Laura Virili - Coaching Advisors to Crush it thru Social Selling
Having worked with the best of the best for over 20 years in the financial services industry, Laura offers the latest insight & instruction and shares the most overlooked marketing and prospecting techniques used by her clients every day to get the most from leveraging LinkedIn and other platforms for professionals. Build a Stellar LinkedIn Profile | Get Warm Introductions | Deepen Client Relationships | And More
Life has never been more predictable, the delightful surprise that occurs when we least expect it attracts attention like never before. Yes, a holiday gift is pretty much anticipated, however a personalized gift that is unique to your client’s interests, passions and family is sure to truly delight this holiday season.
I’ve coached thousands of financial advisors on how to acquire new clients and make existing relationships even stickier. I’ve noticed one common theme among the most successful – they practice ‘love affair marketing’, they know their clients and their families (pets too!), and they care greatly about them.
Gifting must be personal! I’ve put together a time-saving holiday gift guide that contains unique gifts (and direct links to the items) in different categories all under $100 to adhere to regulatory limits. If you have a favorite, let me know by emailing info@lauravirili.com - I’ll add it to the list.
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel (be sure to subscribe) or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off
Financial Advisors and other business professionals who are killing it on LinkedIn know how to perform advanced searches to find exactly who they are looking for, create warm lead lists, get introductions and turn prospects into clients. You can easily find Centers of Influence (COI), C-suite executives, business owners, doctors, media executives, women-owned businesses, money-in-motion, your niche market and the list goes on and on…
Step 1: Get Familiar with Advanced Search
First, you want to get familiar with Advanced Search. I always coach advisors to go into Advanced Search and play around with it. You're not going to break it, and if you are set to ‘anonymous’ mode, people aren’t even going to know you are looking at them.
Greatly improve the accuracy of your LinkedIn Advanced search results thru the combination of Boolean modifiers in the Keywords, Title and Company fields.
Learn how to get targeted results and create a warm lead lists that you can save!
Download the printable Targeted Advanced Search cheat sheet that includes Advanced Search Terms!
If you liked this post, please Like, Comment and/or Share. Want me to cover a certain topic, or have a question, email me info@lauravirili.com – your Q could be the next topic for my show!
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel (be sure to subscribe) or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off.
So many advisors I work with are using LinkedIn to build robust pipelines and warm lead lists, sourcing names for warm introductions and acquiring new clients. They are able to do so because they have built a strong online brand, optimized their LinkedIn profiles, and have established a daily routine of best practices.
However, due to the amount of research that Financial Advisors are conducting on clients, prospects and COIs on LinkedIn (discovering what they do, where they work, where they’ve worked in the past, potential money-in-motion, personal interests and hobbies – and the list goes on), they could potentially appear as if they are a stalker. It’s ok to be a stalker on LinkedIn – you just don’t want to appear as one!
Therefore, these advisors have adjusted their ‘privacy controls’ to ensure they do not look like a stalker, protect client privacy, minimize the competition, and only post relevant updates. And not only do these savvy social advisors have their privacy controls tuned for optimal LinkedIn use, they have hidden what would potentially get them in trouble with their compliance department, FINRA and the SEC.
So what are they!?! LinkedIn ‘Skills/Endorsements’ and ‘Recommendations’ are viewed as advertising, and compliance departments will cite SEC Rule 206(4)1: Advertisements by Investment Advisors. Yes, if you read the regulation closely, you can infer you are able to have endorsements on your LinkedIn profile as long as they are not from a client or related to the financial services industry, but do you really want your profile under the compliance and rule makers’ microscope? Think not. Your best bet… just hide them.
Learn what privacy controls are recommended to have in place on your LinkedIn profile:
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off.
Life is about relationships and connections. Word of mouth still reigns supreme. Actually, word of mouth is more important than ever before and is now the only reliable way to grow your book of business. Meridith Elliot Powell said it best when interviewed on Ande Lyons’ Possibility Partners show…
“[Today’s] consumers are highly skeptical, well-informed and squarely in control. What you sell in this economy (no matter how amazing or incredible, unique or spectacular you think it is) [has] become a commodity.” – Meridith Elliot Powell
Sorry to refer to you and your AMAZING service as just a commodity, and your potential clients as consumers, but let’s think about that for a sec…
Sure, you’ve more than likely established deep relationships (as well as trust) with your existing clients, but until such a relationship exists with a prospect, that prospect is nothing more than a consumer shopping around for the best financial advisor, comparing YOU to all of your competitors.
Granted, they may be treating you and your service as a commodity, but there’s no doubt they’re taking it very seriously since it’s one where their financial future (and their family’s financial future) is riding on making the right choice. Now, we all know that most people will buy a product or use a service without hesitation if a friend already owns or uses it and is clearly happy with it. And with that in mind, our approach is typically to ask our existing clients for referrals (any referral) - possibly invite them to bring some friends or acquaintances to an intimate event or outing – but we’re shooting in the dark.
LinkedIn not only shines some light, it practically gives you x-ray vision!
Step 1: Your LinkedIn Network – Make it an Introduction Machine
LinkedIn is only as powerful as you build your network to be. Your first and second degree connections, alone, could provide most of what you need.
Learn who should you be including in your network, and best practices for making those requests…
Step 2: Your 2nd Degree Connections – The Sweet Spot on LinkedIn
All of your clients should be 1st degree connections and these clients have 1st degree connections of their own - those people are your 2nd degree connections, the sweet spot! Before you meet with a client, go through your client’s connections to identify who you’d like to be introduced to. Then before the end of your meeting, have a conversation about these individuals and ask your client if they could provide you that warm introduction, as well as the recommendation that will set you apart from your competition.
Learn how easy it is to identify ideal prospects and how what to say…
That’s all there is to it for sourcing the right names for a warm introduction and gaining the best opportunity for hitting the ball out of the park!
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off.
Time Block, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. You can get lost on LinkedIn – be disciplined, get in and then get out. Perform three daily tasks and you will be amazed at the activity it will generate!
Review & respond to messages/invites in your LinkedIn mailbox - Review invitations from folks that have asked you to become part of their network. Accept or decline. Did you know there is a little known feature on LinkedIn that allows you to ‘Reply (Don’t Accept Yet’) – this feature is found only when viewing invitations from the Message Center. If there is someone who has asked you to connect with them and you are unsure as to whether or not you want to include them as part of your network, you can use this feature to say something such as:
“Thank you for asking me to connect with you on LinkedIn. Can you share with me how we know each other or why you would like to connect on LinkedIn?” If you don’t hear back from them then explaining how they can help you or you help them, you more than likely do not want to connect with them.
As an advisor you can really stand out by sending a follow up note once someone accepts your invite or you have accepted theirs. After connecting with them send them a LinkedIn message and say something such as:
When referring to a connection request you sent: “Hi Joe, thank you for accepting my LinkedIn invitation. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know. I look forward to chatting with you at some point. Best, Laura (insert phone number)”
When referring to a connection request you received: “Hi Sima, thank you for asking me to connect on LinkedIn, I am happy to have you as part of my network. I look forward to chatting with you at some point. Best, Laura (insert phone number)”
Review the ‘Who’s Viewed Your Profile’ - if someone interesting has checked you out, you may want to in turn check them out. You can even send them a message:
When viewed by someone you do not know: “Hi Jackie, it looks as though we share many common connections. Therefore I would love to make you part of my LinkedIn network and possibly grab coffee if you are open to it. Interested? Best, Laura (insert phone number)” When viewed by one of your connections: “Hi Sal, hope all is well in your world! I would love to catch up over coffee or lunch – are you available on Thursday? Best, Laura (insert phone number)”
Review Connections > ‘Keep in Touch’ - Each day make sure you are keeping in touch with those that mean something to you; clients, prospects, friends and family. LinkedIn enables you to differentiate yourself and show that you care. How? Through Connections > ‘Keep in Touch’ see video below as well as cheat sheet.
If you can’t access this YouTube video through your firm’s firewall, you can also check it out on my website lauravirili.com or view this from your mobile device.
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off.
You have sourced names for introductions online. You have an affluent client base and you know the high net worth market has a variety of complex needs and high expectations. High net worth clients switch advisors, and one of the main reasons is the quality, or lack thereof, of service. Attracting and retaining this discerning clientele will require you to go above and beyond offering your basic products and services – that’s a given!
You need to offer unique and memorable experiences, customized events that tap into the interests and values of your clients and prospects creating a lasting impression.
Creating an experience is not just about entertaining your clients and prospects, it is about engaging them! Think outside the box, the goal is to zero in on your interests, whether it is art, travel, leisure activities and/or community events, then customize the events to those interests. This helps connect you with whom you have a natural affinity. Below, is a video that takes you through the Top 10 ideas for innovative events, memorable events, as well as a quick reference guide (AKA Cheat Sheet) to serve as a reminder.
If you can’t access this YouTube video through your firm’s firewall, you can also check it out on my website lauravirili.com or view this from your mobile device.
Be sure to check out the additional videos in this series on my YouTube Channel or directly from my site, LauraVirili.com, to learn how to Kill it Online & Off.
