"I have been a financial advisor for 25 years, getting clients through referrals and word of mouth. Recently those sources have dried up."

When I had my first mouse 10 years ago, I needed a will. I had to decide between two attorneys and chose the higher priced guy.

He turned out to be a real jerk.

So a week ago when I found out I have to get a special needs trust, I remembered the attorney I rejected 10 years ago.

But, guess what!

For the life of me, I could not remember his name. There was nothing in my inbox; he never sent even an email newsletter. I knew it began with "M" so I'm sitting there peeling potatoes, driving myself nuts thinking of everyone I know in my LinkedIn named "Michael" or "Mark." Luckily his name popped into my head.

Don't be a "Mark"; harness the power of time and your past.

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Take these actions TODAY:

• Make an Excel spreadsheet of all these people from your past:
• Everyone you went to high school, college, or grad school with
• All past clients, even if they fired you
• All past prospects you lost
• Every single CPA, attorney, etc., who ever sent you a referral
• All vendors to your firm - from the person who sold you the office furniture to the wholesaler you buy your mutual funds from
• Old bosses
• Old coworkers
• Bosses at places you interviewed for a job but didn't get it, or did get it but rejected the offer
• People you met in your CFP study group
• Etc.
• Ask them if you can put them on your newsletter list.
• Put these people in your email newsletter software and call it "Annual Newsletter."
• Once a year, send them a newsletter. Just take the best question a client asked you all year and answer it in three paragraphs.
• At the end of the newsletter, include an "Action Box" like I have here at the end of mine (see pink box below). Just state what you do, using three bullet points.
• See who opened and clicked on the "Annual Newsletter" after you send it to your list, and send each of those people a personal email over the next two months.

Sara's Upshot

If you have been in business even for 10 years, there are probably hundreds and hundreds of people you crossed paths with. For 20 or 30 year veterans, it's even higher.

If "Mark" had put me on his newsletter list, he would have come up when I searched my inbox. The point of a newsletter isn't just to convince people to work with you that instant; there is far more to be gained from just keeping your name and what you do in people's minds.

Yes, it is a long shot.

Yes, most of the time nothing will pan out.

But...sometimes it will.

Play the long term game and don't give up.

Yeah?

Yaaaaah.

BOOM - there you go, today's marketing tip for ya!

-Sara G

If you are finding this newsletter valuable, please feel free to support its production by making a?$20 contribution?via this?PayPal?link ?or via?Zelle to?[email protected] .

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• I am an outsourced CMO for companies who need regular, full service marketing - blogging, social media posts, newsletters, etc.
• I am an hourly consultant for those who just need one-time or recurring guidance
• People hire me as a ghostwriter to write content for a project fee
• I have a?social media training program
• I have a book about?what to say on LinkedIn ?messenger

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Just letting ya know, in case you need me at some point.

-Sara G

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