Advisers need to explain what they do, and get the message out there

Love it or hate it, all financial advisers, to some extent, have to explain what they do. This happens (or should happen) throughout the advice process - at initial meetings, on-boarding meetings, and even when speaking to established clients.

It almost goes without saying that effectively explaining what you do is vital to the success of any advice business. To assume that another person knows what your firm does, or how you approach things, is folly.

One of the most rewarding things that can come out of a human interaction is the realisation of what is interesting about another person, or how they can help us. So it is with marketing. For a lot of firms, half the battle is explaining what you do and how you can benefit people.

As an adviser, you’re not selling trainers or fizzy drinks - you’re selling something where the benefits to customers aren’t always clear, where the services you provide aren’t always obvious, and which has an ongoing cost attached. All of this means that it’s vitally important that an investor trusts an adviser, perhaps more than any other professional relationship you could think of.

The good news is, there’s never been a better time to sell something that needs explaining. As well as the all important face-to-face meetings, now you can cost-effectively use content to explain what you offer in a fast, convenient, and engaging way, and that knowledge transfer can happen before the point of sitting down for a meeting. Take Regis Media’s Basics of Investing series as an example. It’s a series of videos that explains different investing concepts - this one simply describes what evidence-based investing actually is:

Here’s a good exercise: Try explaining to a friend or family member (someone outside the industry) what your firm does, providing the important details which your clients would need. Then, check if they understand clearly what you’ve told them. If the answer is no, it’s time to think about how you can take some time to script a piece of clear content to do this job for you. If the answer is yes, great - you’re one step closer to marketing your services effectively. But as a follow up, think about how much easier it would be if you could get that message out there. If it’s just you and a couple of colleagues using face-to-face or email communication, consider that a piece of content, such as a video, could become a valuable sales tool and save you time and effort, as well as educating clients.

If you’re reading this and you think you need help with content, Regis Media have a strong track record of helping advisers to explain what they offer. Pick up the phone or send us an email, and we’d be delighted to work on a project with you.