7 Pieces Of Productivity Advice That Changed My Life

When you’re a brand-new financial advisor trying to learn marketing to keep your business afloat when you don’t have any clients, there’s a lot of mistakes you can make that increase your likelihood of giving up.  For example, listening to general marketing “experts” on YouTube who have never worked in the financial industry sets you up to work hard and generate no returns.  In fact, after having thousands of discussions with new financial advisors, I’ve found that there are 7 specific mistakes new advisors make that sabotage their marketing results.  In this episode, I reveal each of these 7 mistakes—and give you a solution for each and every one of them.  If you’re a new advisor, you can’t afford to skip this episode. But even if you’re a seasoned advisor, there’s still a chance you’re making one of these 7 mistakes.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: Why relying on Gary Vaynerchuk, Russell Brunson, and Grant Cardone for your marketing education is a recipe for failure (0:53) How seeking out a mentor for your financial advising business can actually be dangerous to your business, bottom line, and mental health (2:53)  Why aligning your marketing strategy to your unique personality is the single most effective way to ratchet up the return of every marketing asset you use (6:46)  How your friends and family limit your growth potential (even if they don’t intend to) (10:22)  Failing to understand THIS makes it nearly impossible for you to succeed (11:15)  Nobody cares about your investment strategies or financial planning methods… But doing this instead fills your calendar with hungry prospects (12:27)  The “Stretch You” secret to goal setting that all but guarantees you become a top 5% advisor at worst (and a top 1% advisor at best) (14:31)  The insidious “Do More” trap new financial advisors fall into that keeps them broke and unstuck (17:10)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. Want to see the exact lead magnet (and landing page) that I consider to be my best one ever? It’s called “Financial Advisor Marketing Wisdom from the Bible.” You can check it out yourself here: https://theadvisorcoach.com/bible.

After helping thousands of financial advisors improve their marketing, I’ve realized that there are 5 key elements that successful financial advisors leverage in their marketing.  Missing any one of these five elements could be a reason that your marketing campaign lights your budget on fire without you seeing any benefit to your bottom line.  But most financial advisors aren’t even aware of these five elements.  In today’s show, you’ll discover the 5 elements of winning online marketing campaigns for financial advisors, so you become one of the few financial advisors who can use your marketing to land clients whenever you want.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: Why studying landing pages and websites from the best marketers can actually make yours worse (1:44)  How to make every piece of marketing collateral in your financial advice business better by simply watching The Godfather (2:25)  The “Try Enough” marketing strategy that every winning online marketing campaign leverages (and it also explains why your marketing campaigns fail) (4:08)  The insidious “Three Feet From Gold” trap financial advisors’ marketing campaigns fall into that devours your ROI (4:47)  Why targeting a broad pool in your online ads is like throwing money away (even if an advertising guru told you that going broad works better) (8:05)  3 simple steps from management legend Peter Drucker to turn a sea of data into actionable insights that ratchet up the effectiveness of your marketing (10:51)  The exact amount of time you should let your winning ads run for (12:30)  How to slice and dice one winning ad into ten (or more) winning ads (without fully redoing your ad each time) (13:00)  Why diversifying your marketing assets helps you generate returns in the short-term while also preventing your entire business from sinking over the long-term (17:24)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90-minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. Want to see the exact lead magnet (and landing page) that I consider to be my best one ever? It’s called “Financial Advisor Marketing Wisdom from the Bible.” You can check it out yourself here: https://theadvisorcoach.com/bible.

I made a new lead magnet, which, based on its early performance, is the best lead generator I’ve ever created.  How did I do it?  Well, I did the exact opposite of what most financial advisors do when building their own lead magnets.  For example, I talk about Christianity in it (usually a big no-no in the financial advice industry). I purposely made it exclusive instead of inclusive. And I even charge for it instead of giving it away for free.  In today’s show, I reveal why I made these “against the grain” decisions, how it resulted in the best lead generator I’ve ever created, and how you can duplicate this strategy in your business.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: How paying more for your leads (instead of less) generates more revenue for your business (0:49)  Think you should be trying to find the most profitable clients for your business? Here’s one reason why this can backfire (1:48)  The insidious “Generalist Tax” that devours your free time without seeing returns to your bottom line (3:14)  How making yourself less available makes you more attractive to your best prospective clients (4:30)  Why “borrowing” this belief from two different religions can ease your frustrations and headaches in your business (6:20)  The $1 secret for turning your current lead magnets into actual client-getting machines (8:51)  How applying the Golden Rule to other businesses who want you as their client actually helps you find better clients (10:15)  Asking yourself these 3 questions can help you build the best lead magnet for your business (17:20)  The “Exclusive Lead Magnet” trick for repelling headache-inducing leads and only attracting high-quality leads (18:31)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. Want to see the exact lead magnet (and landing page) that I consider to be my best one ever? It’s called “Financial Advisor Marketing Wisdom from the Bible.” You can check it out yourself here: https://theadvisorcoach.com/bible.

Most financial advisors—and truthfully, most business owners—let their entire day get controlled by someone else.  False urgencies, random meetings, and pointless tasks can easily consume your day when you don’t control them. And most people don’t even try to control them because they mistake being busy with being productive.  But nothing will sink your business faster than being busy all day.  Busy is not productive. And productivity is not busy. They are completely opposed to each other in every single way. That's why I’m peeling back the curtain for you today and revealing the 7 pieces of productivity advice that changed my life.  You might not like hearing everything in this episode, but if you implement the advice I share, your business will thank you. Your bank account will thank you. And you know what? Even your spouse will thank you.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: Why winging it day to day keeps you busy everyday without having any wealth or clients to show for it (1:05)  How to instantly gain clarity and control over your hectic schedule—in only 30 minutes (1:58)  The “Time Boxing” method for accomplishing double the work in half of the time you’d normally take (5:59)  Why failing to schedule breaks into your schedule drains your productivity (even if you think the opposite would happen) (8:22)  2 types of breaks that skyrocket your productivity levels throughout the day (10:06)  The weird “Sparkling Trash Can” secret that can improve your marketing, reduce randomness on your schedule, and even grow your business (19:15)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. Now, you might have a few questions like how do I identify the right niche for me that is viable long term, I actually have an entire video training about this called deep dive into niche marketing, which you can find over theadvisorcoach.com/niche that digs in a lot deeper than I can in a single podcast episode. There is no perfect science for selecting a viable niche.

While niche marketing is one of the most powerful marketing strategies available for financial advisors looking to differentiate and scale…  There’s a big, fat problem with niche marketing:  It is not an overnight cure for your lack-of-clients or lack-of-cash-flow problems, despite what you hear marketing gurus peddling.   In fact, it’s the exact opposite: Choosing a niche, then earning the trust of that niche, can take years of grueling effort with little return. Especially because the financial advice industry is one of the least trusted professional industries.  That’s why, in this episode, I’m revealing a secret, more methodical way to become a trusted source in your niche (without starving for clients and cash flow for years).  Listen now.  Show highlights include: How to actually build trust with potential clients (even if the financial advice industry is one of the least trusted professional industries) (0:31)  Why typical sales and marketing books don’t work for financial advisors (even though they work in other industries) (1:42)  Where the “riches are in the niches” advice marketing zealots pump into you falls flat and can even hurt your business (3:03)   How to become the trusted figure in your niche—and why it will takes years, not months or weeks (3:21)  Why appearing as a generalist instead of being a specialist is a better strategy for growing your business (even though it’s harder) (5:38)   How to build an entire financial advice business around the “Generalist-Specialist” method that gets you clients today and years down the road (6:34)  The slower, more methodical, and more effective “Behind-the-scenes” secret for building a wildly profitable niche (9:15)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. Now, you might have a few questions like how do I identify the right niche for me that is viable long term, I actually have an entire video training about this called deep dive into niche marketing, which you can find over theadvisorcoach.com/niche that digs in a lot deeper than I can in a single podcast episode. There is no perfect science for selecting a viable niche.

There is a truly golden opportunity lurking beneath the surface in the financial advising industry right now:  A record 4.1 million Americans will turn 65 this year. And this isn’t just a temporary blip, it’s a wave that's set to continue for years.  So, how do you market to this wave of future retirees to win their trust and their business?  In today’s show, I reveal several simple marketing strategies you can use to magnetize this demographic to you, and make them drool at the thought of you being their financial advisor. Listen now.  Show highlights include: Why it is the greatest time in American history to help people transition into retirement (0:52)  5 simple ways to differentiate your marketing from other financial advisors targeting retirees (2:08)  Can you market to retirees on LinkedIn? Here’s my contrarian strategy to try… (4:46)  How to “layer” retirees into sub niches that makes them think of you as their dream advisor (6:38)  Why online ads are the single best way to reach retirees (even if they don’t use social media as much as younger folks) (7:46)  The best (and worst) words to use for people over the age of 65 (9:06)  The “Selling Against Type” sales secret for cutting through the noise and usual hype that your ideal prospects are bombarded with every day (10:07) Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle.

The financial advice industry is going through some major changes thanks to the advancement of technology happening at breakneck speeds.  And there are three key things that will rule the future of financial advice.  Proactively embracing these changes will keep your financial advising business not only surviving, but thriving. But ignoring them could cause you to close your doors for good in just a few years.  So, what are the three things that will rule the future of financial advice? In today’s show, I reveal the three things that will rule the future of financial advice, and share specific actions you can take today to ensure your business survives the inevitable changes.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: The almost-too-simple “human centered advice” secret for thriving as a financial advisor in the next couple of years (1:25)  Why an uptight and super professional “About Me” page on your website scares wealthy clients away (3:05)  How to gain an unfair technological edge against other financial advisors by simply writing emails and posting on LinkedIn (8:30)  Why chasing every marketing fad leads to burnout and poor returns (and how focusing on the fundamentals instead keeps your business afloat and growing) (12:07)  How to explore new marketing opportunities without getting sucked into every trend destined to fizzle out (14:48)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle.

Some of the most talented financial advisors have a fatal flaw that allows mediocre advisors surpass their success, wealth, and client roster: They overcomplicate their marketing strategy!  The truth is, sometimes the most impactful marketing secrets are so obvious they fly over financial advisors’ heads. But don’t let their simplicity fool you: There are a ton of easy ways to double your appointments, clients, and wealth. Especially when you follow the simple two-step formula revealed in this episode.  Want to grow your business the lazy way?  Listen now.  Show highlights include: How to jimmy the “Endowment Effect” to charge more for your services and have your clients thank you for doing so (1:00)  The simplest, yet most effective formula financial advisors can use to land more clients (4:03)  The only 2 numbers that matter for the success of your financial advising business (4:28)  Doing this simple marketing exercise frequently puts on my campaigns on steroids. Here’s how to do it for your business (5:48)  The cold, hard truth about why less talented financial advisors are more successful and wealthier than you (7:02)  3 biggest client-eating mistakes your website makes (and how to turn it into a client magnet by the end of today) (11:16)  How to double your conversion rate without headaches, frustration, or lucrative investments (11:43)  The lazy way to grow your business faster than 90% of financial advisors (12:37)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. If you’d like to learn the secret sauce that turns financial advisors’ websites into client-getting machines, head over to https://theadvisorcoach.com/website. For serious advisors only: Order your copy of The Big Book of Business Building Secrets over at https://theadvisorcoach.com/big

There is an endless amount of coaches, consultants, gurus, and lead gen agencies doling out their advice to innocent financial advisors.  But there’s one tiny problem with this… None of their “advice” is backed by any sort of research, not even, in many cases, anecdotal evidence! That’s why you can follow every piece of advice they put out without seeing any tangible results trickled down into your bottom line. That’s the bad news.  The good news? In today’s show, I reveal 5 things high-growth financial advisors do differently, backed by research, so you can become a high-growth advisor too. Listen now.  Show highlights include: You don’t need to hustle super hard or work yourself to death to grow your business when you understand this… (2:00)  The “Warrior” psychological glitch that fools you into creating obstacles and troubles for your business (2:38)  The #1 secret of “Hyper Growth Firms” in the financial industry responsible for their 22% growth in 2022 (5:10)  Are you making this mistake with your lead gen? Most financial advisors do without even knowing it (6:06)  How marketing with a “marketing budget mindset” axes your growth and beheads your wealth (even if you get a positive ROI) (15:21)  The top 4 marketing channels that high growth financial advisors use (19:14)  Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle. I actually have an entire video training about this called how financial advisors can build bigger and better lists. I think it's one of the most underrated things that I have. And I don't talk about it as much as I should, I really should promote it a little bit more. You can check it out over at the advisor coach.com/lists It has more than two and a half hours of video content of me walking you through exactly which list you should have and how you should think about them.

Most financial advisors believe that there’s a one-size-fits-all solution to marketing.  Not only is this true, but it’s dangerous.  Why?  Well, it results in smart, hard-working, and honest financial advisors falling victim to marketing myths that, at best, cap their wealth, and at worst, sabotages their entire business.  In today’s show, I’m revealing the 10 most popular marketing myths financial advisors believe, so you can avoid them and prevent the deadly consequences that follow when you believe these myths.  Listen now.  Show highlights include: How being an introverted financial advisor is a cheat code for marketing (even if you think the best advisors are extroverts) (3:20)  The weird “psychic energy” secret to apply to your marketing to magnetize your ideal prospects to your calendar (5:19)  The most neglected, yet effective marketing channel most financial advisors ignore (11:15)  Why having this fear sabotages your impact, legacy, and bank account more than any other fear (13:24)  3 “hidden” ways to follow up with prospects to actually turn them into paying clients (13:52)  The “Angel Investor” method for turning your online ads into a repeatable and scalable marketing strategy (14:43)  Why treating your LinkedIn profile like a resume almost guarantees your ideal clients will never find you (and the 3-step process to follow instead) (17:51)  How “Repulsion Marketing” where you dissuade people from working with you limits your headaches while growing your bottom line (19:38) Go to https://TheAdvisorCoach.com/Coaching and pick up your free 90 minute download called “5 Keys to Success for Financial Advisors” when you join The James Pollard Inner Circle.