“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you sell, but the stories you tell” – Seth Godin
This is as true for financial advice as it is any other product being sold in today’s digital world.
Without great storytelling, you are just another adviser looking to sell to a group of people that don’t even know they need your services.
I have spent my whole career working in the field of storytelling: from celebrity stories to the stories of advisers, fund managers, and ordinary Australians.
Time and time again, I have found that making people feel is the only way to stay in their mind. While you may be the smartest person in the room, with the most incredible abilities, if you don’t tell your story in a memorable way, chances are you will be unable to connect.
Equally, when winning a new client, or pitching on a piece of business, you need to consider how you tell the stories of your other clients and how you share your success stories. Can you bring your case studies to life in a way that you have not thought of before, with emotion first, and the feeling of transformation or joy at theoutcome of advice, taking centre stage over the process.
If you have mastered this, chances are you are incredibly successful already. If not, it’s time to start the process. One of the first things to do is ask a client who you have a great relationship with how they felt when you started the process, and how they feel today. Then start building your case studies out with that feeling, and continue the journey of that feeling to how they are today.
It’s also a great idea to talk about how your team feels. Do they feel pride in the clients they help? Are they part of a mission to change lives? Creating content that demonstrates the ethics, values and emotions of your team is a great way to differentiate your business. After all, how many times do we hear about “experienced teams” and the usual cliches that our industry uses to represent itself to the outside world?
Storytelling is no longer a soft-skill, or an attribute that’s nice to have. In today’s practices, it’s now crucial to make valuable connections: the demise of traditional media outlets and the proliferation of content and social media means we are all living in a new paradigm.
For advisers, it’s more important than ever to think of your story is an integral part of your business strategy.
The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author shown, and do not necessarily represent those of No More Practice or its related entities. All content is intended for a professional financial adviser audience only and does not constitute financial advice. To view our full terms and conditions, click here.
