Schwab Impact 2010

John Stone spoke at the Charles Schwab Impact2010 for a second year. At this event, John led two sessions on digital presence and social media as well as hosted guests for informal presentations at the cyber lounge on the main floor:

  • One session was focused on emerging digital trends and social media explore ways an RIA firm can use social media and web presence effectively for growth and relationship development. John presented a “Day-in-the-life” of an advisor engaging social media naturally to drive and extend relationships.
  • A second session focused on the emerging trends in web digital media and explored ways that an RIA can plan and build a Revenue Architecture to deepen and expand relationships with existing clients.

 

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Social Media Guidelines for Estate and Financial Planners

Event Date: September 29, 2010

Time:   1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT, 11:00 am MT, 10:00 am PT)
Length:   1 hour 30 minutes

Benefits

Attend this teleconference and learn how to diagnose and score current digital/web presence. You will be able to identify steps to build an effective experience taking advantage of the latest web 2.0 features. This teleconference will teach you how to apply a top-down messaging model to craft positions along the ‘long tail’ and organize communications to reinforce your brand. Gain a better understanding of the role of integrated marketing campaigns to syndicate content into the market with tools like webcasts, videos, articles, podcasts and PR promotion. Learn how mapping the level of social media presence fits specific practice strategies and understand how these tools can help you build new multigenerational relationships.

See more information at: https://www.lorman.com/teleconference/teleconference.php?sku=386424

Continuing Education Units

CFP (Pending)
CPE
Additional credit may be available upon request. Contact Lorman at 866-352-9540 for further information.

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How to Avoid Digital Video Stage Fright!

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As we develop digital videos for clients as part of integrated marketing campaigns, we often see nervous executives that are concerned that their Hollywood training may be inadequate and they might both embarrass themselves and the company with a poor acting performance on the corporate video. 

Our message: Relax….

 

Today audiences are looking for authentic messages from companies and when the CEO speaks to us on video, we feel a greater connection to the company.  The face of the company becomes more human. So rather than rely entirely on “Madison Avenue” advertisements, your strategy should include digital videos and conversations about your company, your brands and your offerings.

 

We need to walk the talk. I just won a Flip Video Camera at the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium (and I never win anything), so this must be a sign!  Videos will come for Revenue Architects….soon.  In the meantime, I am focusing on our clients and their vision to embrace digital video as part of a broader Revenue Architecture and integrated marketing campaign.

So, how do we ensure the executives are comfortable in front of the camera?

The answer is to forget the camera, trust the Creative Director…!

 

Some things to consider:

 

  • Share in advance a list of the key discussion points so the video team can facilitate a conversation, not a script
  • Trust the video team. A talented creative director will guide the conversation so you don’t need to think about it
  • If you know your company and your message, your story will come out naturally in the video
  • You don’t have to get it “just right”. The magic of video editing will allow the story to come through for you.

If you have an experienced creative director, relax, you are in good hands.

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I will pretend to sell if you pretend to buy

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“I will pretend to sell if you pretend to buy” This is one of my favorite quotes from Sherwin Uretsky, one of our Revenue Architects advisors and one of the top revenue architects that I know!

What does it mean?

So many people engaged in sales imagine that they can win business after gaining access to a particular client – or after a warm meeting with a prospective client. But too often, they fail to really listen to their gut . They fail to perform the basic qualification that they need to do:  BANT –  Budget, Authority, Needs and Timeline. Or SCOTSMAN: Solution; Competition; Originality; Time Scales; Size; Money; Authority; Need.

They are kidding themselves… meeting after meeting of friendly banter with the client….pretending to sell, and the client pretending to buy.

  • Wrong opportunity
  • Wrong decision maker
  • No BANT
  • Free consulting
  • Long sales cycle

When you see it, stop it. Ask yourself the question – what is the compelling event? What is the implementation date? What happens if the client doesn’t buy? There likely won’t be an answer and you will see that there likely is not an opportunity after all!

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How a Consultant Can Use Twitter: Coffee with Nat

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I enjoyed a Harvard Square coffee visit at Peet’s the other day with Nat Welch, a consultant at CFAR: Center for Applied Research.  I checked in on Foursquare of course 🙂

Nat and I used to work together at Viant and it is always good to catch up. Nat is already an expert in collaboration and in particular in helping people impact change in organizations.  Naturally the conversation led to marketing digitally and using social media. I was giving Nat a few of my headline perspectives on why he might want to use Twitter to establish an online presence.  There is a lot written about this already and for many of you this is “101”, but here are some of the points that I shared that I think might provide a summary framework for management consultants and business professionals on how to think about using Twitter vs. other tools like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Summary takeaways – for those of you getting started:

  1. Pick your place on the long tail. Clarify your unique position and area of expertise. Identify your perspective and core messages. It is hard to track all the conversations that may interest you – the more focused your area of expertise or offerings, the easier it is to follow and be followed in the space.
  2. Set up your Twitter account and link it to your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts
  3. Use nice tools like Tweetdeck where you can set up columns for the areas you like to follow. HootSuite is good for team collaborative tweets and managing multiple identities.
  4. Set realistic expectations. Most of your clients are not looking for you on Twitter, but over time a presence will reinforce your credibility in the space. Think of Twitter as another outpost in your digital presence.
  5. Listen and follow. Find people talking about and sharing information about your area of interest, follow them,  Retweet the good ones, click on and follow the blogs that interest you. Very quickly, you will have a mosaic of content and people that surround the subject that you are focused on. Good etiquette suggests we do not use Twitter as a bully pulpit, but rather add to the conversation. Ask yourself if your tweets are adding value and adding content. Twitter is not for direct self-promotion.
  6. Weigh in on the conversations – offer your perspectives
  7. Set up a Reader account and follow the blogs.
  8. Syndicate your own blog. If you don’t have one, it may be worthwhile to set up a blog where you can share your content and articles about your area of expertise. Blogs use RSS standards that make it easy to share through tools like Google reader. You don’t have to write something every day- even once a month would be valuable from a presence and credibility perspective
  9. Maintain presence. LinkedIn is particularly valuable for the management consultant and business user. Facebook extends your personal networks online.
  10. Do what I say, not what I do. I wish I had more time to follow and engage in the conversations. Pick a window of time each day or two to follow the conversations, people, and weigh in with your comments, share your posts and find the valuable expertise that you can bring to your clients and enhance your value.
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NAPFA Presentation for Financial Advisors

Speaking with NAPFA at the Bentley University Campus

John Stone and Kristen Luke (via Skype from San Diego!) spent the morning with a group of financial advisors as part of their monthly program.

We discussed the landscape of new marketing including the key elements and concepts that drive the adoption on digital marketing strategies. We also took a tour of the “tools of the trade” and discussed ways that advisors are using social media today. Finally we discussed the call to action – how to get started with social media and new marketing.  Our new program: Digital Marketing for Financial Advisors is launching this Spring and offers advisors an opportunity for hands on workshops to build their web presence – social media, content development and website strategy.

Read more

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