
Are you an experienced 401(k) advisor looking for new ways to grow your business? If so, there are several strategies you can use to develop relationships with potential clients and fill the gaps in your retirement plan pipeline. But depending upon the amount of time you have to dedicate to this task; some strategies may be more effective than others. Let’s explore some ideas based on the amount of time you have available.
30 Minutes
If you only have thirty minutes to spare, here are quick things you can do to support your business development efforts.
Connect on social media. Find company decisions-makers and send connection requests. Look for titles like president, owner, CFO, CEO, Director of HR, Controller, Total Rewards and HR – these are the people who could potentially influence the decision to hire you as their plan advisor.
Spruce up your LinkedIn profile. Go to your profile page and follow the step-by-step prompts to enhance it. This may include updating your professional headshot, writing an about section, adding experience and uploading a banner.
Engage with content. Find an interesting article and share it with your network. Also, as you scroll through social media like, comment and/or reshare content that you find engaging. It can be something smile worthy like a motivational quote or more professional like a formal white paper.
1 Hour
With an hour at your disposal, there is a lot more you can do to further develop relationships and increase visibility. In addition to connecting with decision-makers and enhancing your profile as mentioned above, consider these other ideas:
Send a communication. Send a marketing email through a compliance approved vendor. As a business development idea, you could invite your contact list to join a webinar or read your latest article on SECURE Act 2.0.
Record a video. Video is quickly becoming a preferred advisor favorite. Identify a plan sponsor topic (e.g. investment monitoring, ESG funds, financial wellness, RFPs, start-up credits) and then turn your phone to landscape and press record. Submit your recording to compliance and then share it on social media.
Watch a webinar. Our industry has outstanding recorded presentations, so find the one(s) nestled in your inbox and press play. It’s a great way to sit back, relax and learn.
2+ Hours
When you have two hours or more available for business development activities, there are even more options open to you. Take advantage of this time by deepening your influence and building on your trusted reputation.
Write a blog. Use your experience to write a blog about a popular 401(k) client topic, maybe one about fee benchmarking. Then gain compliance approval, post it on your website and reshare it via social media. Publishing a blog will help establish you as a thought leader in the industry.
Plan a webinar. Reach out to your wholesalers and ask them about their presentation options. Work with them to schedule a webinar. Often your wholesaler partners will have the presentation, invitations and supporting social media posts. Work together to deliver great knowledge for both clients and prospects.
Attend a networking event. Take advantage of networking events - both virtual and in person - to meet center of influence professionals such as attorneys, CPAs, TPAs and benefit advisors who may lead to referral opportunities down the line.
No matter how much time you have available for business development activities, there is always something productive that can be done. Whether it’s just 30 minutes spent connecting with decision-makers online or two hours attending networking events - it all adds up over time! So, get started today by picking your own business development adventure!
Thanks for reading and Happy Marketing!
Comments