sell Coach University from the day that I started it.

Having this goal in mind gave me some of the emotional freedom I needed to keep working at it. Having sold Coach U in mid-1996, I look back on the experience and believe that the timing was perfect; it was strong/structured/viable enough to sell and the right person (Sandy Vilas) bought it.

8. I create by fully responding, not by trying to create.

Life is my creative catalyst. I am a far better “responder” to what’s going on right in front of/around me than I am at creating from scratch. The key is to surrender to responding vs. trying to initiate new stuff all of the time (too exhausting!). I feel/am sensitized to a lot of what’s going on around me, so I always have something to write about or create. My inspiration comes from others/life/situations; not from me.

9. I put myself on a progressive thinking track.

I am interested in how I think and in how the world is evolving. I read everything from Wired Magazine to The Economist; from USA Today to the Wall Street Journal; from The New Yorker to the New York Times. I read for the pleasure of it, but also know that reading such a list of magazines affects my thinking and educates my mind — not just with facts, but with IDEAS! I create by feeling/getting and I have CHOSEN to surround myself with ideas, trends, information and people/writers to affect me greatly. It’s SO much easier this way!

10. I continually add value, everywhere and for everyone.

If I have something that I can share with others, or if I can improve something that I’ve created, I do so. My goal with Coach U was to double the value that students got from the program each year, yet keep the tuition at $2495. I think it’s fair to say that this has worked and will keep working. I know of no other company that both thinks AND acts in this way. If I had to pick out the #1 source of my success, it would be this one: Adding value, everywhere and always, just for the pleasure of it.

About the Submitter: This piece was submitted by Thomas J. Leonard. His site is maintained at www.thomasleonard.com Copyright 97, 98, 99, 00, 2001 CoachVille

This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright, contact, and creation information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit context.

Topics: Human Stuff | 1 Comment »

67 (And Growing) Financial Advisor Niches: Yourself Apart from Your Competitors

By Maria | January 29, 2013

growthEYBI didn’t intend to write an article about niches for financial advisors.

However, when I went looking on the web for a list, I couldn’t find one! Amazing! Why? Years ago, when I examined the history of niche marketing, the information available suggested that this strategy originated in the financial sector!

You may remember a time when you banked at a commercial bank if you were a business, and a personal bank if you weren’t a business. You didn’t go to the personal bank if you wanted a business loan and you didn’t go to the commercial bank if you wanted a residential mortgage. Or maybe you remember a time when brokerage firms were either institutional or retail.

Looking at Niches
Niches are very broad segments of the population. They can be categorized by general characteristics such as an occupation, a passion/hobby, or by the type of service consumed. In many cases, the categories overlap. A niche has nothing to do with who can afford to pay you what you’re worth–that’s Step 2 and it involves creating an ideal client profile.

Below is a list of potential niches for financial advisors. Did I miss your niche? What would you add to the list? If you own a niched website post yours in the comment area of this blog for me to review.

General Population Characteristics

 

Passion/Hobby

 

Type of Service Consumed

 

Niched Website Examples:

While looking for niched websites, I came across one that listed age groups from 20 to 70, along with descriptions of the services offered to each age group.  That is not a niched website.  Most financial advisors’ websites aren’t niched.  Below are a few that have used niches to their advantage:

Brian Plain works with executives and business owners. The two niches that can be combined into one- top level executives.

Kelly Guncheon works with socially responsible individuals. April Rudin of The Rudkin Group submitted Russ Thornton’s website. Russ works with women throughout the divorce process and beyond.  The style, words, and photographs of Kelly’s and Russ’s websites clearly define their client niches.

© 2012 Elevating Your Business.  Maria Marsala is a Business Coach to Financial Advisors.  She helps independent and fee-based financial firms systematize their business processes, master marketing, multiply the bottom line, and increase free time.  Maria has been published in Financial Planning Magazine, Advisor Max, Dow Jones, The Street, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous other trade journals and magazines.  If you liked this article, you’ll enjoy Maria’s complimentary newsletter.   Subscribe athttp://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com

 

 

 

DON’T HAVE AN NICHE YET? NOT SURE WHAT DIRECTION TO GO INTO?

Discover how creating a niche and ideal client profile can help you accelerate the growth of your business.  Attend our f.r.ee seminar, 24/7,  sponsored by BrightTalk, visit http://www.marketingwithintegrity.com/?p=3229

(c) 2012 Elevating Your Business, Maria Marsala, Coach to Financial Advisors

 

 

Topics: Ideal Clients | 4 Comments »

Request Your Complimentary Appointment from Business Coach Maria Marsala

By Maria | January 25, 2013

I am reaching out to my newsletter and blog subscribers and extending an invitation to have your own 7 F’s Road Map completed by me at no cost to you.  We’ll complete the process in 45-60 minutes.

The 7 F’s Road Map  is  a tool we use to help you in clarifying and define your business and personal goals.    Once completed, we’ll send you a hard copy of your 7 F’s Road Map customized with what is important to focus on in 2013.  You can download our description of the 7 F’s here:  http://www.elevatingyourbusiness.com/documents/BrochureElevatingYourBusiness2012.pdf

Email me at focus@elevatingyourbusiness.com     and we’ll get you started on your best year ever!   NOTE:  We schedule 1 no-cost session to each independent advisor, individual business owner or CEO per lifetime.

NOTE:  We schedule 1 no-cost session to each independent advisor, individual business owner or CEO per person.  Sorry, if you’ve already attended any type of no-cost session 60-minute session or if you’re a coach, please pass on this offer.

Here’s to your Best Year Ever

Upwards and onwards,

Maria Marsala

Where financial advisors master their 5-year vision in 24 months (or less).

Topics: Other | No Comments »

Financial Advisor Tactical Tips: It’s Not All About You

By Maria | January 19, 2013

1.  It’s Not All About You

It’s important to develop relationships with clients and NOT have a conversation strictly about their portfolio every time.  I learned this lesson in 2002 from a local Sam’s Club manager.  I met with him about conducting a workshop for his clients entitled,“Prosperity Is No Accident: It Takes a One Page Plan®”.  During our meeting, his excitement for the idea surprised me.  As he put it, “it’s a way of getting customers into the store for something other than selling them something.”

The manager saw my workshop as something of value that he could offer his best clients, which could help him cultivate genuine relationships with them.   And it put me in front of a large number of my ideal clients (at the time).   When you have a niche and ideal client profile, it’s so much easier to find firms who have your exact ideal client base, too.   Once you do there should be room to partner with them and give both your companies an “added-value”.

Action:  On a piece of paper, brainstorm with your team about 1) who you can partner with that shares your niche and ideal client profile.  2) all the ways you can
present valuable information to their clients.   Don’t have niche or ideal client profile yet?   Watch a workshop on BrightTALK about niching and creating an ideal client profile at http://www.marketingwithintegrity.com/?p=3390

 

 

© 2013 Elevating Your Business.

Maria Marsala is a Business Coach to Financial Advisors and former Wall Street Trader. She helps independent and fee-based financial advisors reach their 5-year business and personal goals in 24 months. Maria’s been recognized as a thought leader and has been published in Financial Planning Magazine, RIA Biz, Advisor Max, Dow Jones, The Street, Entrepreneur Magazine, and numerous other books, trade journals, and magazines. If you liked this article, take the first step towards coaching. Complete our pre-coaching business profile and receive a complimentary qualification consultation.

Topics: FA Tactical Tips | No Comments »

What can you do now that LinkedIn ANSWERS is going away?

By Maria | January 18, 2013

Today I sent my LinkedIn Connections a quick e-letter. Since all business owners should at least have a profile on LinkedIn, and since it was suggested to me that I post my letter for others to view, here it is. Thank you to Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL and Publisher of The Kitces Report, www.kitces.com for that extra push!

 

Dear LinkedIn Connection…

As you may have heard or read, after many years of having what I thought was an excellent addition to its benefits, LinkedIn is totally dismantling the ANSWERS part of its offering. Another firm, whose emphasis was on question-answer format, FOCUS, shut down last year, too.

I can tell you that my answers often appeared in searches before my website, so as a business owner, I liked the feature. When I have searched for other businesses, their LinkedIn profile often came up before their website. LinkedIn contributes to our businesses in various ways — even on the search engines.

But what can you do instead?

a) Find GROUPS who have at their core opportunities to converse — yes, they contain articles, BUT their main focus is to get people tawkin’. If you’re a women, Citi Bank for Women is a good group. If you’re a business owner the Small Business Incubator might be a group for you to review. You can find some of these groups on the top of my GROUPS list on my profile. Search for groups that your ideal clients would join. And if you know of other such groups, let me know. It takes a lot of digging to find good groups, for sure. I’ve started a few and can’t seem to get people to “converse” – even if I ask them to introduce themselves. I have two now that I run with very quiet people as subscribers. I don’t get it. View my groups here: Attracting Your 2013 Vision and Financial Advisor Mastermind

 

b) Go back to the way it was. Before LinkedIn there were BB’s (Bulletin Boards and Forums) for just about every sort of business and ideal client topic available. I for one had forgotten all but one or two (HTML Forums and a Car Board) because I was using LinkedIn as a place to “meet other folks” and “help other folks”. But they are still available. I was planning on starting one on my website, so now I’ll move that date up a few months. If you’d like to join my list, subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll get business-building tips and articles now, and be able to join the bulletin board later!

 

c) One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is to share a post or article or something with others, on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Why is it a mistake? Because before they share something they have deemed important, they don’t comment on the article. By commenting on the article FIRST you may get some PR, new subscribers, etc. But more than that, it’s about letting people know who you are and what you do so well that can lead to a prospect to visit your website. It takes less than 2 minutes to post something thoughtful to someone’s article.

d) LinkedIn provides articles with comment areas. Comment! Your LinkedIn photo and a link to your profile will show up with the comment. People won’t know about your business if you don’t toot your own horn and let yourself be known.

e) Ask questions in the GROUPS you’re a member of. I’ve been doing this for a while now and every now and then I find a question that quite a few people want to answer. I then post that question to other GROUPS.

f) Make sure that your blog is linked on your profile. Even though LinkedIn has downgraded that feature, it’s still there and a way for strangers to get to know you and your services (or products) without you doing anything extra. Go into the APPLICATIONS and you can add your blog.

 

 

Maria

Coach to Financial Advisors wanting to reach their 5 year goals in 24 months.
http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com

 

P.S.    Find me on LinkedIn here If you want to connect email me via LinkedIn at LinkedIn@ElevatingYourBusiness.com (copy and paste it) to connect.

 

 

 

Topics: Social Networking | No Comments »

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