We’re in the market for a financial advisor. Stop! Before you start spamming us with phone calls or emails – we’re not interested. What we’re looking for is a financial advisor that we’d feel comfortable going out to the bar with – someone who is recommended by someone else we trust. In this case, I don’t care what your resume is, or who your other clients are (unless I know them personally) or what they say, or what references you can provide. The service you’re selling is something that affects me personally and it’ll take several years before I know whether or not you’re full of it.
So what should you do if you’re in an industry where your references or testimonials really aren’t going to cut it? You need to make connections – and lots of them. You need to provide service and expertise that’s so spectacular that your customers talk about you to their friends. You need to spend time getting to know potential customers so you can earn their trust. You need to be in for the long-haul. This isn’t going to be a quick and easy sale.
The trouble is, it’s hard to dedicate time to this type of marketing and sales. People like to take short cuts. They want to meet you or talk to you on the phone – even offer some free consultation, which is fine, but isn’t necessarily going to close the deal. You need to be patient – you need to get to know someone – enter a long term relationship – even if an immediate sale isn’t obvious, connections you make with people can pay off down the line.
It’s all about building long-term relationships. Are you ready for commitment?
(photo by glennharper @ Flickr CC)
Technorati tags: networking, marketing, sales, social networking, business, reputation, branding, brand, brand strategy, brand management
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